AMP: Artists' Meeting Place and Resource Collective

This also was posted on the Art4Development listserv. I love reading about the intersection of art and environmental action.

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Eco Sculpture Points Way to Improving Air Quality in Cities

DUNDEE.- A new `eco' sculpture was unveiled in Dundee, by award-
winning artists Dalziel + Scullion. Catalyst, the life-size model of
a car, weighing 13.6 tonnes, has been cast in a remarkable form of
concrete that converts the airborne pollutants caused by traffic into
oxygen and nitrates, and can thereby reduce atmospheric toxins. "The
material was originally developed for use on pavements in congested
urban areas to improve air quality," says Matthew Dalziel, one half
of the artistic partnership, which is based at the University of
Dundee. "We are very pleased that our artwork marks the first time
this material has been used in the UK."

Known for their explorations of environmental and ecological issues,
Dalziel + Scullion's latest work once again sees the artists raising
questions about the sustainability of our current
lifestyles. "Ecological issues have been becoming increasingly
important on the political agenda in recent years," says Louise
Scullion, "and interest in environmental sustainability is no longer
confined to specialists. Our generation will play a critical role in
addressing the ecological challenges of global warming and climate
change."

"We are excited by the development of this material and its potential
to, address environmental issues in the fabric of our cities " adds
Mathew Dalziel, "Catalyst points the way to how cities with
notoriously bad air quality, from Los Angeles to Athens and Beijing,
could, in the short term, mitigate some of the worst effects of
airborne pollutants. However at the same time we recognize it is
typical of human endeavour to focus on mitigating the impact rather
than addressing the cause of our environmental problems. However, the
material offers a practical means addressing air quality in the short
term, as we collectively work to address the bigger issues relating
to environmental sustainability."

"Public art has been an important part of the positive changes Dundee
has undergone in the last 20 years," says Councillor Fraser
Macpherson, Planning and Transport Convener for Dundee City
Council. "Many forget that Dundee was one of the very first cities in
the UK to take public art seriously, and since 1982 has installed
over a hundred works throughout the city, creating interest and
excitement in the built environment. It is great to see this
continuing with a new exciting work by local artists Dalziel and
Scullion."

Catalyst takes the form of that icon of 20th century personal
freedom – the car. A symbol of a society which increasingly valued
personal freedoms above all others, it has more recently become the
focus of the 21st century communal need to address the challenges of
global warming.

And now for the science…..

This new type of concrete performs a strange alchemy. Hidden within
its make up is a catalytic material (nano-crystalline grade of
titanium dioxide) that reacts with light to trigger the molecules of
air borne pollutants, such as nitric oxides, carbon monoxide and
sulphur monoxide to break apart. Daylight initiates a reaction where
the active concrete surface converts harmful nitrogen oxides into
harmless nitrate, this in turn reacts with the calcium hydroxide of
the concrete surface and drains off with the next rainfall into soils
where plants can use it.

Catalyst was commissioned by Dundee City Council with DCA as part of
the construction of the Greenmarket multi storey car park (the
development budget for which also part funded the artwork).
Overlooked by the DCA, the sculpture is the first major public art
piece for Dundee's cultural quarter.

The artwork - a considerable technical achievement

The cement was obtained from France a year before it became available
in the UK. The Edinburgh based fine art foundry Powderhall Bronze was
engaged by the artists to make very accurate moulds of the original
draped car, these had to be robust enough to withstand the hydro
static pressure of the 13.6 tones of concrete that would be used to
create the piece. Powderhall Bronze managed the fabrication part of
the project. Border Concrete Products Ltd were precast subcontractors
to Powderhall Bronze, responsible for; design liaison and
consultation on pre-casting methodology, including advising on
fiberglass mould design, mix design including trials of scale models,
design and assembly of Peri Vario formwork framework, with design
input from Peri. Border Concrete Products were also responsible for
final set up, rebar and concrete production and filling and handling
of the car. Arup, principal consultant engineers to Powderhall Bronze
was responsible for structural design and detailing, critical
loadcases including lifting, 3D modeling of car following laser scan
of mould, mix design and durability discussions with BCP. Together
this team brought considerable expertise to the project and its
realisation.

The artists

The Dalziel + Scullion studio is located within the University of
Dundee in Scotland. In much of their artworks Dalziel + Scullion
explore the subject of ecology, either by re-evaluating our
engagement with other species or by looking at aspects of how we
interact with our environment. The studio creates artworks in
photography, video, sound and sculpture that explore new artistic
languages around the subject of ecology.

Dalziel + Scullion have exhibited in national and international
exhibitions including the British Art Show and the Venice Biennale
and have been awarded numerous awards and prizes including being
short-listed for the international Artes Mundi Prize 2008. Dalziel +
Scullion have been invited speakers at a number of conferences and
symposiums on the subject of art and ecology including: Tipping
Point, a conference of invited artists and scientists to explore the
wider cultural issues around climate change at the Institute for
Climate Impact Research, Potsdam, Berlin; the Scottish Governments
Arts and Environment Scotland; Climate Change - Gauging the
Temperature at The University of Wales; Art In The Land University of
Glasgow; Fieldworks at Tate Modern; and Art and Nature at Tate
Britain. For more information the work of the studio see
www.dalzielscullion.com