Digital DNA
Encyclopedia
Digital DNA is a public art
sculpture commissioned by the Palo Alto Public Arts Commission for Lytton Plaza in Downtown Palo Alto, California
. It was created by Adriana Varella and Nilton Malz and installed in 2005.
bead foam with an epoxy fiberglass skin, and finished with UV resistant polyurethane
clear automotive paint. Sewn into the surface are phrases relating to technology, suggested by non-artists, and written in a variety of languages. Varella explained that "from PhDs to prostitutes and homeless, everybody had a say."
The "egg" is meant to recognize Palo Alto as the birthplace of Silicon Valley
. Linda Craighead, Palo Alto Arts Center Director, feels that the work represents "the power of technology
to bring the world together." Varella said of the design, "I don't want to preach truths, just trigger ideas. It reminds me (of) the Faberge eggs given as a gift to the Russian imperial family."
The installation of the piece was originally scheduled for May 8, 2004 but was delayed due to changes in city policy regarding the hiring of city vendors. By June an installer had been hired, and Digital DNA was ready to be installed however a conflicting plan for the complete redesign of the plaza had been made public. Former Palo Alto mayor Leland Levy and real estate developer Roxy Rapp proposed a $500,000 revitalization of Lytton plaza. The design featured a central fountain, but did not include Digital DNA.
On June 17, the Palo Alto Public Art Commission held a meeting to discuss the future of Digital DNA in relation to the fountain plan. Levy and Rapp requested that the installation of the artwork be further delayed until their proposal was formally presented to the City Council. The Commission unanimously voted to study the fountain plan, but also reiterated their desire for the immediate installation of Digital DNA.
Following the vote, Arts and Culture Director Leon Kaplan, the city employee overseeing the project, made a shocking announcement. About a month prior, on May 19, there had been a fire in the San Bruno warehouse where Digital DNA was being stored. 11 days after the original installation date, Digital DNA was completely destroyed.
Because the fire occurred after the installation of Digital DNA had been delayed by city staff, some public officials blamed its loss on city employees. Varella hired an attorney to investigate the city's liability for the loss. Suspicions rose that the fire had been masterminded to allow the fountain plan to move forward.
Insurance reimbursed the city for the cost of the lost sculpture, with the exception of a $2,500 deductible. The artists were paid in full for their work, and were willing to recreate Digital DNA for $10,000. On August 19, 2004 the Commission voted to fund a second version of the artwork.
In late April 2005 Digital DNA was again ready to be displayed, however, the installation was slightly delayed due to weather and other factors. The second iteration of Digital DNA debuted in Lytton Plaza in May, and was officially unveiled June 9-10, 2005 with a reception and dedication.
Two weeks prior to the unveiling, Digital DNA was vandalized. Six circuit boards were removed from the sculpture and several wires were pulled out, but Varella was able to repair the damages before the event. An earlier plan to install surveillance equipment in the plaza was reconsidered as a result of the vandalism. Police speculated that the crime was committed by drunken patrons of local bars.
In April 2008, a public-private partnership (including city staff, Levy, and Rapp) renewed the 2004 undertaking to revitalize Lytton Plaza with a large-scale redesign. The old proposal, which did not incorporate Digital DNA, was never approved, but will be revisited. Levy expressed the group's desire to present a plan to which everyone can agree. According to Sunny Dykwel, a leader of the advocacy effort, Digital DNA is a beautiful piece of art, which they intend to protect.
Public art
The term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all...
sculpture commissioned by the Palo Alto Public Arts Commission for Lytton Plaza in Downtown Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
. It was created by Adriana Varella and Nilton Malz and installed in 2005.
Commission
The Palo Alto Public Arts Commission is primarily funded by the Palo Alto City Council and aims to beautify the city and support (often emerging) contemporary artists while contributing to the cultural life of the community. In 2000, the seven member Commission approved the modern artwork Digital DNA for the 0.2 acres (809.4 m²) plaza on the corner of University Avenue and Emerson Street. The Commission voted to purchase the sculpture for $9,950 from its creators Adriana Varella and her husband Nilton Malz.Design
Digital DNA is a seven foot tall (by five feet across) egg-shaped sculpture made of welded steel and recycled computer silicon circuit boards applied to polystyrenePolystyrene
Polystyrene ) also known as Thermocole, abbreviated following ISO Standard PS, is an aromatic polymer made from the monomer styrene, a liquid hydrocarbon that is manufactured from petroleum by the chemical industry...
bead foam with an epoxy fiberglass skin, and finished with UV resistant polyurethane
Polyurethane
A polyurethane is any polymer composed of a chain of organic units joined by carbamate links. Polyurethane polymers are formed through step-growth polymerization, by reacting a monomer with another monomer in the presence of a catalyst.Polyurethanes are...
clear automotive paint. Sewn into the surface are phrases relating to technology, suggested by non-artists, and written in a variety of languages. Varella explained that "from PhDs to prostitutes and homeless, everybody had a say."
