INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS INSTALL THEIR LARGEST-EVER INFLATABLE SCULPTURE AT THE NAVY YARD IN PHILADELPHIA
For immediate release: October 8, 2018. High-resolution images are available HERE.
Contact:
Jennifer Tran, Director of Navy Yard Marketing & Communications, jtran@PIDCphila.com or 215-218-2854
Group X, Installation Organizers & Curators, anonymous, therealgroupx@gmail.com
Group X and the Philadelphia Navy Yard are excited to reveal Sea Monsters HERE (#NavyYardSeaMonster), the largest inflatable tentacle sculpture ever created from world-renowned artists Filthy Luker and Pedro Estrellas. This temporary inflatable sculpture was installed at Building 611 at the Navy Yard, coming out of the windows as well as on the roof. It can be viewed from the street, from the Delaware River, and even by people flying in and out of PHL International Airport. The artists began their installation the last week of September and completed Sunday, October 7.
Sea Monsters HERE is the first collaborative partnership between Group X, a group of Philly-based artists, curators, and organizers whose members are anonymous, and the Navy Yard, the redevelopment of a former military base where over 13,500 employees work at 150 companies, surrounded by miles of riverfront access and world-class open space. United Kingdom-based artists Filthy Luker and Pedro Estrellas were commissioned because of the eye-catching scale and surrealist nature of their work. The installation employs 20 inflated tentacles ranging from 32 feet to 40 feet to form what can appear to be one or many colorful sea creatures attempting to escape from Building 611 at the Navy Yard. With their sculpture, Luker and Estrellas attend to the urban environment to offer humor and to make us think. They wish to inspire the onlookers to see their surroundings in a different light.
“The Navy Yard is the perfect place to create a large scale public installation for a number of reasons,” says Group X, the organizers and curators of the project who are comprised of anonymous Philly artists and arts leaders. “We’re aiming to make artwork enjoyable for all. We want to break through the proverbial, and in this case physical, walls that can too often keep people from feeling invited into the arts world... and with this installation, we’re just getting started.”
Building 611, located at the intersection of 13th Street and Flagship Avenue, is a 215,000 square foot metal paneled, two-story building. It was constructed in 1942 and served as the storehouse for the Naval Air Material Center at the former Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Today, the building still functions as a warehouse and provides the perfect large-scale canvas for Sea Monsters HERE.
“The Navy Yard is one of Philadelphia’s most iconic places, with layers of historic and modern buildings, large-scale warehouses, and maritime assets along the riverfront. We partnered with Group X to find an artist who would use the Navy Yard as a platform for art to surprise and delight the audience,” said Jennifer Tran, PIDC’s Director of Navy Yard Marketing & Communications. “We are thrilled to unveil this one-of-a-kind and striking public art installation today, which gives visitors and employees another reason to explore the Navy Yard.”
Filthy Luker and Pedro Estrellas’ Sea Monsters HERE (#NavyYardSeaMonster) is on view day and night from Monday, October 8, 2018, through Friday, November 16, 2018, at Building 611, located at the intersection of 13th Street and Flagship Avenue. The Navy Yard is free and open to the public and is accessible via car, bike, bikeshare, on foot, or Navy Yard Transit.
About Filthy Luker & Pedro Estrellas
Filthy Luker and Pedro Estrellas have been making inflatable sculptures since 1996. They started by creating sculptures for night clubs and parties, then moved to festivals. When their pieces got bigger they began testing them out by inflating them in parks and in the street outside their workshop. From the sublime to the ridiculous, the artists launch themselves fearlessly into new ideas and innovation. Their eye-catching interventions capture the imagination of unsuspecting passers-by and they have carved a unique niche in the international street art movement. Working with their highly-skilled team, their company, Designs in Air, create groundbreaking installations around the globe.
https://www.designsinair.com/
About Group X
“We are the next generation of arts leaders in Philadelphia. We are an anonymous group of local artists, curators, and organizers. Together, we aim to innovate, inspire, and push the boundaries of what public art in Philadelphia can be.”
https://www.instagram.com/groupxofficial/
About the Navy Yard
The Navy Yard is considered the most successful redevelopment of a former military facility in the country. A thriving riverfront neighborhood, the Navy Yard currently features more than 7.5 million square feet of buildings housing 13,500 employees working at 150 companies, ranging from headquarters for Urban Outfitters and GSK to technology startups, manufacturers, corporate R&D, and a graduate engineering and research satellite for Penn State University. Home to historic structures and new high-performance and LEED-certified development, the Navy Yard offers diverse, flexible building choices with varying heights, vintages, and floorplates, all powered by a nationally-recognized micro grid and oriented around miles of riverfront access and world-class open space. Future growth will support up to an additional 10 million square feet of commercial and residential development. PIDC, Philadelphia’s public-private economic development corporation, is the master developer of the Navy Yard.
https://www.navyyard.org/
The Navy Yard is considered the most successful redevelopment of a former military facility in the country and today is a growing community where companies and their employees thrive. Future growth will support up to 10 million square feet of commercial and residential development.
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