Meeting Bowls is a traveling public art project sponsored by Acción Cultural Española (AC/E), an agency that orchestrates public support to promote culture in Spain and overseas. Co-sponsored by the Spanish Cultural Center (CCE Miami). The Meeting Bowls is a traveling public art; an inviting semi-spherical capsules installed outdoors in spaces with high pedestrian traffic. The Meeting Bowls project began to be on display in the USA in Time Square in New York City, move then to Arlington in Virginia to finally arrive at Art Basel in Miami. Meeting Bowls are shaped like bowls with seating to accommodate eight people. The Meeting Bowls are social places for gathering, getting to know people, and fostering dialogue in small groups. They are designed to promote communication by having those seated inside face one another. These "social" benches are more intimate than typical public benches.
The Meeting Bowls are designed to generate a slight rocking motion as they rebalance when people step into and out. The gentle motion generated is intended to be relaxing and playful. Temporary and lively urban furniture encourages friendly dialogue between strangers in a close yet pleasant space. The meeting Bowls are part of a series of temporary public art projects title “Reimagine Civic,” which is a public art initiative in Arlington, VA, aimed at sparking public conversation about the future Courthouse Square by exploring the interaction between civic space and civic life in Arlington in the twenty-first century. In that context, the Meeting Bowls operate as a playful but practical artwork as the Meeting Bowls serve as a tool for public dialogue with the civic society of Arlington about participation in the creation of the new public space of the city.
All copyright belongs to Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, Shanghai University.
