Oh Là Là
Caroline Mackenzie, one of three student ambassadors on our project, offers her own take on Léo’s installation at Bush House. Huge thanks to both Caroline and Abi Walker for helping us with managing the work over the weekend!
Freezing temperatures, icy winds and heady heights: these did nothing to curb the enthusiasm of the team that led a daring and dynamic stunt in London this weekend, as part of the preparations for The Classical Now exhibition at King’s.
Léo Caillard – a Paris based artist who earned international renown for his Hipsters in Stone series (2012–2016), in which he dressed classical statues in contemporary attire – was commissioned to produce a new site-specific installation for the exhibition. Until yesterday, the details of his adventurous project were top-secret, known only to the inner conclave involved in installation planning.
However, with the superb work of a team from Overbury, cranes were manoeuvred into place outside the Aldwych entrance to Bush House. Abseilers deftly descended from the roof, until they reached the treble life size statues which tower over the view of Kingsway below.
Caillard, who had worked from architectural plans of the building and site visits, was lifted on the crane so that he could dress the colossal statues in eye-catching coloured garments (‘red for the heart and emotion, blue for thought and mind’); he adorned the torch which they hold in shining gold – for added realism, the gold foil is also designed to flutter in the wind. Appropriately (given the Arctic weather conditions), he even accessorised the two personification statues with plaid scarves; for an intellectual touch, the statues have been given glasses.
As the stone characters came to life in their novel attire, passers-by stopped to stare and to engage in conversation with some of the team from The Classical Now, who were on hand to distribute flyers and invite members of the public to the exhibition. The response was fantastic: Léo had created quite a stir, as individuals started to post their snaps on Instagram and Twitter – the first to spread the word on social media was a photographer who was en route from London Fashion Week and could not resist the striking image!
Several hours later, Caillard’s work was complete. As he looked up from ground level to admire the final product, his modest response was ‘pas mal’! We think it is ‘magnifique’ but don’t take our word for it – check out the photographs below and, even better, please come along to Bush House and The Inigo Rooms (Somerset House East Wing) between 2 March and 28 April: Caillard’s creation will be one of many ‘Modern Classicisms’ which we hope will inspire and delight you! Tell us what you think, too (#TheClassicalNow).’
