Go Superlambananas!
Encyclopedia
Go Superlambananas! was an art exhibition
Art exhibition
Art exhibitions are traditionally the space in which art objects meet an audience. The exhibit is universally understood to be for some temporary period unless, as is rarely true, it is stated to be a "permanent exhibition". In American English, they may be called "exhibit", "exposition" or...

 that took place in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...

, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, during the city's European Capital of Culture
European Capital of Culture
The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by theEuropean Union for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong European dimension....

 celebrations in 2008. Based upon Taro Chiezo
Taro Chiezo
Taro Chiezo is a Japanese artist based in Manhattan. His works include SuperLambBanana, a sculpture in Liverpool, England.-External links:* *...

's Superlambanana, which had been located in Liverpool since 1998, the exhibit consisted of 124 two metre high replicas, which were located throughout Liverpool and the surrounding areas. Each mini-Superlambanana was individually designed by local community groups and artists, with a range of public and private sector organisations providing sponsorship funding. The mini-Superlambananas were on display for ten weeks, from the June to August 2008.

Background

The Go Superlambananas! art exhibition was developed and based upon the Superlambanana sculpture that has been located in Liverpool since 1998. Designed by Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...

-based Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...

 Taro Chiezo
Taro Chiezo
Taro Chiezo is a Japanese artist based in Manhattan. His works include SuperLambBanana, a sculpture in Liverpool, England.-External links:* *...

 for the 1998 ArtTransPennine Exhibition, the sculpture is a cross between a banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....

 and a lamb
Domestic sheep
Sheep are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries...

 and is intended as a comment on the dangers of genetic engineering. Superlambanana's design is also heavily influenced by the history of Liverpool itself, as historically both sheep and bananas were common cargos in the city's docks. The original sculpture weighs almost eight tons and stands 17 feet tall. Throughout its history the sculpture has been located at various areas throughout the city and on occasions even further afield. It currently stands on Tithebarn Street, outside the Liverpool John Moores University
Liverpool John Moores University
Liverpool John Moores University is a British 'modern' university located in the city of Liverpool, England. The university is named after John Moores and was previously called Liverpool Mechanics' School of Arts and later Liverpool Polytechnic before gaining university status in 1992, thus...

 Avril Robarts Library/Learning Resource Centre
Avril Robarts LRC
The Avril Robarts Learning Resource Centre is one of the three designated libraries belongining to Liverpool John Moores University in Liverpool, England. It is located at 79 Tithebarn Street and serves LJMU's City Campus on Byrom Street. The award winning building was designed by the architect...

.

History

The Go Superlambananas! exhibition was developed by the Liverpool Culture Company
Liverpool Culture Company
The Liverpool Culture Company is an organisation that is responsible for the development of cultural programmes in the city of Liverpool, England. Set up by Liverpool City Council in 2004 after the city was announced as the European Capital of Culture in 2008, the Liverpool Culture Company was...

 (LCC), led by its Creative Director Phil Redmond
Phil Redmond
Phil Redmond CBE is an English television producer and screenwriter.He is well-known for creating several popular television series such as Grange Hill , Brookside and Hollyoaks...

, in partnership with the Wild In Art. As part of the city's Capital of Culture celebrations, the LCC were eager to develop a cultural event in which local people could be involved not just in its consumption, but also its production. The eventual idea settled on, was to build upon the Superlambanana artwork, which had over time come to be recognised as a symbol of Liverpool in itself. As a result 124 mini-SuperLambananas were created, each of which acted as a blank slate, on which various groups throughout the city could develop and design their own cultural contribution the city's celebrations.

Go Superlambananas! Auction

At the end of their ten week run, the mini Superlambananas were auctioned off for the Lord Mayor
Lord Mayor
The Lord Mayor is the title of the Mayor of a major city, with special recognition.-Commonwealth of Nations:* In Australia it is a political position. Australian cities with Lord Mayors: Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Parramatta, Perth, Sydney, and Wollongong...

's charities, with each having a guide price ranging from £3,000 to £8,000. The first of two auctions was held at St George's Hall on the 9 September 2008 with 68 Superlambananas up for sale. In total they sold for a combined sum of £550,000 or approximately £7,800 each, well above estimates. The highest bid on the night was £25,000, paid by the Chairman of National Museums Liverpool
National Museums Liverpool
National Museums Liverpool, previously known as National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside, comprises several museums and art galleries in and around Liverpool, England. All museums and galleries in this group have free admission...

 for 'Mandy' Mandala Superlambanana, whilst Phil Redmond
Phil Redmond
Phil Redmond CBE is an English television producer and screenwriter.He is well-known for creating several popular television series such as Grange Hill , Brookside and Hollyoaks...

, creative director of the Liverpool Culture Company
Liverpool Culture Company
The Liverpool Culture Company is an organisation that is responsible for the development of cultural programmes in the city of Liverpool, England. Set up by Liverpool City Council in 2004 after the city was announced as the European Capital of Culture in 2008, the Liverpool Culture Company was...

, purchased four lots for a total of £55,000. A second, internet-based auction took place on 16 September 2008 with 25% of the proceeds going to charity.

The mini-Superlambananas

In total 124 replica superlambananas were created as part of the exhibition. Each one was designed and sponsored by different organisations and subsequently located throughout the city and in some instances further afield.

External links

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