Irwell Sculpture Trail no. 4 – Arena Traditional Cache
little_pea: Too difficult to maintain this one now
Irwell Sculpture Trail no. 4 – Arena
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The cache is situated on the bank of the Irwell, within sight of the sculpture ‘Arena’
The Irwell Valley Sculpture Trail
The Irwell Sculpture Trail was developed along a 30-mile route through the Irwell Valley formerly known as the Irwell Valley Way. Following the River from its source on the South Pennine Moors to where it becomes the Manchester Ship Canal at Salford Quays, the first sculpture was installed in 1987. Thanks to an Arts Lottery award in 1996, the project grew, and 30 sculptures were eventually installed along the route. Unfortunately, some of these have been destroyed by vandals: one, notably, even before its official opening. This series of caches has been based on the remaining sculptures, and has been numbered following the Irwell upstream from Salford Quays.
The Sculpture - Arena
Site: Lower Kersal, Salford
Sculptor: Rita McBride
Installed: 17 August 2002
Material: White ferrocement
Size: 7m high approx x 10m wide approx; 5m base diameter
Description: Free-standing sculpture, in white ferrocement, of a bowl-shaped amphitheatre incorporating curved support ribs and 22 tiers of seating located on a bank between the River Irwell and playing fields.
This work was concerned with the space between sculpture and architecture, creating interactive forms and spaces that invite the viewer to use them as recreational spaces. The Salford commission was McBride's first major publicly sited work, allowing her to produce a work that was 'both beautiful and functional', informed by her interest in the 'formal language of the sports stadium'. The 22 tiered arena stands some 7 metres high and was sited on a bank allowing it to be seen from a considerable distance. Its size also meant that it could be used by people, a place to sit and picnic.
Since its opening Arena has been spoilt by vandals, who have set fires inside the bowl of the amphitheatre and broken off parts of the lower tiers, and is no longer so prominent in the landscape, due to the growth of surrounding trees.
The fields below the sculpture are part of the local flood prevention scheme: signs give warning that the fields may be uses for storing flood water: This won’t affect the cache unless we’re taking biblical proportions, but I’d love to see a photo of the flooded fields if this ever happens.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Arne tebhaq va zhygv-oenapurq gerr