[Closed] More money down the U-bend...

and even spiky northerners get it wrong too 🙂
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/feb/11/b-bang-sculpture-manchester

That looks crap. Really crap.

It looks like a palm tree to me. But it is utter crap none the less.

That looks crap. Really crap.

I don't like it.

But I wonder if the people who supplied the steel and put it up think it's money down the u bend?

I normally really like Anish Kapoor's stuff

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But that is utter bobbins!!

Part of the problem is the red colour, makes it look like some kind of rusting industrial leftover.

Or something you'd expect to find on the Blackpool seafront.

I quite like the B of the bang. But yeah, that tower thing looks broken.

As someone completely ignorant to the world of sculpture (and art in general), it unfortunately looks like a load of old scaffolding erected in the 70's that someone forgot to take down.

Certainly doesn't look modern in any respect.

I imagine it might be fairly impressive standing next to it, considering its size.

It's a cunning disguise for the antenna of the mind-controlling device They have installed in the Olympic Park. It can turn a whole stadium of people into cheering, clapping, drooling, blissed-out morons. Be afraid...

I think it's quite an exciting structure with an athletic and interesting aesthetic, sort of a cross between Lloyds and a roller coaster, but I also think it's a better structure than sculpture. I don't see it as a sculpture any more than I would the roof of Wembley Stadium, say, which has some aesthetic similarities.

Doesn't do much for me. Reminds me of wretched bind-weed throttling some plant.
Seems to have lost a lot from conception to manufacture too.
If they made the spiral staircase a helter-skelter it might save it.

Liked the B of the Bang though.

Chrsit on a bike ohno! Even my meds. can't fight the depression your miserable moaning induces.
Try and go a day without being one little bit negative. You might like it.
Then again, you probably won't.

Or something you'd expect to find on the Blackpool seafront.

I like it in an industrial sort of way but not sure what it has t do with sport and the olympics though

in a time of austerity it is £20 million well spent

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That pod at the top. Is it a Men In Black hidden spacecraft?

I'm not sure 2 dimensional photography is the best way to judge 3 dimensional sculpture.

It'd be a hell of a lot better if that trusswork was clad in something. Preferably chrome.

avdave - I worked in Canary Wharf for a while and you could see it from the meeting room. From a distance you really can't tell it's a sculpture, I really did wonder what kind of industrial structure it was for a long time.

It's the bastard offspring of a rollercoaster and a tower crane! Love it.

It looks at lot better in the conceptual picture posted above than it does in real life ...

I'm not sure 2 dimensional photography is the best way to judge 3 dimensional sculpture.

It'd be a hell of a lot better if that trusswork was clad in something. Preferably chrome.

This

If it had been polished chrome it would have looked awesome. Probably would have added another couple of mill to the price though and the moaning classes would then have had something else to be miserable about.

I'd agree with joao, take a peek at it in real life and it looks like some sort of Cememt Mixer/spraying machine.. It's not "nice" and I fail to see the beauty in it. The pic above makes it look like reasonable, but really.. really it looks just like an industrial tool that could quite easily have a fairground ride hanging off it.

Was it designed by the same guys who did the rides at Alton Towers??

in a time of austerity it is £20 million well spent

Who spent £20 million on it ?

LOCOG I'd imagine. But the money probably came from the Hard-Pressed Taxpayer in a roundabout way.

Junkyard - Member

in a time of austerity it is £20 million well spent

Let's not let the facts get in the way of a good sensationalist statement, eh?
It's called the ArcelorMittal Orbit, to give it its full title, after the company that contributed £19.6m towards its cost and I believe that BoJo mugged Mittal for the contribution.

answer may be in the link posted above 8)
3.1 via London Development agency
whose goals is

The London Development Agency (LDA) was created in July 2000, following establishment of the Greater London Authority (GLA) and the introduction of devolved governance for the capital. The LDA was formed as a functional body of the GLA with responsibility for helping the Mayor of London to support the growth of London’s economy in line with the Mayor’s Economic Development Strategy for the capital.

Now if that statue and the £3.1 million does not achieve tangible economic benefits I will eat my hat and buy Boris a burger....money well spent and no mistake. innit...oh elf would be good on this thread too

EDIT: god I hope the LDA is taxpayer funded or I will be doing some serious backtracking in a minute

I think it looks like a vast starship from the future... that has crashed.

answer may be in the link posted above

I know the answer.

What I was getting at is that "Austerity" doesn't really come into it when talking about a private sector company footing most of the £20 million bill.

My issue isn't with the austerity side as its mostly private capital, its with an international steel company being allowed to dump an awful building on top of the olympic site as part of our 'celebrations', its ugly as anything in the 'flesh' and its going to be seen round the world.

The time lapse footage is good.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18024138

I bet the view from the top is spectacluar and at £15 a pop it will pay for itself in a couple of years.

What I was getting at is that "Austerity" doesn't really come into it when talking about a private sector company footing most of the £20 million bill.

i suppose it is possible people will only come to the Olympics because of this but I find it somewhat unlikely to put it mildly.

£3.1m is peanuts in the grand scheme of things.

If that thing attracts 60 full paying visitors a day over the next 10 years it will cover the contruction cost. Basic numbers I know, but it will pay for itself and Mittal has just bought himself an advert that will be all over the world's media for 20 odd days. Cheap.

That reminds me of Tetsuo's mutant arm (from Akira).
Considering that film's showdown is set at the olympic stadium, it all makes sense. Just the nuclear explosion to go and we'll have the complete set..

If it gets similar numbers to the London Eye paying to go up it.

It will cover the 3.1 million during the three weeks of the Olympics.

(I have no idea if this is likely, but they are not planning to dismantle it after the closing ceremony are they)

My guess is that it will have paid for itself and be in profit before the end of this summer easily.

really it looks just like an industrial tool