Art installation delayed by strike in France

Due to a dock strike in Marseilles, France, the construction of Andrea Blum's art piece "Plateau" at 40th and Locust streets has been delayed.

Only part of the piece is being assembled in France; the rest of the work will be done in Philadelphia.

Because of the strike, the metal components of the project were not shipped on a boat that was originally scheduled to leave on Oct. 31 for the United States.

"This is not a big deal, to be honest," said Susan Davis, director of public art programs for the Redevelopment Authority of Philadelphia.

The installation has been delayed for about three weeks.

The components are now expected to arrive the week of Nov. 17. Within a few days, after going through customs, the shipment should reach Philadelphia.

Blum plans to start installing the steel on Nov. 29.

The site of the installation has been fenced off since the project began over a month ago.

"It's got a foundation, it's got drainage," Davis said. "Plateau," she added, "will be permanent, not a temporary work."

Davis is anticipating the arrival of the builder for the project and his crew from France on Nov. 27.

The team will begin work on the installation soon after, focusing on the steel aspects of the piece.

The project will also include concrete and landscape material, topped by layers of benches and tables.

When complete, the piece should cover about 4,800 square feet, Blum said.

The project is being undertaken as part of the University's participation in the city's Percent for Art Program, which mandates that 1 percent of the cost of construction on redeveloped land be dedicated to public art.

This particular project draws its funding from the redevelopment of the Inn at Penn in 1999. One percent of the budget from that development was put into an escrow account because the University and the Redevelopment Authority failed to reach a consensus on the location and details of the piece.

Comments (3)

Why does Penn have to slowly, but surely carve up every last piece of open space around campus? Couldn't they have put this in an already paved area or some other space that could benefit from some reclamation rather than the field which was one of the few spaces left anywhere around there to throw things? Sure, there is some left, but give them time, and it will be carved up with more paths, benches and statuary. james, alum philly

I agree with James. One of the major attractions of Penn was that despite being in a city it was still filled with green space - space that is now disappearing. In the last 4 years I've been disappointed by this trend and hope that with the purchase of the postal lands, the University will stop trying to cover every inch of grass in the heart of the campus. Greg, Student Philadelphia, PA

Stop whining about the "loss of green space". This project hardly makes a dent in that field. And as far as Hill Field goes, yes, they're building that hideous McNeil center and the put in the path, but obviously none of you were around to remember what used to take up most of Hill Field--the Blauhaus, the big, ugly, blue shed that housed the fine arts woodshop. The path is a very useful thing--it makes the walk to 30th Street Station much shorter. I think the McNeil Center is an incredibly cheaply-built piece of junk, but it's not taking any more room than the Blauhaus used to. So I ask, what green space is rapidly disappearing? 2,000 square feet of the westernmost portion of that field next to the high rises? You don't think that the weekly soccer game will fit next to that? Please... Common Sense, Student West Philly

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