A dazzling new artwork from internationally acclaimed artist Chila Kumari Singh Burman MBE will be showcased at the Grand Pier. In the specially commissioned neon artwork ‘Pigeon’, she pays a jaunty and iridescent tribute to this everyman of the birdworld.
Chila Kumari Singh Burman said: “The humble pigeon is commonly maligned yet is an extraordinary bird that continues to populate urban spaces the world over. Historically revered as sacred by a number of cultures, employed as wartime messengers and equipped with a homing instinct that can chart 800 miles in a day, this global street dweller deserves a moment to shine.
“It’s been fun to notice pigeons afresh – the colours that ripple their grey feathers, the gentle underscore their cooing brings to cityscapes, their sense of community. My Weston ’super’ pigeon will I hope help people to look again at what’s on their doorstep, with a big smile in the mix!”
Before coming home to nest in Weston’s town centre, ‘Pigeon’ will be on display at The Grand Pier, alongside two additional works by Chila Kumari Singh Burman – ‘Laxmi’ and ‘Without us there is no Britain’, both of which were part of the iconic TATE BRITAIN facade, and like Pigeon, celebrate a spirit of resilience.
‘Pigeon’ has been enabled by 21st Century super Shrines, a programme managed by Culture Weston as part of the four-year long High Streets Heritage Action Zones’ Cultural Programme, funded by Historic England in partnership with Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.