Title

Hand Sculpture

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The Hand Sculpture by Safa Sarvestani and Shirin Ghoraishi, was recently installed at Bloomington Central Station Park. The piece represents a blossoming hand coming out of the ground, which is a sign of the true beginning of spring in the human community. The durable outdoor materials create an interactive piece that speaks to our basic need to connect in a neutral space. The imagery of a hand and the warm colors convey universal symbols of support, joy, hope, and peace. The organic shapes and hand-crafted element of the artwork is an interesting contrast to the precise, engineered pillar structures in the background. This artwork was selected by a stakeholder panel as part of our Creative Spark program.

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Safa Sarvestani

Woman with dark hair and glasses with blue floral scarf

Safa Sarvestani is an interdisciplinary artist from Iran, currently a PhD student at Ohio University. She got her BFA in theatre from Tehran University and her MFA from the University of Minnesota. She has shown nationally and internationally in Iran, USA, Scotland, France, Walker Art Center Minneapolis, Plains Museum of Art Fargo, Southern Theatre, and Rarig Art Center, among others. Her practice is around the idea of mobility. The space between bodies and the space within and around bodies she likes to explore. At the root of her work are sociopolitical issues that are in constant flux.

Shirin Ghoraishi

Woman with dark hair in lower right corner standing in front of sculpture of faces

Minneapolis-based Iranian artist Shirin Ghoraishi, who studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and earned a master's degree in visual studies from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, delves into the realm between reality and unreal reality. Her work challenges power structures and misinformation, employing diverse mediums such as sculpture, installations, and virtual reality.

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Creative Placemaking

952-563-8744

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