Client

Overview

Morphous is a beautiful 13 ft bronze sculpture of two Cape Malay women’s heads on a large steel base. It is an exploration of hybrid identity and its ever-changing nature within South Africa’s social landscape. This particular piece evokes a question of time, of past and future, and the balance point at which his country found itself at the time of the sculpture’s creation in 2014, one year after Nelson Mandela’s passing.

Goals

The Avenue Concept brought a different Smit sculpture to Providence in 2016 for a temporary display. It was so well-received and fondly remembered that there was interest in adding one of his pieces to the city's permanent collection of public art, in partnership with Mayor Jorge Elorza and the Providence City Council.
“Dedicated to the beautifully diverse community of Providence, my home. All the past and all the future meet at this very moment. Care deeply, question all, dream big, and create the new now.” The Avenue Concept brought a different one his sculptures, “Colossal Fragment,” to Providence in 2016 for a temporary display at the corner of Empire and Fountain Streets. It was so well-received and fondly remembered that there was interest in adding one his pieces to the permanent collection of public art in the city. In partnership with Mayor Jorge Elorza and the Providence City Council, “Morphous” will now call Providence home.
“Dedicated to the beautifully diverse community of Providence, my home. All the past and all the future meet at this very moment. Care deeply, question all, dream big, and create the new now.” - Mayor Jorge Elorza

Process

The Avenue Concept contacted us to submit a proposal for the open call for a permanent sculpture in Kennedy Plaza. We proposed Morphous, which ended up being selected. They (The Avenue Concept) arranged the delivery and installation of the sculpture.