Yinka Shonibare, CBE

Material (SG) II, 2021

Representing the first-ever large-scale public and private collaboration for a world-renowned artist in West Palm Beach, The Square announces the upcoming commission by British Nigerian artist, Yinka Shonibare, CBE. The notable Material (SG) II 2021, forms part of the artist’s Wind Sculpture series and will be located at the outdoor plaza at 360 Rosemary, a Class-A office building set to debut in 2021. Commissioned in collaboration with Related Companies, The West Palm Beach Art in Public Places (AiPP) Program and City of West Palm Beach, the vibrant artwork furthers the thriving 72-acre neighborhood’s mission to become a culturally rich district.

“Related Southeast is deeply committed to supporting diverse artistic voices and incorporating unique cultural and global viewpoints into our acclaimed public art collection. With Shonibare’s work, we are now expanding this mission to the north end of the The Square district at 360 Rosemary,” says Gopal Rajegowda, Senior Vice President, Related Companies. “We are proud of the private and public partnership with the City of West Palm Beach that allowed us to bring such a distinguished artist to our dynamic neighborhood.”

Unveiled in June, Material (SG) II 2021 will become the artistic anchor of the 300,000 sq. ft. LEED Gold-anticipated 360 Rosemary. The colorful hand painted fiberglass sculpture stands 20 feet tall and represents the notion of capturing the movement of wind and freezing it in a moment in time. The fabric, which is commonly considered to be traditional African cloth, is based on Indonesian batik patterns, factory-produced by the Dutch and sold to West African colonies in the 1800’s. Shonibare’s Wind Sculpture series harnesses the metaphors of the hybrid fabric and the invisible force of nature to explore global migration and our interconnected contemporary culture.

In 2013, Shonibare kicked off his Wind Sculpture series that are now exhibited across iconic destinations around the world from the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in Washington to the Ndubuisi Kanu Park in Lagos.

“My work is about celebrating the diversity of communities and highlighting our connections,” says artist Yinka Shonibare. “I do not ever underestimate the importance of public access to such basic principles of inclusion.”

Home to the largest concentration of public art installed by a private company in Palm Beach County, The Square’s new Wind Sculpture will be welcomed by a curated collection of artists including The Wishing Tree by Symmetry Labs, Water Pavilion West Palm by Jeppe Hein and My East Is Your West by Shilpa Gupta. Related Companies has worked with New York based-Culture Corps to curate the neighborhood’s collection, paving the way for The Square’s trajectory as an unparalleled urban oasis destination for the arts.

“The inclusion of a significant and vibrant sculpture by an internationally celebrated artist such as Shonibare elevates the discourse around public art in the City of West Palm Beach. The city’s partnership with private companies like Related Companies is a major step toward establishing us as a not-to-be-missed arts destination and affirms both entities commitment to bringing art experiences and ideas directly to the public,” says Sybille Welter, Administrator of Public Art and Culture for the City of West Palm Beach.