Jesse James
Depending on whom you ask, pools are swimming or skating. However, if you ask Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos, she will tell you pools are made for art. The artist recently conceived a colorful and interactive installation at Jupiter Artland in Edinburgh, Scotland. Dubbed ‘Gateway,’ the artist transformed a nine-meter pool into a vibrant display of art. The piece comes based off of her own astrological chart.
The work was three years in the making and arrived as a “joyful and spirited dimension, leading to a connection with the energy of the Earth.” Gateway comes constructed of 11,366 hand-painted and glazed tiles. Each one is uniquely different. Every piece used to form the installation comes from Viúva Lamego, a 100-year-old factory in Portugal. The tiles come made in collaboration with Atelier Joana Vasconcelos.
Once put together, the tiles form a cohesive pattern of swirling lines. A colorful display of purple, red, yellow, blue, and orange boasts a bright and eye-catching appeal. The pool is then surrounded by green yew hedges that mark the “limit to the artist’s intervention.” Vasconcelos stated: “It’s like a threshold to another universe that we’re not conscious of but through which we can flow.”
Visitors that wish to swim in the pool can book tickets for specified “bathing sessions.” The tickets are available now on Jupiter Artland’s website. Check out the eye-catching installation in the images below and keep it locked for more outstanding examples of art coming soon. The ‘Gateway’ pool installation will be open until September 29, 2019.
Photos via Owen Humphreys/Jupiter Artland, Allan Pollock-Morris/Jupiter Artland
