westerlySWELL 2021 is all about WORDPLAY, showcasing two literary-inspired installations created by Australian/Colombian artist Emma Anna.
Emma Anna’s internationally renowned project WORDPLAY is a celebration of the power of words, creative thinking, play and conversation. Her large-scale sculptures are created in reference to the popular word game Scrabble and commenced in 2008 with the seminal public artwork IMAG_NE. MAGIC_L Mudgeeraba and AM_ZING Lower Beechmont will be the latest additions to this worldwide series.
WORDPLAY is a nod to the game’s ‘holy grail’: the 7-letter word. In Scrabble, making a play with all 7 allocated letter pieces in one move is called a ‘bingo’ and enables the player to receive a 50-point bonus in addition to the total score of their letter tiles. In Emma’s work the public are the missing ingredient required to achieve this ‘bingo!’. A missing piece in each word/work is an invitation to the public to fill the space with their body or objects that resonate with the ethos and meaning of each word.
Words are not merely written and spoken but are also thought, and are part of our internal dialogue with ourselves. Words are with most of us, most of the time. They are powerful and important, helping us to communicate and connect with one another and the world.
By activating community dialogue, conversation and contemplation of what words mean to us all, Emma’s work invites playful interaction. Through large-scale Scrabble-inspired sculptural works set within the context of two spectacular Gold Coast locations and combined with live art elements and community-orientated Scrabble events, WORDPLAY will inspire and delight a diverse public audience.
The Village Green, Mudgeeraba and Syd Duncan Park, Lower Beechmont will proudly become the temporary home to these two new contemporary sculptures. Emma’s work will connect people, art and place by engaging the local community, and a community of visitors and nearby residents, in active participation with the various components of westerlySWELL.
Come and see for yourself!
Where | Two locations
The Village Green, Railway Pde, Mudgeeraba, Queensland CLICK HERE TO VIEW MAP
Syd Duncan Park, 19 Outlook Ave, Lower Beechmont, Queensland CLICK HERE TO VIEW ON MAP
When | 1 – 19 September 2021
Time | The Village Green at Mudgeeraba will be activated from 9 am to 5 pm daily
Syd Duncan Park at Lower Beechmont will be showcasing an Emma Anna sculptural Scrabble word, this installation perched in the foreground of a stunning vista overlooking the Hinze Dam and the whole of the Gold Coast will be a photographer’s delight. We encourage you to take a picnic up to Syd Duncan Park and enjoy the AM_ZING view…especially at sunrise!
Your interaction: at both locations you are invited to create a video on your smartphone, answering some questions from Emma Anna about the artworks and your experience with them. There are QR codes to scan and send your videos to Emma Anna, these may then be shared on @wordplayswell on Instagram.
Follow @wordplayswell to follow the progress.
Cost | FREE
westerlySWELL is proudly supported by Cr Glenn Tozer, Division 09, City of Gold Coast.
