Take my lightning but don't steal my thunder

You see a lot of sights in Covent Garden but over the last couple of days there's certainly been something a bit more unusual in the air.

  

London-based artist Alex Chinneck is known for his playfully visual, large-scale artworks which are conceived in response to the place in which they stand.  Inspired by the performance culture that’s synonymous with the neighbourhood, this installation has been designed to conjure the illusion that a 40-foot-long building has broken from its stone base and floated over 10 feet into the air with apparent and astonishing weightlessness. The installation has been modelled on the original architecture of the 184-year old Market Building and creating a mirror image of the West Piazza balcony.

“My objective is to create an accessible artwork that makes a harmonious but breath-taking contribution to its historic surroundings, leaving a lasting and positive impression upon the cultural landscape of Covent Garden and in the minds of its many visitors”, said Alex Chinneck. “The hovering building introduces contemporary art to traditional architecture, performing a magic trick of spectacular scale to present the everyday world in an extraordinary way”.

 

Through the project’s run, a series of screenings will take place against the backdrop of the installation, inspired by the historic neighbourhood. Chinneck will also host a series of talks in association with the Royal British Society of Sculptors, in which he will unmask the technique behind the illusion. Further details on the screenings and talks and links to book tickets will be released in due course on the Covent Garden website.
 
You can see it on the East Piazza from now until 24th October.