A famed German artist is fighting to save his beloved art installation beneath the Santa Monica Pier.
Manfred Müller — whose work has been featured in galleries around the world — created a public space installation called Twilight and Yearning in 1998.
It features three orange boats placed upright against the backdrop of crashing waves.
After five years of work, he gifted it to the City of Santa Monica with the hope that his work would be maintained for future generations to enjoy.
But now, as safety issues restrict foot traffic and time has caused some of the exhibit to literally sink into the sand, the City of Santa Monica wants to move the whole thing….online!
“The artwork itself has a message that was originally accepted by the city,” Müller tells The Sun.
“If the ocean dies, we have a problem. And it is not only the ocean. It is the environment that keeps us alive. The piece has become a warning signal that the environment is changing.”
Naturally, Müller has filed multiple appeals with the hope he could simply refurbish his aging artwork.
“My goal is not to be at war with the city, but to have a bright discussion with a bright audience,” he says. “It is wrong to take the boats down. I say try to make the space safe and available so there are no worries about it.”
Müller says he has brought forth ideas about adding motion censored LED lighting and QR codes so visitors can understand the meaning of his creations.
But so far, the city isn’t budging.
Müller claims he was told it would cost taxpayers about $45,000 to rehab the boats — but only $10,000 to produce the video.
Santa Monica Community Services Director Andy Agle acknowledges that Muller’s art has raised important questions about climate change, but insists that “site conditions under the pier have changed in the past 23 years.”
“Given that the (boats) burial in sand has created a hazard and the site is not open to the public, the city was unable to accommodate (Müller’s) request,” he said in a written statement to The Sun.
“During this appeals process, the idea arose to commission Mr. Müller to document the history of the project and contextualize the themes in Twilight and Yearning.
“With city support, the artist is crafting a proposal of documentation to be showcased online, and we are looking forward to seeing this come to fruition in the near future.”
Müller says he welcomes the opportunity to be featured on the city website and will bring forth a storyboard for the video in the next few weeks.
But he is concerned local leaders may not be pleased with his presentation.
In the meantime, the artist is encouraging community members to reach out to newly appointed City Manager David White via email to show their support for maintaining his gift.
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