C’EST MAGNIFIQUE!
It finally happened. After 9 months of meticulous planning, we can now finally talk about Léo Caillard’s art-installation here at King’s: we’ve dressed up the colossal statues in the arch of Bush House, in celebration of The Classical Now exhibition that opens at King’s on Friday 2 March!
The Bush House statues were originally made by Malvina Hoffman the 1920s – designed as personifications of America and Britain (observe the conveniently placed drapery!). Léo took the statues and dressed them in contemporary guise – complete with t-shirts, scarves and glasses. The flame between the statues has been covered in gold foil – designed to flicker in the wind, but never to be put out by London rain or snow. Léo has labeled the installation To the Friendship of the Classical and the Contemporary, adapting his title from the inscription beneath the statues (‘To the friendship of English speaking peoples’). The installation will remain in place throughout the run of The Classical Now exhibition (until 28 April).
We had kept things quiet in case anything were to go wrong over the last few months. In addition to a range of permits and planning permissions, we have worked with a large and wonderfully committed term: the practicalities were overseen (and generously facilitated) by Overbury – the national refurbishment specialist responsible for the renovation of Bush House. A crane was used to raise Caillard almost 100 feet; a specialist abseiling team (led by Tony Dillon at CCS Jeweltone) then worked with him to realise the intervention. It’s a tribute to Léo’s meticulous planning that the whole installation was done in just 3 hours. We’d like to thank everyone involved for all their help – especially Mick Carter, Tony Dillon, Michelle Perry, Dominic Rathbone, Frank Rogers, David Rolfe, Victoria Tidboald and, above all, Léo himself!
Léo says of his work: ‘It seems obvious to me that our past is our present. Antiquity is at the origin of our era. My work therefore seeks to open a dialogue – and humour is a brilliant way of getting people to see things anew. It’s been amazing fun working with the Modern Classicisms team! Michael Squire (in the Department of Classics at King’s) adds: ‘The aim of this installation was to make Bush House itself part of the exhibition (part of which takes place in the Bush House Arcade). Caillard’s work stops us in our tracks: it helps us to see the legacy of classical art as part of the here and now.’
We hope you enjoy the spectacle – and look forward to seeing you inside the exhibition at Bush House and Somerset House East Wing, which opens this coming Friday! Léo will also be around this week (26 February – 2 March) for press interviews – please email Michael.squire@kcl.ac.uk.
