Boundary, Digbeth Public Art Project completed, Birmingham
Date uploaded: November 3, 2009
National Express are integrating public art within the new Digbeth Coach Station as part of their £15 million redevelopment of the site, and have allocated an additional £366,000 in public art within an important area of Birmingham.
The Coach Station is one of the main entry points to the city with 1.5 million arrivals & departures to the city per year. There is an opportunity for the commission of two permanent public artworks to be sited at the Station, which will be recognised alongside other landmarks as iconic images for the city and wider region.
Digbeth Public Art Project consists of three permanent artistic commissions:
- ‘Boundary’ designed by artists Rob Colbourne & Stuart Mugridge
- A Visual Art Commission for the Irish Quarter designed by artist Dave Sherry
- A Short film’ produced by a group of young people as part of their Silver Arts Award qualification
Boundary
Artists Rob Colbourne and Stuart Mugridge, Produced by National Express, implemented and managed by EC-Arts. The boundary fence of the Coach Station will be public art in both form and function.
Appointed artists Rob Colbourne & Stuart Mugridge developed the ‘Boundary’ after extensive historical & heritage research, consideration of the area and community engagement was key within the creative process.
Spanning the 181 linear metre perimeter and visible from various location it will immediately impact on the public in the improved aesthetics of the local area. Described as a ‘Fencescape’; in that it is not ‘one object’ but an array of related features – a landscape of relations.
The old station’s interior candidly exposed its raw industrial construction. Aiming to maintain that authenticity, the boundary fence explodes this raw grittiness outwardly to the edges of the apron, the old interior becoming exterior.
The fence will be made of individual vertical strips of metal that lean and so change shape as one moves around the fence. From passing it at different angles and perspectives, it can seem to be solid, and through your own movement gaps appear between haunches.
Boundary, Digbeth Public Art Project
Download the press release(33 KB)
