Cecil Balmond, OBE to create an art installation in Los Angeles
Sri Lankan born British artist, architect and engineer Cecil Balmond, OBE, has been commissioned by the Farhang Foundation to create an art installation in Los Angeles.
The Farhang Foundation, a Los Angeles based non-profit organisation promoting Iranian art and culture selected Balmond to create the large scale sculpture which honours Cyrus the Great, the emperor who ruled Persia 2,600 years ago. The sculpture titled ‘Freedom: A Shared Dream’ will be unveiled in 2017 at the Santa Monica Boulevard in Century City.
Balmond’s submission was among 300 other international entries received by the Farhang Foundation. Jurors for the competition included Bennett Simpson of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Kamra Diba of the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art and Linda Komaroff of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The jurors selected Cecil Balmond’s submission because they felt his design of a gigantic modern day interpretation of the Cyrus Cylinder best embodied the values of diversity and personal freedom for which Cyrus the Great stood. Championing the cause of religious diversity and personal freedom for all, ideals which later became the foundation of the American Constitution and a dream shared by many across the world lie at the very heart of the artwork created by Balmond. “The Cyrus Cyliner is Talismanic, of a great vision for all people and I hope my design is an artwork which projects the cylinder’s deep values not only to LA but also the world,” said Cecil Balmond.
Famed the world over for his creative ingenuity Balmond’s public installations include Britian’s tallest public artwork, “Arcelor Mittal Orbit” a 376 foot tall observation tower built for the 2012 Olympics designed in collaboration with Anish Kapoor. In 2013, Balmond’s creation Snow Words in Alaska was named one of the top public artworks in the USA. Considered one of the most significant creators of his generation, Cecil is an internationally renowned artist, architect and engineer.
By Tina Edward Gunawardhana
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