Client: City of Denver
Location: Denver, CO, United States
Completion date: 2016
Project Team
Other
Riverfront Park Community Foundation
Other
Denver Parks and Recreation
Other
Denver Arts & Venues
Other
Consulate General of Mexico in Denver
Other
Mexican Cultural Center
Other
Don Cohen
Riverfront Park Association
Artist
Jorge Marin
Overview
The Wings of the City is an urban artistic project that includes nine large-scale bronze sculptures focused on promoting a dialogue between the public and the artwork, through highlighting the esthetic experience of any person who walks by and views it. Jorge Marín has participated in over 200 exhibitions in Mexico and around the world, including the United States, United Kingdom, Latin America and Europe. His Wings, originally displayed on Paseo de la Reforma in Mexico City, are part of the project called eight cities eight cultures, and were brought to Denver for display in Commons Park.
Goals
As Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock said, "This project is a piece of Denver’s planned summer activities to make downtown the center of summer fun for residents and visitors. Denver is extremely proud to display this international exhibit in order to promote a sense of community in our parks and public spaces." The Wings of the City artwork was a critical component of The Outdoor Downtown and Denver Parks and Recreation's strategic planning effort to activate the urban core and enrich the overall downtown experience, as it created an opportunity to gather, reflect, and interact with the park.
Process
The project came about when Denver Parks and Recreation reached out to the Riverfront Park Community Foundation about the possibility of collaborating to make the installation of public artwork possible. The city and the foundation have worked together in the past on clean-up efforts and supplying dog bags for the parks, and are currently working on a larger project to upgrade Commons Park to make it a friendlier more inviting place to be. The addition of this project is hoped to be the first in a series of collaborations between the two groups. As a team, we worked closely with the artist - Jorge Marin - and key stakeholders including the Riverfront Park Association, Denver Arts & Venues, and Mexican cultural groups in Denver, to bring the project to fruition.
Additional Information
Thanks to the success of the project, the Riverfront Park Community Foundation has contracted to purchase a replica of the lead sculpture in the exhibit and anticipates it will be installed in the Riverfront Plaza in spring 2018.