GLASGOW, Dec 11 — Standing 23 metres tall and sculpted from recycled materials, the “Hope Sculpture” was inaugurated on December 8 in a Glasgow park. It takes the form of an androgynous child and symbolises hope in the face of the climate crisis.

This artwork by Steuart Padwick was inaugurated on Wednesday, December 8 at Cuningar Loop, Glasgow’s last active coal mine that has now been transformed into a park. The site is also home to a British Geological Survey observatory, which is investigating the possibility of deriving carbon-free geothermal energy from flooded former mine shafts.

The “Hope Sculpture” is precisely 23 metres high and depicts a child who, with arms outstretched towards the sky, seems resolutely optimistic. Perched on a tripod meant to recall the industrial brick chimneys that were once emblematic of the Scottish city’s urban landscape, the sculpture is made from cement-free concrete and recycled glass. It represents both a message of hope and a reminder of the global climate goals set at COP26, which took place in Glasgow in November.

 

 

Two other “Hope” sculptures have been installed in Glasgow: a 4.5-metre spruce wood figure that can be admired at the city’s Central Station, and a triptych of colourful statues made from recycled steel located in the University of Strathclyde’s Rottenrow Gardens.

The artist Steuart Padwick has already made a name for himself, notably with two wooden statues that were installed in London. The works, titled “Head Above Water” and “Talk to Me,” were created to support a campaign around mental health. — ETX Studio