This sculpture, a tribute to science, is called "The Structure of the Atom." This particular sculpture was presented as a gift to the city by the Italian auto maker FIAT. I have read that this piece of art is motorized, with the rings orbiting around the center atom. However I have never seen the rings in motion. The sculpture is made of aluminum and currently rests in the middle of one of Jeddah's large traffic roundabouts. Due to severe traffic congestion, many of these roundabouts are being dismantled and replaced with regular intersections or, in many cases, with intersecting overpasses and underpasses. The artwork which graces many of the roundabouts is being refurbished, repaired and replaced in new locations around the city in an effort called The Jeddah Restoration Project.
I'd like to direct you to a couple of other blog posts about the sculptures of Jeddah.
"Sculpture Mysteries Solved" is about how my blogs were responsible for awarding credit to a sculptor with some of the artwork in Jeddah, which had previously been listed to an "unknown artist."
The other post leads you to a piece I wrote for Ethiopian Airlines in-flight magazine about Jeddah's sculptures and the ongoing restoration project.
3 comments:
This is so creative and powerful!
Since the stand has a door and a fan, one would assume some electronics inside. I wonder if the mechanism is broken? Of course that base could be used for some other purpose, such was what is called a regen hut in the telecom industry. (I doubt it but who knows?)
I'm guessing that it might be broken, Jerry. There is a restoration project for the sculptures going on now, so maybe it will be fixed.
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