This sounds interesting, 117 signs on a wall in Bootle by the canal…
‘Constellation of Signs’
An exciting new art project in Bootle will represent the memories and ideas of the local community using road signs mounted next to the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. The installation entitled, ‘Constellation of Signs’ will be unveiled on Saturday 25th September 2010 at 14.00 and is free for all to attend.
117 aluminium traffic and information signs will be mounted on the 26m wall next to the new Pennington Road Bridge in Bootle, Liverpool as part of a project commissioned by LinacreOne (part of Liverpool Housing Trust) and developed by Re-Dock and artist Alan Dunn, in partnership with Liverpool Biennial.
Each sign represents a version of over 295 ideas and suggestions gathered from the local community during the course of community workshops and activity days that have been taking place over the last 2 months. As a result, the wall has been turned into a representation of the community’s feelings about the history and potential of the canal.
These memories and ideas have been translated into traffic symbols and printed on classic road sign shapes (circle, rectangle, triangle and arrow). The signs range from the practical to the absurd – from directional arrows to picnic areas, to warning signs for jelly fish. The viewer is invited to make their own interpretation of the relationship between the various images.
There will be a number of other activities for people to enjoy on the day focusing around the canal which will include swan pedalos and canoeists, free ice creams and music, as well as puzzles within the signs themselves.
The whole process has been documented on a blog for the project – you can see photos and videos of the workshops and early sign ideas at http://www.constellationofsigns.wordpress.com
The project has been funded by the Arts Council and Liverpool Housing Trust and Sefton Council’s HMR ‘Living Through Change’ programme.