Korean Temple Bell, Bronze bell sculpture at Oregon Convention Center, Portland, United States.
The Korean Temple Bell is a bronze bell housed within a brick and granite pagoda structure at the Oregon Convention Center. The bell displays traditional Korean craftsmanship through its bronze construction and sits in a public space designed for viewing and interaction.
The bronze bell was a gift from the people of Ulsan, South Korea, and was dedicated on January 11, 1989. It cost $59,000, funded through the Oregon Convention Center's One Percent for Art program and by private donors. According to the Smithsonian Institution, some residents raised concerns about the bell's religious symbolism and its placement outside a public building.
The bell is one element of Robert Coburn's sound installation Bell and Wind Environment, which also includes Bell Circles II. The composer paired the Korean bronze with a wind-driven audio environment, so the work is heard as well as seen. The bell was a gift from the people of Ulsan, South Korea, a link between that city and Portland.
The bell hangs in a brick and granite pagoda on the plaza outside the Oregon Convention Center, near the coordinates 45.52985, -122.66381. Visitors reach it on foot from the surrounding sidewalks and MAX light rail stops along the convention district. The bell is part of Robert Coburn's sound installation Bell and Wind Environment, so listen for it moving with the wind rather than looking for an indoor exhibit.
The bell was funded through the Convention Center's One Percent for Art program together with private donors, at a cost of $59,000. When it was dedicated on January 11, 1989, some Portland residents questioned the religious symbolism of a temple bell placed outside a public building.
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