Image: Vancouver Biennale
The unmissable 7-storey concrete silos on Granville Island are in the process of receiving a dramatic makeover as they became a super huge piece of public art. The once-drab structure belongs to Ocean Concrete who is working with Vancouver Biennale. As a result the silos are rainbow currently hued and will be further adorned with a mural by Brazilian graffiti artists (and identical twins) Gustavo and Otavio Pandalfo, known from Berlin to NYC as “the OSGEMEOS.”
“The mural is destined to become one of the most recognizable and iconic works of public art anywhere in the world, and if all goes as envisioned, it will become a legacy of the 2014-2016 Biennale exhibition”, says Barrie Mowatt, President and Founder of the Vancouver Biennale.
The Biennale has launched an Indiegogo crowd funding campaign to raise $20,000 towards the hefty $125,000 price tag on the project. Once complete, it will be one of Vancouver’s largest pieces of public art.
Image: Vancouver Biennale
Here’s what OSGEMEOS says about their substantial undertaking, which will be executed in spray paint:
“The first challenge of this project was to find a location that would fit with our idea. We did not want a conventional two-dimensional wall that we had done before – we wanted something different, special and unique. We have an ongoing project called “Giants” that has been realized in several places in the world such as Greece, USA, Poland, Portugal, the Netherlands, Brazil and England, and we will continue now in Canada, but with a difference. As the proposed Biennale has a strong connection with sculpture, we decided to find a place where the painting can be transformed, creating a dialogue between the two-dimensional and three-dimensional worlds. Another aim of this project is to bring new characters to Vancouver while sharing perspectives and cultures and establishing a relationship between the people who frequent this site and integrate this work into the city scenery. The connection between water and land on Granville Island, on the False Creek margins, also had a lot to do with the choice of location – for us, the water acts as a vein, symbolizing life, and it is very present in our work.”
Colour blocking began on August 6. The artists began the mural August 13. The official unveiling and celebration at Granville Island is set for September 7.
Last modified: August 15, 2014
