Public Art Proposal Display

Art Proposals for Pier 27 Cruise Terminal Public Art Project

SFCruiseTerminal_009.jpgThe San Francisco Arts Commission is conducting a review process to choose an artist to create a sculpture or series of sculptures for the James R Herman Cruise Terminal at Pier 27.

The artwork will be located within the terminal plaza adjacent to the Embarcadero pedestrian entrance at Lombard Street. The work should be positioned to invite viewing but not impede paths of circulation, be visible from points north and south along the Embarcadero and should embrace and highlight its visual connection to the Bay and to geographic, cultural, and historic aspects of the site and surrounding areas.

Additionally, the work should be universally accessible, accommodating, and appropriately scaled to the site, be fabricated with consideration of sustainable materials, and constructed as permanent and maintainable within an urban and marine environment.

Three artists were chosen as finalists by a Public Art Review Panel to design site-specific proposals for this artwork opportunity: David Brooks, Ana Teresa Fernández, and James Shen.

Mareas

Ana Teresa Fernandez

IMG_7689.jpgMareas is a visual, vibrant and experiential gateway unto the port of San Francisco. 

Mareas, meaning tides in Spanish, depicts the daily dance between light, color, and form, as it casts a wave of blues across the esplanade.This colorful cascade ascends and descends along with the sun’s journey from East to West across the Bay. Mareas is an invitation to have an intimate moment of reflection amidst the vastness of the port and Bay; a memorable connection to this space. 

Mareas is composed of seven different tones of blues, vibrating throughout the composition horizontally instead of vertically. The number of colors is a direct relationship to the seven colors in a rainbow, and the exchange of light, water and wavelengths. The color forms are polycarbonate pieces that will be attached to stainless steel frames giving rise to a 12 foot archway, allowing for an ADA compliant experience to all visitors. 

When you step onto the esplanade at the cruise terminal embankment you are met with a city-scape that has at least three phallic forms framed within its composition; Coit Tower, Salesforce Tower and  the Transamerica Pyramid. Mareas is the disruptor and addition to diversity in form. San Francisco has collected a surplus of phallic structures. Mareas would be the Bay Area’s first iconic and colorful archway.

View a larger of the proposal

 

Flags Become Clouds, Clouds Become Fish

David Brooks

David Brooks_proposal board SFAC_Pier 27.jpgPareidolia is a psychological phenomenon by which an illusion involving a vague image is perceived as something clear and distinct (e.g. cloud forms in the shape of fish). The natural world has long been the incessant receiver of pareidolic vision—a backdrop for projecting our ever-changing desires and fears.  This project activates this perceptual phenomenon to engage visitors of Pier 27 into an act of play and delight through their own interpretations of clouds resembling a school of fish.  Various-sized flags will be printed from an archive of images I have amassed of clouds that look like fish and various-sized flagpoles will be arranged to approximate a dynamic school of fish.   

Between 1870 and 1925, the San Francisco salmon and sardine industry was the largest commercial fishery in the U.S. As an industry that brought immigrants from around the world, the historic fishing industry of San Francisco left an indelible and formative presence. The ubiquity of maritime flags throughout the Embarcadero and indelible spirit of this industry inform this design. 

View a larger image of the proposal.

 

Old Gold Mountain

James Shen

Old Gold Mountain Proposal Display-sm.jpgOld Gold Mountain is a public artwork designed to foster connections through diverse perspectives. Its name, a literal translation of "San Francisco" in Chinese, originates from a pivotal period in the city's history when a wave of immigrants arrived seeking fortune during the gold rush era.

This installation comprises golden columns of varying heights that collectively appear as a mountainous form. Its grand scale ensures it is a prominent landmark visible from afar. Upon closer inspection, visitors will discover viewfinders strategically placed on certain columns. These periscopes offer unexpected glimpses into the diverse tapestry of San Francisco, connecting viewers to both nearby and distant locations. Some periscopes are even directed at the gaze of other visitors. The heights of the viewfinders are thoughtfully positioned to accommodate visitors of all ages, encouraging active engagement with the artwork.

The position of each column is placed directly above a concrete pile that supports the structure of the pier. The arrangement of the columns directly mirror the patchwork of mismatched column grids intersecting and hidden underneath the site of the installation. The artwork reveals that the foundation which appears as a monolithic whole is in fact built above a deeper structure that resulted from a complex history of transformations over time.

Situated at a prominent port of entry, Old Gold Mountain draws attention to the identity of a city built on hopes, dreams, and labor of people from different places and backgrounds. The peninsula has historically attracted individuals from around the globe—from the Forty Niners seeking gold in the 19th century to the tech pioneers envisioning a silicon future in the 20th century, as well as the Ohlone people who were drawn to the area’s food-rich environment over 4000 years ago. As a place that has experienced incredible change associated with migration, Old Gold Mountain serves as a reminder of the multiple perspectives of those affected by such tumultuous times.

View a larger image of the proposal.

Opportunity For Public Comment

Please take a few minutes to review these artwork proposals and provide feedback. The proposals are available online at www.sfartscommission.org/calendar in the Public Art Proposal Display section, where you can leave feedback in the public comment form. Comments may also be submitted via email to sfacpublicartcomment@sfgov.org by Tuesday, November 14th at 5:00 p.m.

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