Located in Park 12 The Collection in San Diego, California, Growing Home is a site-specific sculpture group that tells the rich history of San Diego. The perforated text is arranged in bands that spiral down the shell in the same way that a shell grows from one season to the next. The most recent dates and events in San Diego history are closest to the opening at the bottom of the shell in the same way that a real shell has its most recent additions closest to the opening.

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At night, brilliantly colored LED lighting shines through the perforations, revealing the inner convolutions in the same way that an X-ray would. This light paints the surrounding space with colorful projections, offering a dynamic experience in the day and night. The centerpiece is a monumental curvilinear sculpture evocative of a turret shell or wentletrap. Growing Home invites interaction by offering a seat at its base or on the surrounding beach pebbles for visitors to stop, sit or pose with the monumental sculpture.

 

The local community has started a hashtag on social media where visitors can share their pictures with the sculpture (#Park12Shellfie).

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Date:

2018

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Location:

Park 12 The Collection, San Diego, CA

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Dimensions:

17’8” x 80”

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Media:

laser cut stainless steel, LED lighting, electronics

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Commissioning Agency: 

Greystar​

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Artist:

Joe O'Connell