Earlier this year, three enormous grand pianos appeared on the beach of Schiermonnikoog, a small island at the northern tip of the Netherlands. The striking wooden instruments, artist(s) uncredited to date, are thought to be part of the (in my opinion, brilliant) marketing campaign for the 2008 Schiermonnikoog International Festival of Chamber Music in October.
Via Molly Sheridan, FunForever, and (backtracking), Marketing Safari, the latter two with more photos.
Update: the artist is Florentijn Hofman, and the title is Paal 5 (Signpost 5). (Thanks to Alex Kotch's Sound and Space.)
Not sure how effective this is as a marketing strategy but the pianos, the way they are, and in that setting, are truly beautiful sculptures!
Posted by: Maciek | May 05, 2008 at 02:15 PM
That duck, on the other hand - absolutely ludicrous! :P
Posted by: Maciek | May 07, 2008 at 04:38 PM
Hi Maciek! Yes, somehow the pianos seem like the artist's pinnacle, at least at the moment. (I don't know if I'd attend a contemporary music festival anchored by a giant duck, but then, stranger things have happened.)
Posted by: Bruce Hodges | May 07, 2008 at 06:13 PM