Pier Shear

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Strizenje Lukobrana je rad Matthewa Mazzotte koji osmisljava lukobran kao umjetnicku galeriju na otvorenom, koristeci transformaciju kao temeljni motiv. Strizenje Lukobrana doseljava sedam ovaca na mol, dok sedam lokalnih umjetnika transformira vunu u umjetnicke instalacije koje otkrivaju slozenost kretanja buducnosti Rijeke. Ove vunene umjetnine bave se povijesnim pitanjima, utopijskim vizijama, pricanjem prica, globalizacijom i aktualnim politickim, socijalnim i ekonomskim okolnostima, kao i obrtima i formalnim umjetnickim perspektivama.

U travnju 2012., kao prvi korak projekta, sedam ovaca ce se nastaniti na lukobranu i tamo zivjeti mjesec dana kako bi pomogle zamisljanju kakav bi gat mogao biti. Medutim, dublja transformacija ce se dogoditi kada lokalni umjetnici i obrtnici transformiraju vunu u nova umjetnicka djela i postave ih na molu.

Pocevsi u travnju, lukobran ce polako ''nastaniti'' i umjetnicka djela napravljena od vune kojima je cilj povezivanje Rijeke s njenom prosloscu, poticanje ideja o sadasnjem trenutku, stvaranje vizija o buducnosti i pricanje prica o preobrazbi.

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Pier Shear is a work by Matthew Mazzotta conceptualizing the main shipping pier in Rijeka, Croatia as an outdoor art gallery, with a core concept of transformation. Pier Shear is a month long 'happening/art show' that brings seven sheep to live on the pier, while seven local artists transform raw wool into art installations that reveal the complexity of Rijeka's transitioning future. These wool artworks address issues of history, utopian visions, storytelling, globalization, and current political, social, and economic situations, as well as craft and formal artistic perspectives.

Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia, with a population around 200,000. Situated on the Adriatic Sea its main shipping pier is downtown, stretching for 2km along its coast. The pier is located directly between the city and the sea, making it the only connection to the sea and without public walking access the views of the sea are visually cut off. Due to major loss of industry, unemployment, and the financial crisis, the once 'off-limits' working pier was opened to the public. Although, loosing its main function as a shipping pier, a symptom of the problems Croatia is currently facing, the city has gained this new public space and a very liberating first step in terms of public access to the sea. However, after three years of public access, the pier still remains a long industrial space with no real plans as to what it will become.

In April 2012, seven sheep moved from their countryside home to the center of the city and began living on the pier to help (re)imagine what the pier can be. However a deeper transformation happens when seven local artists and craftspeople physically transform raw wool into new works of art and install them directly on the pier. These artworks made of wool are aimed at connecting Rijeka’s past, exposing ideas about the present situation, creating visions of what the future can be, and telling stories of transformation.