The Spark Catchers is the first poem that was commissioned for the Olympic Park as part of the Winning Words programme. Written by local and renowned poet Lemn Sissay. Inspired by the history of the place, Lemn has written a poignant poem about the history of the Bryant and May match factory, which still proudly stands on the edge of the Park in Bow. The poem is carved into a wooden structure on the north side of the Park, which will house one of the main electricity transformers. RUN has been designed by the ever fantastic Monica Bonvicini, it has been specifically commissioned to be placed outside of the Copper Box. Bonvicini designed three nine meter tall letters forming the word ‘RUN’, made entirely out of glass and stainless steel. In daylight, the letters act as a mirror, and at night they become more transparent and glow with internal LED lights. Monica’s inspiration for the work comes mostly from musical references. Most notably in this case Neil Young's "Running Dry". Steles (Waterworks). The striking and colorful artworks lining the Waterworks River reflect and mirror the spirit of the London 2012 Games, as well as the main river that floats through the Park. The vivid colors of the work punctuate the newly formed landscape both during the Games and after the games are over, when they will be used for boat moorings. Both sculptural and functional, they evoke nautical way-markers, and have been made from the same strong materials used for navigational buoys. Fantastic Factology is the third in a series of commissions and collaborations by a dream team of local artists and designers – The Klassnik Corporation, Riitta Ikonen and We Made That. Fantastic Factology is a series of plaques on benches that are nested throughout the Olympic Park. Each plaque features a nugget of information that was either submitted through a website or gathered through a series of local workshops and courses. Bits of information and insight about anything from astrology to zoology, draw on the broad experiences and knowledge of the local community as well as global specialists from a broad rainbow of fields. The Fun Palace is a poem by Caroline Bird written as part of Winning Words, The Fun Palace is carved on the sides of the Olympic Park transformer enclosures. It is about the life and work of Joan Littlewood, who was the life-force behind Stratford East Theatre. Littlewood's life's dream was to build The Fun Palace – a groundbreaking, multi-creation arts and education center – on the site of the Olympic Park in the 1960s. Sadly it has never come to be, however, it still remains a source of inspiration to this very day. The Art in the Park commissions and projects have been supported and sponsored by a number of funders, including the Greater London Authority, Arts Council England, London Development Agency, and Forward Arts Foundation among others.
Images – ODA Art Commissions: Monica Bonvicini. RUN. Photo: David Poultney @ ODA Ackroyd & Harvey. History Trees. Photo: David Poultney @ ODA Keith Wilson, Steles. Photo: Andy Keate, courtesy the artist. Neville Gabie. Freeze Frame. Based on the Bathers at Asnières by Seurat. Martin Richman, Underwhirl. Photo: David Poultney @ ODA Oscar Bauer and Nazareno Crea. Cloud Bridge Clare Woods. Brick Fields and Carpenters Curve. Photo: David Poultney @ ODA Additional Photography Credits: ODA