When it comes to designing public art installations, artworks should leave members of the public burning with questions. In Calgary, Alberta, the Wishing Well sculpture left the public asking why they were burning instead.
Just two years after the giant metal hemispheres were unveiled, the artwork somehow managed to burn a hole in the jacket of a spectator, when sunlight refracted off its surface. Now, amid safety fears and other technical malfunctions, the city has decided to remove the piece altogether, unsure if it will ever see the light of day again.
Coming in at just under €400,000, the Wishing Well was designed by a team of Californian artists, and has suffered a number of setbacks since its installation in front of the Genesis Centre of Community Wellness in 2012.
Built to be interactive, visitors were encouraged to step inside the metallic hemispheres, text a message to a contained ball, and see their words changed into a unique light and sound display.
The system regularly broke down, playing a default ‘Error Message’ instead.
Then, last spring, a member of the public entered the Well, started drafting a text, and suddenly felt very warm. At that precise moment, the structure’s mirrors were focussing sunlight in a beam so hot, it actually began to burn a hole in his jacket.
The city’s arts manager, Sarah Iley, told the Calgary Herald, that the burning took everyone by surprise.
“When it happened that somebody did actually have a piece of clothing singed, we thought, ‘ what the heck’s that about?’” she said.
The visitor was unhurt, but Calgary officials erected fences to keep people from entering The Wishing Well until it could be repaired. Since then, a team has been going at it to try and resolve the burning issue, from changing the angles to hammering it.
So far, efforts have proven unsuccessful, and the piece has been removed. If the artists cannot repair it, it will either have to be permanently housed indoors, or a clause in the contracts devised by the city means they may be able to get part of their funds back.
