Earlier this month, a giant rotor blade was unveiled in Hull’s Queen Victoria Square as the first in a programme of temporary artwork installations to celebrate this year’s UK City of Culture.
At 75 metres long, 3.5m in diameter at the root and weighing 25 tonnes, Blade is the largest, handmade fibreglass component cast as a single element in the world. Over the course of 2017, hundreds of blades will be made at the new Siemens factory in Hull for North Sea wind farms as part of a “green energy” strategy to generate more jobs in the area.
Nayan Kulkarni, the artist behind the project, said:
“Blade seeks to transform Hull’s streetscape through the imposition of a single wind turbine blade…This readymade artwork, 75 metres long, will divide the square, forming a temporary impediment to a free flow. Carefully positioned, it will force us to drift around its arabesque edges, our sight taking the place of the breeze. The twisting wing, although inert and at rest in the street, speaks of movement, but not of freedom.”
Hardscape is proud to have been involved in the transformation of Hull’s city centre in the run up to the year-long cultural celebrations. Visitors making the trip to Hull to see the Blade will be able to enjoy the striking paving that has been installed at Queen Victoria Square featuring Magma Granite, Kellen Lavaro and Italian Prima Porphyry. Hull’s new look provides the perfect platform to showcase the programme of art installations, such as Blade, and other cultural activity that the city has in store for visitors.
Blade, will be on show until the 18th March and to find out more about what Hull has to offer this year visit www.hull2017.co.uk and don’t forget to let us know what you think of the paving!
