Summary: Mirage or Lady- Bird Transformation At a first glance the sculpture seems to be a girl or a woman walking towards the visitor. The same sculpture looks from the front side and the rear like a lady from both sides like a seabird. The visitor will recognize first a lady from the distance. But a shift of shape happens when the visitor continues approaching the building. Before entering the building the lady becomes a seabird.

It is the simple secret of sculpture that we can never see all views at the same time but we predict them. What you see depends very much on the position you look from.

Since ancient times, "The Sea-Gull" is the state of mind that longs to fly free in the sky. The seagull is the link between different worlds, as it is capable to be on land, in the air, or at sea. Medium film has also the capability to transfer our mind into various new worlds. The city bird of Busan is the seagull, whose wings and clean body symbolize a "white-clad people" (Korean people).

The surface of the sculpture is highly reflecting, polished stainless steel or colored chrome plated. The surface will reflect the color and forms of its surrounding. People may also discover themselves in the reflection.The sculpture is shaped in a highly contemporary material and style but at the same time manufactured in a traditional way.

Exceptional locations and human creations need a mascot to emphasize their value like for example “Flying Lady” of Rolls Royce. Lady-Bird- Transformation can become an iconic landmark and an artistic symbol of identity for the Busan Film Center and its function as host for the Busan Film Festival.

Mirage or Lady-Bird-Transformation

Initial considerations: The architecture at the given location is very powerful.

A sculpture must create its own realm. Another architectonic or abstract element however would be in competition with the great architecture of the Busan Film Center.

Jil Sander model on the catwalk Flying Lady

Exceptional locations and human creations can utilize a mascot to emphasize a value like for example “Flying Lady” of Rolls Royce.

I decided to reflect the surrounding and content of the given location and the magic of film within the design of the proposed sculpture.

In film and real life: What you see depends very much on the position you look from. This fact is encoded and evidenced in the sculpture.

The sculpture can become a symbol for the location and it will contribute to the popularity and status of the BIFF and the world-class film festival.

Little Mermaid became the symbol of Copenhagen, Denmark

The sculpture is a shape shifter, a transformer. The transformation happens when the visitor continues approaching the building, without machines or electronics. From the distance the visitor recognizes a lady. Before entering the building the lady becomes a seabird.

Why Lady-Bird-Transformation:

A girl stood before me in midstream, alone and still, gazing out to the sea. She seems like one whom magic has changed into the likeness of a strange and beautiful seabird.

This passage from James Joyce “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” inspired me to make the Lady-Bird- Transformation for the Pusan Cinema Center.

It could be the poetic description of a film scene in great cinema. Lady-Bird is such a transformation in shape of a sculpture. The metamorphosis embodies film qualities.

The artwork is artistic and creative while containing the symbolism of the brand of BIFF and the unique features of Busan as a leading film city of Asia.

Metamorphosis and the Seagull as a symbol in connection with the medium film and the city of Pusan:

Since ancient times, "The Sea-Gull" is the state of mind that longs to fly free in the sky. The Seagull is a symbol of

Emotional Healing in many cultures.  Seagulls are mostly witnessed either diving into the water or surfacing to float. The seagull is the link between different worlds, as it is capable to be on land, in the air, or at sea as the medium film has also the capability to transfer our mind into various new worlds.

The vision of the city Pusan is to be "The Ocean Capital in the 21st century or the Era of Northeastern Asia," The white wings of the seagull represent purity and peace, reflecting the traditional mind of Koreans. The city bird is the seagull, whose wings and clean body symbolize a "white-clad people" (Korean people). Seagulls fly patiently a long way along the sky, it represents the characteristics of the citizens of Pusan with their infinite will for development and vigorous desire.

 Design idea:

At a first glance the sculpture seems to be a girl or a woman walking towards the visitor. She looks like a mirage, reflecting the colors and forms of the location in a waved surface.

The sculpture is highly dynamic through its forms, comparable to Umberto Boccioni`s futuristic sculpture. To achieve a weightless impression the surface should reflect the location as the “Bird” of Constantin Brancusi.

Umberto Boccioni “Bird” of Constantin Brancusi

Design influences and considerations:

The Spirit of Ecstasy is one of the most well known motor car mascot in the world. The Spirit of Ecstasy has adorned the radiators of Rolls-Royce motor cars since 1911.

The organic forms of the sculpture complete the technical shape of the car. Also the mascot is the object of identification it marks the brand.

The material, color, form and durability:

Stainless steel is highly durable and needs no further maintenance.

As casting of this material became economic in the last decade, it is used in contemporary sculpture since short time.

Also it reflects colors and forms of the respectively given location.

Louise Bourgeois Thomas Schuette Ghosts

color : The BIFF has an impressive LED roof with permanent changing colors.

I expect the polished stainless steel to reflect the colorful light and to be silhouetted against the background.

But alternative a colored version is possible. The surface could be cold chrome plated, comparable with the surface of Jeff Koons sculptures.

artwork's production and execution method

Construction and Proportions:

The sculpture will be first executed as a plaster model. FRP molding forms will be made. The pieces will be cast in wax.

The sculpture will be made in wax. The wax pieces will be covered with ceramic moulds and melted out. The pieces will be cast in stainless steel, welded together and polished.

Alternative and after consideration with the planers, the sculpture can be on a pedestal which can also be used to sit on or located on ground level. The pedestal can be made from cast stone, granite.

The sculpture and the flange will be cast in one piece. The sculpture will also contain an inner construction.

It is possible to change the size within limits. My suggestion is to manufacture it 10.20 m high. But it must be calibrated with the proportion of the building.

Diese Ilustrationen habe ich nur zur Kommunikation mit Ihrem Atelier angefertigt, sie wurden nie in anderen Zusammenhaegen gezeigt

Illustration der Rueckenansicht und Reflektion der LED`s auf der hochpolierten Edelstahloberflaeche.