Hello all! I’d love some help with nominating a sculpture outside my apartment building. I’ve tried twice and it was rejected both times. The first time for not being unique enough (I presume because there are two of these right next to each other?), which I appealed, and was again rejected for the same reason.
Title: Red Hopper Art
Description: This permanent art installation uses a repurposed hopper bucket as a planter.
Supplemental Info: This new building has lots of construction-themed art installations around it, including this red hopper planter/sculpture art. This piece is on a publicly accessible sidewalk in a safe location. Google Maps is a few months behind, the whole area was fully constructed and completed by December 2024.
Primary photo:
Secondary photo:
I even uploaded a photosphere to help: https://maps.app.goo.gl/W9rXG1iYv48UW5D78
Initial judgement: The submission lacks uniqueness or historical and cultural meaning
Niantic appeal response: Thanks for the appeal, Explorer! The nomination in question does not meet the Wayfarer criteria as it is a common installation. If this assessment is not accurate, please resubmit the nomination with additional context. We recommend you review the Wayspot Criteria and Forum Criteria Discussions Library sections before submitting your next Wayspot contribution: Wayfarer — Niantic Technical Support and Help Center and Forum Criteria Discussions Library — Wayfarer Help Center
Any help? To me this is clearly a unique installation. This is not just a stereotypical planter. This is a deliberate use of construction equipment to create a unique art installation which meets the criteria of a unique location for exploration. Am I incorrect? Do I have any chance of resubmitting with changes to get this accepted?
I do love this, but idk if I would consider this an art installation. Do you have any documentation on showing an artist or an intent? Otherwise, I am afraid that it is just landscaping.
Hello and welcome,
I have to agree with Cyndie that I don’t see these as art pieces, just unique planters for the trees. You really don’t see old hopper buckets being used as planters, so I think focusing on them being old hopper buckets being repurposed as planters would be a better way to go.
I also see these on Street View, and they appear to be around 36.1810972366508, -86.77954200604925. Even looking at the website for the building, there doesn’t seem to be any mention of this area having a construction theme to it, but it does appear there are still some businesses in the area that are part of this industry (see a building material supplier and cement company, forklift dealership to name a few). So, it appears that this neighborhood used to have more industrial businesses, but is now being redeveloped into a residential/entertainment district, with the Topgolf to the south, and restaurants/bars nearby as well.
So, if this was a former industrial area that is being transformed into a new neighborhood, I’d focus on these being unique to representing what this area used to be, and that the hopper planters represent the past of this area.
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Thank you, that’s helpful! Yes, this is a historically industrial area that is being redeveloped. I will try to lean into the cultural significance of the hopper planters rather than being art pieces. Although I might ask building management if there is a specific artist behind them. There are a number of other large construction related decorations (think excavator buckets, claws, etc) that are intentionally left around the property along this same vein, but it’s hard to prove that any of the other pieces are permanent. I picked these to submit specifically because they are obviously permanent, but I appreciate the help with which angle to nominate them from.
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Yeah, I don’t think it’s uncommon for redevelopments to include things that represent the past, so focusing on the historical/cultural aspect of the area would be a good thing.
It’s kind of interesting, it would be better if there was a story behind it though.
I think this is a fairly modern forklift hopper (a bit like Used OCFab Self Dumping Forklift Hopper – Coast Machinery Group) rather than some historic piece of equipment. My guess is that it is left over from the construction of the site.
Personally, while the hopper might look like art, i am guessing there will be many in the area, which will make it not distinct.
