Giant inflatable sculpture unveiled

Giant Avatar of Portobello is the next Big Thing on the Beach

A second artwork for Big Things on the Beach was unveiled over the May Day holiday weekend at sites around Portobello. The Giant Avatar of Portobello is a large-scale inflatable sculpture created by artists Grennan and Sperandio.

The international duo asked local people and visitors to Portobello: “if Portobello was a character, what character would it be?” The answers helped them design an artwork to capture the spirit of the place.

“Along with our own visits, historical research and conversations with Portobello people, the answers to this question added up to a feeling of the character and soul of Portobello,” said Simon Grennan, from Grennan and Sperandio. “We channelled all this information into the making of our Giant Avatar of Portobello.”

The commissions are part of the year-long Imagine Porty Prom project which, through temporary artworks, displays, events and workshops, aims to engage local people and other users of the prom in the creation of a long-term Portobello Public Art Plan.

Imagine Porty Prom is funded by the Scottish Arts Council and City of Edinburgh Council.