Over 1,200 steel bicycles stacked onto each other and intricately weaved into a breathtaking sculpture has park-goers at Waller Creek in awe.
Many stopped in their tracks at the Marcus Sculpture Park at Laguna Gloria to see the structure up close and to pose and snap photos.
The installation, “Forever Bicycles,” was created by Chinese artist and activist Ai Wei Wei. He used bikes to reflect his childhood growing up in Beijing. Bicycles were the main mode of transportation there, however, they were not easily accessible for lower-income families and were considered a luxury.
The sculpture is made of steel, and makes a 3-D effect as the viewer looks up.
“The sky is the background, the dizzying structure of steel, light, and shadow becomes seemingly infinite puzzle,” the artist mission statement read.
"And reading about Ai WeiWei from Boston, I read about this in our papers there. I wasn't expecting it to be so interactive, that fact that it all moves as well -- I didn't expect all the wheels to move. I thought it would all be static,” visitor Missy Castello said.
The bikes are also said symbolize the freedom to move.
"It has to do with Ai Wei Wei's past, and the bicycles that were prevalent at that time, so it’s interesting that this piece has actual significance to the artist rather than just doing something interesting visually,” Austinite Kenny Norddel said. “Art is supposed to be -- make you feel and think, so this is one is not so much feelings provoking but thought provoking.”
Go here for more information about the installation.
