Jump: Stuart Semple at Fed Square
October 2013
Childhood pastimes of jumping on beds, bouncing on trampolines and diving into bouncy castles are brought back to life at Federation Square with JUMP, the world premiere of internationally acclaimed contemporary visual artist and curator, Stuart Semple.
Presenting his work in Australia for the first time, Semple’s JUMP is a 10m x 10m inflatable rubber surface which has ‘popped up’ in St Paul’s Court at Fed Square.
“I think that as we get older we tend to lose a connection to the fun, spontaneous child that we once were, finding reasons and excuses not to engage in activities that can elevate our spirit… JUMP will re-ignite that inner fun-loving sense that we all have,” says Semple.
Semple’s works have featured in biennales, major art fairs and many solo exhibitions in Europe, China and USA. Semple is best known for his ambitious and emotive public pieces including the aerial installation of Happy Clouds in Milan and the mixed media piece EXIT – and EP of music, art and film that Semple released on iTunes, making him one of the first visual artists to premiere work on the commercial platform.
JUMP is being made especially for Federation Square with the aim of giving the public the freedom to explore elevation both physically and psychologically.
“JUMP is also inevitably about space, human interaction and motion,” says Semple. “How we move and how we give room to others to express themselves are key features of the work. When not populated, JUMP is nothing more than a white platform, but once it is used it comes to life. As an artist, my focus is to give a space that gives permission and room to express and not really to make a grand visual or aesthetic statement, the work really is about the experience of people that use it, in that particular moment.”
JUMP is the latest commission from Fed Square’s Creative Program which works with international, national and local artists and organisations to develop site-specific public work for Melbourne. The Creative Program’s recent commissions include Helix Tree by Melbourne designer Bruce Ramus, Stickwork by US artist Patrick Dougherty and Theo Jansen’s Strandbeest.
JUMP is presented by Fed Square + Creative Production Services at St Paul’s Court, Federation Square, until October 13, daily from 10am – 8pm.
fedsquare.com/jump
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