Features

Spanish Artist Known as "233" Donates Art to People's Park

Carol Denney
Tuesday September 06, 2022 - 06:13:00 PM

A visiting art scholar known as "233" contributed an art installation to People's Park estimated to be worth over $100,000 on September 3rd by gift-wrapping the large backhoe the University of California left in the park when it halted its construction and transforming it into a giant public swingset. The installation includes a plaque and is wrapped in UC school colors.

In the artist's own words, "Saturday, September 3rd, 2022, exactly a month after the terrible events occured at People's Park, the community of People's Park is going to wrap up a special gift back to the UC Berkeley administration. We don't want it! Spaniard artist 233 is leading an art project fruit of collective thought, sharing and work, promoted by People's Park Council and supported by the whole community of People's Park. The idea is to contribute through contemporary art with People's Park's struggle against the powerful unfair capitalist establishment in which every human being coexist."

The public is welcome to attend the artist's on-campus art opening, "Bulldozer Alarm", will be this Thursday, September 8th, 2022, at 4:00 pm at Kroeber Hall. Professor Ramon Blanco-Becerra will be there to introduce the artist, the art, and take questions regarding 233's large installations and vision. Community members expressed a hope that the giant transformation of the backhoe swingset will become a model of People's Park's nonviolent, creative response to UC's destruction of a landmark which, on May 24, 2022, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.