Austin Way Magazine - GreenGale Publishing - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
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One of two works by Ai Weiwei now on display in Austin is "Iron Tree Trunk," shown here in a previous exhibit. As of early June, the 15-foot sculpture lives at The Contemporary Austin's Marcus Sculpture Park at Laguna Gloria, where it sits among the real trees. AUSTINWAY.COM 35 A glimmering, monumental sculptural installation of more than 1,200 stainless steel bicycles now perches on a pocket of parkland where Waller Creek meets Lady Bird Lake. The work, "Forever Bicycles," is by Ai Weiwei, the renowned Chinese artist and activist, admired for the seamless man- ner in which he's merged his prolific art-making with his human-rights activism. Standing above Austin's popular Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail, the tightly ordered and labyrinthine sculpture is visually kinetic, the gleaming arrangement seemingly in motion. "Forever Bicycles" is one of two large-scale installations that Ai sent to Austin as part of a long-term loan, with a grand public unveiling in early June. His other piece, "Iron Tree Trunk," now resides at The Contemporary Austin's Marcus Sculpture Park at Laguna Gloria. Massive yet subtle, the 15-foot sculpture resembles a hollowed-out tree trunk. Placed among real trees near Laguna Gloria's lagoon, "Iron Tree Trunk" could easily be mistaken for a part of the natural landscape. The remarkable loans are the culmination of an exceptional partnership formed just a year ago between the Contemporary and the Waller Creek Conservancy, the private nonprofit spearheading a design-driven trans- formation of the 1.5-mile stretch of Waller Creek through Austin's urban core, from Lady Bird Lake to the University of Texas. The pair of sculptures by one of the world's most important cultural influencers represents a transformative moment for the city. It puts Austin on trend with urban centers around the world using public art in profound ways. "As a city grows, more attention is focused on the in- between spaces—the parks, the urban landscape, the public spaces," says Peter Mullan, Waller Creek Conservancy CEO. "Art can serve as the catalyst to reshape the physical and social character of a city's in- between spaces. Public art can delightfully disrupt your expectation of a place." A CREEK RISES "Many people in Austin still have no idea where Waller Creek is. It's invisible, indistinct," observes Mullan. "It's a huge asset for the city, but it needs to be seen." Mullan is not new to massive urban challenges. Before coming to Austin, he spent 10 years leading the Friends of the High Line, the organization responsible for the inno- vative transformation of an abandoned elevated railroad track on Manhattan's West Side into what is now one of the nation's most celebrated parks and urban attractions. The flood-prone Waller Creek—which cuts a promi- nent swath through downtown's eastern edge—has vexed civic leaders throughout Austin's history. But now, after years of effort, the city this year finished a massive tunnel that captures and redirects flood waters from the creek. When it's not raining, the tunnel diverts water from Lady Bird Lake into the creek to maintain a controlled level of