The "egg" is meant to recognize Palo Alto as the birthplace of Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
. Linda Craighead, Palo Alto Arts Center Director, feels that the work represents "the power of technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
to bring the world together." Varella said of the design, "I don't want to preach truths, just trigger ideas. It reminds me (of) the Faberge eggs given as a gift to the Russian imperial family."
Creation and Controversy
Digital DNA was commissioned in 2000. In 2001, while moving from Palo Alto to San Francisco Varella used her shared garage to store unattached pieces of the artwork. Her neighbor mistook the unfinished work for junk, and threw it out. Varella lost six months of work.The installation of the piece was originally scheduled for May 8, 2004 but was delayed due to changes in city policy regarding the hiring of city vendors. By June an installer had been hired, and Digital DNA was ready to be installed however a conflicting plan for the complete redesign of the plaza had been made public. Former Palo Alto mayor Leland Levy and real estate developer Roxy Rapp proposed a $500,000 revitalization of Lytton plaza. The design featured a central fountain, but did not include Digital DNA.
On June 17, the Palo Alto Public Art Commission held a meeting to discuss the future of Digital DNA in relation to the fountain plan. Levy and Rapp requested that the installation of the artwork be further delayed until their proposal was formally presented to the City Council. The Commission unanimously voted to study the fountain plan, but also reiterated their desire for the immediate installation of Digital DNA.
Following the vote, Arts and Culture Director Leon Kaplan, the city employee overseeing the project, made a shocking announcement. About a month prior, on May 19, there had been a fire in the San Bruno warehouse where Digital DNA was being stored. 11 days after the original installation date, Digital DNA was completely destroyed.
Because the fire occurred after the installation of Digital DNA had been delayed by city staff, some public officials blamed its loss on city employees. Varella hired an attorney to investigate the city's liability for the loss. Suspicions rose that the fire had been masterminded to allow the fountain plan to move forward.
Insurance reimbursed the city for the cost of the lost sculpture, with the exception of a $2,500 deductible. The artists were paid in full for their work, and were willing to recreate Digital DNA for $10,000. On August 19, 2004 the Commission voted to fund a second version of the artwork.
In late April 2005 Digital DNA was again ready to be displayed, however, the installation was slightly delayed due to weather and other factors. The second iteration of Digital DNA debuted in Lytton Plaza in May, and was officially unveiled June 9-10, 2005 with a reception and dedication.
Two weeks prior to the unveiling, Digital DNA was vandalized. Six circuit boards were removed from the sculpture and several wires were pulled out, but Varella was able to repair the damages before the event. An earlier plan to install surveillance equipment in the plaza was reconsidered as a result of the vandalism. Police speculated that the crime was committed by drunken patrons of local bars.
In April 2008, a public-private partnership (including city staff, Levy, and Rapp) renewed the 2004 undertaking to revitalize Lytton Plaza with a large-scale redesign. The old proposal, which did not incorporate Digital DNA, was never approved, but will be revisited. Levy expressed the group's desire to present a plan to which everyone can agree. According to Sunny Dykwel, a leader of the advocacy effort, Digital DNA is a beautiful piece of art, which they intend to protect.
External links
- Adriana Varella http://www.interstellarts.com/adrianavarella/
- Digital DNA http://www.interstellarts.com/adrianavarella/pag/pagout3.htm (photos and video)
- City of Palo Alto: Public Arts Commission http://www.city.palo-alto.ca.us/knowzone/agendas/arts.asp
- City of Palo Alto: Art in public place http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/news/displaynews.asp?NewsID=129&TargetID=18
- City of Palo Alto Public Art Community: http://paloaltopublicart.org./Collection/index.htm (collection of Palo Alto Public Art)
- Walking Tour of Downtown Palo Alto http://www.1siliconvalley.com/walking-tour-of-downtown-palo-alto/