2020 has been really difficult. If there's one thing we need more than anything else this year, it's hope. And it's exactly what multidisciplinary artist Daniel Popper has offered with his latest work.
Known for his seamless fusion of sculpture and stage design at music festivals, Popper erected a permanent public installation at Society Las Olas, a residential building in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The sculptural installation, called Thrive, features a 30-foot fractured woman who is ripping open her chest.
The beautiful piece is made of glass-fiber reinforced concrete and weighs a whopping 14 tons. It also has a fern-covered tunnel: the giant's exposed chest is a tunnel, inviting people to walk through the green interior, full of peace and comfort.
Thrive is a 30-foot sculptural installation at a residential building in Florida
Image credits: Daniel Popper
Image credits: Daniel Popper
Multidisciplinary artist Daniel Popper made it out of glass-fiber reinforced concrete
Image credits: Daniel Popper
Image credits: Daniel Popper
"The weight and rigging underneath the overhang were extremely challenging," Popper told Bored Panda
Image credits: Daniel Popper
Image credits: Daniel Popper
Thrive is a 14-ton symbol of hope and transformation
Image credits: Daniel Popper
Image credits: Daniel Popper
"The woman is not modeled on anyone in particular"
Image credits: Daniel Popper
Image credits: Daniel Popper
This isn't the first of Popper's large-scale projects; he has spent years making huge and enthralling public installations. In 2019, for example, the artist left his mark at the Modem Festival in Croatia with a 26-foot statue which was illuminated at night with projection mapping.
In fact, many of his projects include collaborations with other artists, technicians, and artisans to incorporate electronic music, LED lighting, and projection mapping as key components.
Image credits: Daniel Popper
The pandemic, however, has rendered music festivals impossible. Besides, Popper said that he has already been focused on permanent public art installations. So Thrive is the organic result of his natural artistic journey.
Image credits: Daniel Popper
Here is what people have been saying about the piece
