Kiosk. Fairfield Halls, Croydon, 2006

Kiosk. Installation View. Croydon, 2006

Kiosk. Installation View. Croydon, 2006

Kiosk. Installation View. Croydon, 2006

Kiosk. Installation View. Croydon, 2006

Kiosk. Installation View. Croydon, 2006

Kiosk. Installation View. Croydon, 2006

Kiosk is a work of public sculpture at Fairfield Halls, Croydon. Taking the form of an upturned kiosk, the sculpture at first glance suggests a publicly-spirited gesture gone wrong. However, on closer inspection, it becomes apparent that the hatch is sealed shut and kiosk could never have opened. Equally, its solid form is of little use to the skateboarders and stunt riders who use the square, its smooth surfaces too narrow/high/short or slippery to usefully ride. Kiosk was made in the context of a residency at the Parfit Gallery, Croydon School of Art. Themes explored were art’s public function, social engagement and repair. This outcome gestures towards the hope of public art’s social function, even as it frustrates that hope.