Coming to Kingston Foreshore: The giant fish hook sculpture Selfish pictured at Bondi Sculpture by the Sea. Photos: Cox Architecture.
The Kingston Foreshore will soon have a new hook to grab people’s attention – literally.
A development application has been lodged for the installation of a giant stainless steel fish hook sculpture at the Aurora complex.
Purchased by the Aurora body corporate for an undisclosed amount, Selfish was designed by Juan Pablo Pinto of Cave Urban and Cristian Rojas of Cox Architecture and was first exhibited at the 2022 Bondi Sculpture by the Sea.
The DA prepared by Graham Humphries from Cox Architecture for the body corporate says the sculpture is designed to encourage people to interact with its massive scale and inviting mirror finish while drawing a poetic link to fishing and the water beyond.
“Selfish will provide a stunning aesthetic to the pedestrian entry through to the Harbour promenade and canal,” the DA says.
“It will become a recognised meeting point for residents, visitors and the public while enlivening the public realm with its grandeur and quirkiness.”
A concrete plinth at the entrance to the pedestrian thoroughfare off Eastlake Parade has been waiting for an artwork to be installed for a decade after the Aurora developer abandoned plans to provide a sculpture and left some money to the body corporate.
But it has taken 10 years for the body corporate to raise enough funds to pay for a fitting work and its installation.
The DA says the site will also create a strong link with the proposed arts precinct on the opposite side of Eastlake Parade, helping to integrate and connect it with the Kingston Foreshore.
The site of the plinth where Selfish will be installed at the Aurora complex.
Mr Humphries would not divulge the sculpture’s price tag to Region, saying that was private information.
He said the body corporate bought it because members liked it and it was appropriate for the area, citing its aesthetic strength, relevance and simplicity.
“It’s a very clever piece of art,” Mr Humphries said. “It’s right next to the water, and a lot of people fish there.”
He said it would be installed as soon as the DA goes through.
The DA says maintenance-free Selfish should pass any occupational, health and safety test.
The smooth stainless steel finish, lack of climbing elements and the height of the actual ‘hook’ above the ground make it inaccessible.
The actual hook is also not a sharp point, although the scale of the sculpture makes it appear so.
The sculpture will be lit at night by in-floor LED lights.
The Aurora complex was designed by Cox Architecture and consists of apartments, restaurants, retail and office spaces within the Kingston Foreshore precinct.
The DA is open for comments until 5 October. To read the proposal and submit feedback, visit the website.
Loading ...
