Alight, Cardiff
Date uploaded: December 9, 2014
Admiral Group, Stoford Developments and EMP Projects have announced the unveiling of a significant new public artwork for Cardiff city centre. Following a competitive process, artist S Mark Gubb was commissioned to realise his proposal, ‘Alight’ - a 10 metre tall, freestanding, illuminated, steel and glass lightning bolt that will be sited outside Admiral's new eleven-storey offices in Cardiff city centre. The work is currently being installed and the official unveiling will take place on Wednesday the 17th of December from 6 to 7pm.
The work is emblematic of the power and life-sustaining properties of this force of nature. Positioned between the Motorpoint Arena and Cineworld cinema it, at the same time, reflects the theatrical nature of the activities in this area of the city. It is hoped that 'Alight' will become a meeting point, a reference point and a point of conversation.
Of the commission, Gubb said, 'I am both delighted and extremely excited to have been awarded this commission. It is going to be big, bright and visually seductive. I want it to make people smile as much as I want it to hold its own in a part of the city with so much bold architecture. I want it to reflect the energy you can feel here, at the same time drawing people's eyes up and out of the space in to the sky, from where the bolt has metaphorically fallen. This will be the largest public work I have made to date and to have the chance to do that in my home city is a real honour.'
Director of Stoford, Jon Andrews said ‘Stoford are delighted to be working with artist S Mark Gubb on this extraordinary artwork. It will be a real landmark for the local people and visitors to the City Centre, reflecting Cardiff’s energetic culture.”
CEO of Admiral Group, Henry Engelhardt said, ‘It’s very exciting to know we will have such an eye-catching work of art outside our new headquarters in Cardiff. It’s set to be colourful and vibrant and I think it will represent Admiral’s culture brilliantly. I’m really looking forward to it being part of the landscape of the city centre for many years to come.’
About the artist:
S Mark Gubb (b.1974) lives and works in Cardiff, UK. Born and raised near Margate, Kent, he works across a range of media including sculpture, video, sound, installation and performance. The subjects for his work are drawn from the social and political culture he grew up in; an equal fascination with things he finds so great and so terrible about the world we live in. This often takes the form of a re-evaluation and re-interpretation of contemporary culture and history, provoking us to consider our contribution to the world we live in.
His work has been widely exhibited in solo and group exhibitions including Turner Contemporary (Margate), Aspex Gallery (Portsmouth), Postmasters Gallery (NYC), Castlefield Gallery (Manchester), ICA (London) and PS1 MoMA (NYC). Residencies/fellowships include URRA International Residency, Buenos Aires, Argentina (2011), Standpoint Futures, Standpoint Gallery, London (2010), Cove Park, Scotland (2008), Arts Council of England’s International Fellowship at Bunkier Sztuki, Krakow, Poland (2005) and The Wheatley Fellowship at Birmingham Institute of Art and Design (2005). Other permanent public works include commissions for Grizedale Arts, Nottingham Contemporary, Aspex Gallery (Portsmouth), Bristol City Council, and the Welsh Assembly Government.
