For River five projects were commissioned by Open Empty Spaces to be placed or take place in and around the Blackweir Bridge over the River Taff in Bute Park, Cardiff.
The artists chosen were Matt Blackler, Dan Clark, Maria Teresa Gavazzi & Beatrice Carugo, John Hammersley and Laurence Payot and the project took place between the 22nd May and 26th June 2009.
The location for River was in the River Taff at Blackweir. This space is situated in the middle of Bute Park on a well used route. There are footpaths either side of the river and the bridge creates a great vantage point for viewing the water. The weir on the river is man-made and constructed from concrete but the area still attracts a large amount of wildlife. The water holds different states, with there being deep calm water before the weir then shallower choppy water after.
We requested that artists produce works that interact with the water, embrace their own vunerable nature and react to the unpredictable and changing nature of the space whilst being considerate to the environment. The artists involved were ambitious, varied and highly successful and all interacted in different and sophisticated ways to the river.