Urban Oasis unveiled for Surfers Paradise
Late last year the City of Gold Coast put the call out for an artist to create a public art installation at the intersection of Surfers Paradise Boulevard and Elkhorn Avenue. At long last, the winning design has been unveiled.
International artist Alex Pentek has been awarded the enviable job of leaving a permanent mark on the city by way of four 11-metre tall stainless steel ferns in the heart of Surfers Paradise. The public work, titled Urban Oasis, is a representation of the shield fern which once grew in abundance in the area before the high-rises moved in. Each one will appear at various stages of growth creating a visual centrepiece for the busy intersection.
The winning design was selected by an independent jury that was made up of a cross-section of industry and stakeholder representatives from more than 50 local and international submissions. The Irish sculptor is no stranger to Australia, having represented Ireland at Ten Days on the Island in Hobart in 2007 and he was one of two international finalists for a landmark public sculpture for Kangaroo Point in Brisbane in 2010. Urban Oasis is expected to be complete in April 2017.