Art installations in public places are one of my favorite forms of artistic creation, because they improve the surroundings and communicate artistic concerns to the general public.
Convention centers are usually strict and sterile, because they are built for corporate presentations and major conferences. However, the management at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, United States, thought that their convention center needed a sense of fun and playfulness. So they recruited local artist Lawrence Argent, who quickly diagnosed that the missing element of the building was of course a huge 12.5 meter high blue bear which is peeking curiously into the lobby.
The iconic sculpture quickly became a recognized and landmark that appeals to both children and adults, and also a popular tourist attraction. The official name of Denver’s big blue bear sculpture is “I See What you Mean” it was installed in 2005 as part of Denver’s Percent for Art Program. It is made from molded polymer, concrete and steel, it weights almost 5 tons (4.545 kg to be exact).
