Sculptures of all types and sizes have come to define the spaces where they’ve been constructed, but their impact is often felt beyond these spaces to provide an identity that an entire community can embrace. Whether they become icons of an area or simply compel people to take a picture, these pieces can make a major impact on individuals and audiences. That’s exactly what happened at Centre Commercial Cap 3000 in Nice when “Bubble Forest” was installed.
Artist Mirek Struzik wanted to create a characteristic landmark that would suit the plaza right in front of the largest shopping mall in France. He also wanted the piece to relate to the sea flora since the location is right by the seaside of the Mediterranean, near the beach. He worked with his client Altarea to pick the exact spot where this piece would resonate most with audiences in a literal and thematic way.
“Bubble Forest” was created as a reflection on the ability of plants to produce oxygen. The piece consists of 18 steel stems/trunks ending with inflorescences/crowns in the form of spherical constructions representing a single air bubble. These figures and forms can be seen and experienced in different ways during the day and at night though, as the piece is lit up in spectacular fashion after dark. It’s a difference that Struzik found to be incredibly important to viewers.
“The difference is huge because in the daylight the sculpture produces the “moiré effect” and at night, while illuminated it looks completely different,” Struzik said. “The magic of color works by freeing the viewer’s imagination. All of that ties back to the piece being a reflection on the ability of plants to produce oxygen and the audience understood my intentions perfectly.”
“Bubble Forest” refers to the terrestrial flora as well as to that known from the bottom of lakes, seas and oceans. However, the sculpture itself has come to mean represent something even more significant to the surrounding community. Both residents and visitors interact with the sculpture in different ways and those interactions have fueled numerous activities in the area.
“It’s a perfect selfie location and a characteristic landmark that makes navigating the public transportation easier,” Struzik told The Monumentous. “People come to meet there and to see it while sightseeing or to navigate the area. The sculpture is now an obligatory selfie location while visiting CAP 3000.”
The identity that “Bubble Forest” has helped to create for Altarea, Nice and the surrounding community is evident in terms of how the sculpture has been a subject that local newspapers write about it. More importantly, it’s become a great advertisement for Altarea among real-estate developers, showcasing what it can mean for a sculpture to create interest and activity in what might be an otherwise empty or ordinary space.
To learn more about artist Mirek Struzik, visit his website.