TITLE

“Walking Sculpture”

DATE

 October 2010

PARTNERS

Michelangelo Pistoletto
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Curtis Institute of Music

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Rittenhouse Square

Schuylkill River Trail

City Hall

ABOUT THE PROJECT

The Philadelphia Art Museum’s curated retrospective of legendary Italian artist and art theorist Michelangelo Pistoletto in October 2010 included commissioning the artist himself to create a piece for the show. Fortuitously, Spiral Q was co-commissioned by the museum to work with Pistoletto in the creation of a large-scale work and public performance piece. The result, the Walking Sculpture, was a citywide performance that captivated all who came into contact with it – from unsuspecting participants on the street, to the giant Spiral Q puppets strategically located throughout the city to greet the giant, 4-foot diameter rolling newspaper ball. This collaborative artwork and performance, a revival of Pistoletto’s 1967 piece that he rolled through the streets of Turin, Italy, refreshed an ever-vibrant work in a new setting, reaching deep into his ideals of bringing art to the people, creating multiple opportunities for interaction and transformation.

 

“Having a Ball with the News” – Philadelphia Inquirer October 30th, 2010

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INQUIRY

We asked – How does Spiral Q’s work connect with the work and intentions of Michelangelo Pistoletto and Arte Povera?

1

CREATION

Connecting in conversation and action: Discussions with the artist and creation of a paper mache ball.

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PUBLISHING

A collaborative performance in the restaging of “Walking Sculpture”

“The opportunity to work with a visionary who shares my language made me feel like I was meeting my long-lost artistic grandfather for the first time….I was able to understand who I was and where I had come from. From our shared stories, I began to view the artistic realm of Spiral Q in a holistic new light. I, and Spiral Q, are tremendously grateful for the opportunity to have worked with Michelangelo Pistoletto on this project.”

Tracy Broyles

Spiral Q