The Art of Circus Island

Oddly enough, I’ve rather enjoyed my month long exile on Circus Island. What with all the power outages and dinosaur installations, hardly a dull moment was to be had! The place certainly has potential. But that doesn’t change the fact that it is utterly ridiculous.

Ah, Circus Island. At first glance, it looks a lovely place. Sprawling gardens and hidden lawns wend their way across the island. True, the entire space is still in development and just behind the sprawling gardens are fenced off areas of mud and garbage waiting to be transformed. All in good time, I’m sure. All in good time.

Not bad.

I’m still not entirely sure what the goal is for the island. There are numerous large sandboxes. There are tiny little electric Renaults that you can zip around the perimeter of the island in. And of course the startling number of circus tents. But the thing that really makes me raise an eyebrow is the art.

I’ve already mentioned the dinosaurs. They’re on the far end of the island, away from the parks and circuses. The dinosaurs have since been joined by a pile of bricks, three concrete orbs, and a large metal spider web. A little ways off, there is a spotlit dead tree on a small hill. This scene is accompanied a disk of Latin music that is played on repeat all day long. Security guards are present 24/7, presumably to prevent anyone from turning off that infernal racket.

This is the least curious  artwork on the island.

First, we have the severed fingers.

 

Then we have a poor little birdie mourning the death of his little birdie friends.

 

From there we move on to this guy. 

 Hey there!

There’s only the one, and it’s in the middle of a field, and for some reason it is surrounded by stones painted as fruit.

 And, inexplicably, one painted as steak.

 

These rocks disguised as fruit litter the island. There are dozens of them. I only managed to find one other stone painted as meat.

 Wait, that one doesn't look right...

 

And if all of that is too mainstream for you, perhaps you would enjoy the blinding glory that is that giant, fluorescent pink scalene triangle?

Seriously though, why? Why would you do this?

 

The one piece of artwork that made any sense to me is actually hidden away in some lost little corner between some very large bushes. It is the only thing on the island that fits in with the theme of circus. It is a bronze statue that looks like a contortionist who just fell on her face. But still, a contortionist!

With construction workers wandering about daily, who knows what other exciting additions lay in store? I, for one, hope they don't come with music.