At nine metres high, 19 metres long and tipping the scales at 66 tonnes, Rainbow is not your average public art piece.
The sculpture, by prominent Perth artist Marcus Canning, will be constructed from nine recycled sea containers joined to form an arch. Colourful and creative, the sea containers form the shape of a giant rainbow as a universal symbol of hope and inspiration as well as being a highly visible Fremantle welcome statement.
The new artwork will take pride of place at Beach Reserve adjacent to Canning Highway, overlooking the Swan River and the port.
The largest public art piece ever commissioned by the City of Fremantle, the $145,000 Rainbow is the jewel in the crown of more than 50 public art pieces throughout Fremantle, a city with a rich arts culture and well-known as a city for artists.
In a complex engineering feat, the massive artwork will be pieced together by cranes one container at a time on-site in Fremantle today.
Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt said he hoped Rainbow would spark debate and conversation.
“It’s big, it’s bold and colourful and very Freo. As a city of artists we have commissioned a dynamic artwork that has been conceived, engineered and produced in Western Australia and represents the ingenuity of our arts industry.
“I hope Rainbow will not only foster conversation and debate but will put a smile on the faces of locals and visitors and remind us of just how lucky we are to live in such a great place. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Rainbow emerge to become one of the most talked about and photographed landmarks in the region in the months and years to come.
“Like all good pieces of art it will mean different things to different people. For me it represents a variety of things including Fremantle’s strong links to the sea, a celebration of Freo’s renowned arts and culture scene and also a strong statement of hope for greater diversity, tolerance and compassion in society,” Mayor Pettitt said.
Artist Marcus Canning said turning his concept into reality had its challenges from an engineering and construction point of view. “It was always going to be a challenge to connect nine sea containers and make them hover in an arch which at its apex is nine metres above the ground. The result is 66 tonnes of wow.
“Nothing like this has ever been attempted so we’ve had to come up with some innovative ways of joining the containers together and worked with some brilliant companies and contractors bringing the vision to reality. One of the structural engineers working on the project refers to the structural form as being weirdly simple and the sculpture itself as being simply weird. I really like that description of Rainbow – weirdly simple and simply weird.
“When Rainbow is proudly in place and people are debating its symbolic meanings, the engineering behind it, the things it makes them think and talk about, including whether they love it hate it or are totally indifferent to it, it will all be worth it”.
The location and orientation of the artwork have been carefully considered to provide a unique entry statement to Fremantle and to showcase the artistic and creative merits of the city.
