Perth and Kinross Council and its partner Culture Perth and Kinross are delighted to announce that the award of the art commission at Burt’s Vennel, Mill Street has been made to Elizabeth Ogilvie & Rob Page for a new work titled Meander.
Meander is a homage and celebration of the River Tay, its meandering form and its significance for the City. In a stunning and dramatic transformation of this city centre façade, the work invites the public to explore and reflect on their magnificent river, and inspires them to reconsider their relationship to their surroundings and how they see the world. The work incorporates fluctuating abstract imagery inspired by the River Tay, providing a reflective and ever-changing spectacle.
Ogilvie and Page have drawn inspiration from Patrick Geddes, renowned thinker, environmentalist and planner who, during his formative years, lived on the Kinnoull hillside overlooking Perth. Throughout his life, Geddes continued to develop his understanding of place, and Perth was the location where he began to formulate his ideas. Fundamental to his thinking was the relationship between cities and their regions ‘from snows to sea’. His ideas and concerns are widely recognised as having anticipated interest in environmentalism, sustainability and the arts.
The commission will be opened by Deputy First Minister John Swinney on November 1st between 6pm and 8pm at the Mill Street car park adjacent to Burt’s Close. This event will be free for the public to attend, marking both the official launch and a celebration of Perth’s contemporary arts. The full programme of performers and speakers includes Perthshire poet, Jon Plunkett who has been commissioned the write a poem inspired by ‘Meander’ and Katie Fowlie, who led the Education Programme, sponsored by Kanthal. Katie will be providing an ‘anthotype kit’ on the night for people to take away and expose following the event, inspired the ‘BY LEAVES WE LIVE’ exhibition that she devised and facilitated with pupils from nearby Perth Primary Schools. There will also be performances from Perth Youth Orchestra and Dr Murdo Macdonald will be leading a talk on Patrick Geddes who inspired the work.