Bulgaria's Burgas to host flamingo art installation for Giro d’Italia
An art project titled 109 Flamingos – 109th Giro d’Italia is set to be installed along the Giro d’Italia route near Bulgaria's Burgas, its creator, artist Georgi Andonov, told BTA.
He explained that the installation will feature 109 pink figures of flamingos, each symbolizing a year in the race’s history while also referencing the natural environment of Lake Atanasovsko and some of its popular inhabitants, the Greater flamingos.
Eighteen of the flamingo figures will be dedicated to each of the teams participating in this year’s competition. Angelov plans for each team to sign their flamingo after the race concludes, with the figures later being sold for charitable purposes, CE Report quotes BTA.
The sculptures are made of 4-millimeter-thick high-quality aluminium composite panels, and over 50 have been completed so far. The choice of the colour pink unites the symbolism of the birds with the leader’s jersey in the Giro d’Italia - Maglia Rosa, Andonov added.
The sculptures will be placed along the road junction from the Sarafovo borough to the centre of Burgas, along the cycling race route. The aluminium figures will be arranged in six rows and spaced at specific intervals to create a sense of visual rhythm and pulse that connects the sport with the history of the place, the artist said. The installation will be seen by millions of Giro d'Italia viewers around the world and will transform Burgas into a stage with international visibility, Angelov added.
Another one of his projects involved the wrapping of the pedestrian overpass at Trapezitsa Square in pink. However, it was not implemented according to the artists original concept, but only partially. The pedestrian walkway above the intersection is now covered with pink vinyl bearing the logo of the Municipality of Burgas.
In parallel with these projects, the Petko Zadgorski Art Gallery of Burgas and the Prof. Pancho Vladigerov National School of Music and Dance Arts are jointly preparing a large-scale urban installation titled Movement in Colour. It is inspired by the dynamics and energy of the Giro d’Italia cycling race, the press office of the Burgas Municipality said.
The project will transform the centre of Burgas into a visual route combining sports, art, and public space through a series of stylized art objects. Under the guidance of professional artists, a team of students from the National School of Music and Dance Arts are creating bicycle models made of eco-friendly and lightweight materials, which will be painted and adapted for outdoor use.
