Engaging With Public Art

It is always pleasing to see the public engaging with art, and when the public displays a sense of humour in their engagement it feels as though all is right with the world.

Back in November, I shared some photos of a new art installation near my home. I think of the work as Red Crouching Figures but its official name is The Meeting and it is by the artist Wang Shugang. Since I wrote that blog post, the local people have, in various ways, drawn these figures into our community. When it was really cold a few weeks ago, they gave the figures toques (or beanies) and scarves to keep them warm.

Yesterday when I went past, I saw that the toques had gone, but the figures now have masks to protect them from Covid-19 and blue headbands. I’m not sure what the headbands represent, but they may be symbolic of association with a group. Whatever they signify, they are an interesting silent message of affiliation.

I made my own small contribution to the public engagement by replacing one headband that had fallen off and undoing the knots in another to give one of the figures a scarf.

I will keep any eye on The Meeting to see if the figures are given any new adornments. In fact, I may take them some of my spare hats and scarves when it gets colder again. They could probably use some socks, too. In the mean time, here are some pictures I took yesterday.