The rooster makes its way to the garden (all images by the author)
Cock-a-doodle-do to the Twin Cities.
This morning around 10:20 a.m., the much-anticipated blue rooster finally made its descent into the garden of earthly art delights. Katharina Fritsch's "Hahn/Cock" settled into its roost, where it will tower 23-24 feet above visitors to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.
The rooster was supposed to be installed last week, but the artist requested that the rooster be repainted with a thinner coating of paint in order to achieve a brighter blue.
The towering rooster pokes fun at and echoes the machoness of monumental military sculptures, like the companion "Hahn/Cock" which lives in Washington, D.C.
Installing the rooster was no easy feat. A giant crane carefully lifted the rooster up off the ground which, if you squinted enough, made it seem like the bird was gracefully levitating rather than flying. (Roosters and chickens are domestic birds that cannot fly, anyway.) Strings tied to the platform were held by four construction workers, who ensured that the bird slid onto its designated podium, lest it tumble to the ground in a birdly disaster. Once it was perched up top, the rooster lifted its beak to the sky, facing away from the iconic "Spoonbridge and Cherry."
The Walker's social media team of Chris Cloud and Elisabeth Hawthorne were on the scene, capturing the roosting for audiences near and far. Cloud shot Facebook Live while Hawthorne shot it all for Instagram Live.
The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden re-opens to the public on Saturday, June 3 with an entire day of events, from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. For more information on events visit: http://www.walkerart.org/calendar/2017/minneapolis-sculpture-garden-grand-reopening
