“Two weeks ago, we celebrated the unveiling of the Perceptions Sculpture by Michael Elion on the Sea Point Promenade. It is with disappointment that we learned today of the defacing and vandalism of this sculpture and that a public installation is defaced in the name of activism, “reads a statement from World Design Capital 2014.
“The eyes of the world have been focused on Cape Town as the World Design Capital 2014 this year as we built a platform for social impact through design with the 460+ projects in the WDC 2014 programme. The artist’s work is part of ART54, one of the recognized WDC 2014 projects and is a City of Cape Town ward initiative piloted by former Ward 54 Councillor Beverley Schaeffer. ART54 has showcased various artists and their works in the past year along the Atlantic Seaboard.
Public art displays and installations play an important role in social cohesion and public debate. Michael Elion’s work has done that in a dynamic way. It has created conversation and debate, creative sparks and new audiences being exposed to public art.
As WDC 2014, we condone creativity and condemn in the strictest sense, lawlessness. It is a sad day when public debate is substituted with vandalism. ”
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