The Drop (sculpture)

The Drop is a steel sculpture resembling a raindrop designed by the group of German artists known as Inges Idee, located at Bon Voyage Plaza in the Coal Harbour neighborhood of downtown Vancouver. The 65-foot (20 m) tall piece is covered with Styrofoam and blue polyurethane. According to Inges Idee, the sculpture is "an homage to the power of nature" and represents "the relationship and outlook towards the water that surrounds us".[1] The Drop was commissioned as part of the 2009 Vancouver Convention Centre Art Project and is owned by BC Pavco.[2]

The Drop
The Drop in 2010
ArtistInges Idee
Year2009 (2009)
TypeSculpture
Medium
SubjectRaindrop
Dimensions20 m (65 ft)
LocationVancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Coordinates49°17′21.80″N 123°6′51.00″W
OwnerBC Pavco
WebsiteThe Drop at IngesIdee.de

Description and history

According to the City of Vancouver Public Art Registry, The Drop is a blue 65-foot (20 m) tall sculpture depicting a "large, gentle 'raindrop' captured in its descent at the moment of contact".[2][3] The central "spine" of the sculpture is composed of steel and covered with Styrofoam and blue polyurethane.[2][3] The piece's color complements the sky and contrasts with the large yellow sulfur piles visible on the opposite shoreline.[2]

The Drop was commissioned as part of the Vancouver Convention Centre Art Project and marked the first North American project for Inges Idee, a group of four German artists.[2][3] The sculpture was installed in 2009 at Bon Voyage Plaza (adjacent to the Vancouver Convention Centre) at the end of Burrard Street, along the waterfront in the Coal Harbour neighborhood of downtown Vancouver.[1] The piece was removed temporarily during the 2010 Winter Olympics for interrupting the view of the television cameras.[4]

Reception

The Vancouver Observer referred to the sculpture as the "quintessential Vancouver piece".[1] According to the publication, The Drop has a "playful relationship with the viewer" and serves as a "big inside joke" for Vancouver residents.[1] This refers to the high amount of rain the city receives; Vancouver is Canada's third most rainy large city, after Abbotsford and Halifax, with over 162 rainy days per year.[5]

References
  1. Barron, Kate; Kristiansen, Merete (February 18, 2011). "Vancouver's unconventional centre and its art project". The Vancouver Observer. Vancouver, British Columbia: Observer Media Group. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  2. "The Drop". City of Vancouver Public Art Registry. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  3. "Vancouver's Coolest Public Art: The Drop". Jaunted. SFO*MEDIA. August 17, 2010. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  4. Barker, Andrea Carson (April 18, 2010). "Vancouver Art: The Drop". View on Canadian Art. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
  5. Osborn, Liz (2006). "Canada's Rainiest Cities – Current Results". Statistics Canada Census. Current Results Nexus. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
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