Artist Info: This bright red sculpture is a creation from the artist collective Inges Idee. The piece was a Percent for Art commission for the new Terwillegar Rec centre and was installed in 2010. Inges Idee is a group based out of Berlin consisting of four artists - Hans Hemmert, Axel Lieber, Thomas A. Schmidt and Georg Zey. Each member of the group has his own art practice but they also work as a team to create public works of art. The artists mention that they like creating work for public spaces because it is constantly evolving as the neighbourhoods develop over time. They prefer these works in public spaces to the white cube of museums because they can become a part of the community and grow with the city itself.
'Running Track' is a huge foam sculpture measuring 5 metres high and 8 metres long. The work was created by Inges Idee in Calgary and shipped to Edmonton in two pieces. The work is coated with a strong, polyurethane paint. Not surprisingly, running track is supposed to represent two running legs. The artists took a sculpture of a running figure and broke the movements down into a more abstract essence of movement to create this piece. The piece is supposed to reflect the activities within the rec centre as well as the colour palate of the building.
My Thoughts: I am embarrassed to say how long it took me to figure out that these were legs! It was only until I saw a front view of this sculpture and it looked like a runner at the starting line that I realised the connection. I think the piece is fun and quirky and a nice accent to the Terwillegar community. I think the very contemporary shape of the piece accents the new-looking building well. Also, the colour and size of the piece make it an easy landmark to spot when you are trying to find the rec centre.
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