A giant sculpture of a bucket has been placed at the entrance to Braemar.
The millionaire art dealers who own the Fife Arms Hotel are behind its sudden appearance at the nearby Invercauld Arms (which they also own, and are in the process of renovating).
The steel sculpture has certainly got people talking.
Is it a “talking point” that will help “put the village on the map”?
Or is it actually too “bizarre” for Braemar and, well, beyond the pail?
I visited to find out…
Firstly, a bit of background on the big bucket:
- It’s 6m high (which makes it taller than the average giraffe).
- The artwork was originally unveiled outside the V&A Museum in London in 2015.
- Contemporary artist Subodh Gupta’s made the stainless steel art piece, called When Soak Becomes Spill.
- It has been brought to Aberdeenshire by hospitality kingpins Artfarm, owned by wealthy art dealers Iwan and Manuela Wirth.
- The Wirths say they brought the sculpture to the village “for the community, hotel and village visitors to enjoy”.
- But even though it’s already in place, it doesn’t yet have planning permission.
Bucket ‘puts Braemar on the map’
As the sculpture is located on the outskirts of village, does it make a welcoming sight or is it a blot on the landscape?
Resident Fiona McGregor was out walking her dog when I bumped into her.
The villager believes the sculpture is “a talking point”, and could act as an accidental traffic-calming measure.
She said: “Some people like it, it’s controversial. I’ve got no complaints about it.”
“It will slow the traffic down because a lot of people come shooting through, a lot of people stop and have a look at it.”
She added: “I think probably the majority of the people in the village like it or are happy about it.
“It’s something else for visitors to look at and it puts Braemar on the map.”
Meanwhile a local businessman, who wished to remain anonymous, also gave his support.
“It’s a piece of modern art by a very famous artist so I think it’s great,” he said.
“I think it would be nice to see more dotted around the village, that makes it more attractive to people who have an interest.
“It’s a talking point, it’s going to catch people’s attention.”
‘I don’t feel that it has a connection to Braemar’
However Renee Robertson, who originally hails from Sydney but owns a holiday home in the village, was less sure…
While she welcomed the Wirths’ efforts to introduce modern art pieces to Braemar, she doesn’t believe this particular one is appropriate.
“I like that they are trying to bring art, and their fascination about art, to the area but I don’t think it’s in keeping,” she stated.
“And I think given the current cost-of-living crisis, I feel like it’s a bit extreme and I don’t feel that it has a connection to Braemar.
She added: “I think if you are going to make an artwork central to the theme of Braemar, that’s not it.”
So what would she prefer to see instead?
“Something that is connected to the actual Highlands or the history of the place, because it does have a rich history.
“I think having pieces of really important art starts a conversation which is great, I’m just not sure that’s the way to start it.”
‘It’s a bit bizarre’
Another resident, who asked not to be named, described the new Braemar sculpture as “bizarre” as they described the moment they watched it being erected.
They said: “It’s subject to planning permission so it might get taken down, hopefully.
“I was walking the other day and I was thinking ‘what the heck is that on the trailer? They better not put that there’ and they did.
“Shiny new polished pans, it’s a bit bizarre.”
They explained: “Mr Wirth has done so much here to promote the local history as well as his modern art, but this is a step too far in the wrong direction.
“I do agree with everything he has done here and I’m right behind him on everything else, he’s come in here and put his money where his mouth is.
“If he’d put it somewhere else, in the garden of the Fife Arms maybe, but to put it there I think is wrong.”
The resident believes the latest installation won’t have the same impact on the village as the multi-coloured neon sign by Turner Prize winner Martin Creed.
His neon piece, Work No 3435 Everything Is Going To Be Alright, was unveiled in the grounds of Braemar Castle back in August 2020 during the pandemic.
“We had the lit-up sign down by the castle for Covid, but that meant something and was different,” the resident remarked.
What do you think of the sculpture? Share your views in our comments section at the bottom of this article
Who is Subodh Gupta?
The artist behind the sculpture is Subodh Gupta, an Indian contemporary artist who is based in New Delhi.
He uses many everyday objects in his pieces, from lunchboxes and pans to bikes and milk pails.
When Soak Becomes Spill shows pots and pans spilling over a bucket, representing the importance of the world’s natural resources and how they are wasted by society.
The massive sculpture was completed especially for the Victoria & Albert Museum‘s India Festival back in 2015.
It stood on London’s Exhibition Road, outside the famous museum.
Gupta is recognised as one of India’s most successful contemporary artists.
He has had his work on display across the globe including Paris, New York, Seoul and Tokyo.
A major exhibition of his work was held at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi in January 2014.
You can see the planning application here and read more about the hotel revamp here.
Conversation