Cardiff Council will today begin adding to its prodigious collection of public art in the City. The striking piece, ‘Without Place,’ will be installed at the Queen Street end of Charles Street in the city centre.
Designed by artists Denis O’Connor and Bernie Rutter, the six metre tall sculpture consists of a large stainless steel chair and a series of smaller artefacts including a film reel and a mortar and pestle.
The artists have creatively used images, motifs and artefacts signifying the history of Charles Street to design the public artwork.
In the past Charles Street was a busy residential street with bustling shops and offices and an ever changing combination of small premises providing an array of trades and services. As time passed, it became the home to a range of creative industries including film, music and literary establishments. ‘Without Place’ embodies the street’s rich and changing cultural history.
Councillor Margaret Jones, Executive Member for the Environment said: “I am delighted that a new public artwork has been launched today, which will enhance the pedestrianised area of Charles Street and provide a link to the area’s past history. This is the latest in a series of recent public art installations, all sponsored by organisations external to the council, which together demonstrate the Council’s ongoing commitment to the cultural heritage of the city.”
To coincide with the launch of the sculpture a new document is also being launched that provides information on Cardiff’s entire Public Art Collection. The Cardiff Public Art Register contains information on over 200 artworks, historic monuments and statues in external locations, that together provide a rich representation of the cultural history of Cardiff and make a valuable contribution to the quality of our public spaces. Given the size, age and diversity of the public art collection, collecting and compiling accurate information on each piece is an ongoing project and we welcome any facts or anecdotes you might have to help supplement the information that we hold.
The Register is available to view on the Councils website at www.cardiff.gov.uk/publicart. An interactive Public Art Map has also been produced, which is a facility that can be used to find the exact location of artworks across the city.
Executive Member for Sport, Leisure and Culture, Councillor Nigel Howells said: “Public Art has helped to create some of Cardiff’s most iconic features over the past 150 years, which help to make our city a truly unique place. The Public Art Register and On-line Map provide a major link to our cultural heritage and I am delighted that people will be able to explore the fantastic range of artworks that our city has to offer”.
