Christo, the famed artist, has installed a temporary sculpture, called The Mastaba, in Hyde Park, London, right in the middle of the Serpentine Lake. Construction on the sculpture began on 3 April 2018. The installation will float on the Serpentine Lake from 18 June to 23 September 2018. The installation is composed of oil drums – oil barrels.
This is Christo’s first major public outdoor work in the United Kingdom.
“For a few months The London Mastaba will be a part of the Serpentine Lake and its natural and urban surroundings,” said Christo. “I am excited to realise this temporary outdoor sculpture in the UK this summer. Like with all of my projects, the construction, maintenance and removal of artwork will be entirely funded by me through the sale of my original works of art. The London Mastaba in Hyde Park will be absolutely free to the public—no tickets, no reservations and no owners. It will belong to everyone until it's gone.”
Christo’s temporary structure was built by a team of engineers, consisting of 7,506 horizontally stacked barrels on a floating platform in Serpentine Lake. It is 20 metres (65.5 feet) high x 30 metres (90 feet) wide x 40 metres (130 feet) long.
The standard 55 gallon barrels measure 59 x 88 centimetres (2 ft x 3 ft) and are specifically made and painted for this sculpture. The sides of the barrels, visible on the top and on the two slanted walls of the sculpture, are red and white. The ends of the barrels, visible on the two vertical walls, are red, blue, and mauve.
The sculpture’s floating platform is high-density polyethylene cubes held with weighted anchors. A primary steel scaffolding frame is constructed on top of the platform and the barrels are attached to a scaffold substructure. The total weight is approximately 500 tons. The footprint of the sculpture will take up approximately 1% of the total surface area of the lake.
While some equipment, such as scaffolding, was rented, other materials will be industrially recycled in the UK when the project concludes. The construction ensured that there was no damage to the site. No work is undertaken on grassed areas. All construction materials have been certified as having low environmental impact to preserve the ecosystem of the lake.
The artwork presents an opportunity to enhance the conservation area and associated wildlife of Hyde Park. An Ecological Enhancement Strategy was developed with The Royal Parks, which is in accordance with National and Local planning policy. In addition to ensuring that there will be no negative ecological impact on the lake, the surrounding park or its wildlife, a number of investments will be made in the park as a direct result of the project, including ecological works on the Serpentine Island, the creation of new habitats for birds and bats, litter clearance of the Serpentine Lake and re-treatment of the Phoslock system that protects the lake from algal bloom.
Loyd Grossman, Chairman of The Royal Parks charity, said: “Christo is a world renowned artist who has enjoyed highly successful exhibitions in parks and open spaces in other leading cities across the world, but has never before exhibited in London. We’re delighted to be able to facilitate his first major public outdoor work in this country in one of central London’s finest and most visited parks. This will be an opportunity for park visitors to see an outstanding installation for free within an iconic landscape.”
Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries, Justine Simons, said: “I'm delighted that this major new work by Christo is coming to the capital this summer—free for Londoners, and for visitors from the UK and around the world to see—in the beautiful surroundings of the Serpentine Lake. To host such an important work by an internationally acclaimed artist shows that London is open to great art, creativity and to everyone.”
The temporary sculpture will coincide with an exhibition at the Serpentine Galleries of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s work, from 19 June to 9 September 2018, which will include sculptures, drawings, collages and photographs spanning more than 60 years. Both projects draw on Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s history of barrel artworks.
“I am also looking forward to the Serpentine Gallery exhibition exploring the use of barrels in my works from 1958 to today, which will provide important context for The London Mastaba.” The oil barrels were chosen initially for their sculptural effect and low cost.
Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Gallery exhibition will offer a historic context to The London Mastaba sculpture situated close by. Yana Peel, CEO and Hans Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director, Serpentine Galleries said: “In keeping with our mission to inspire the widest possible audiences with the urgency of art and architecture, the Serpentine Galleries' exhibition has been thoughtfully curated to coincide with The Mastaba (Project for London, Hyde Park, Serpentine Lake). Christo’s project will challenge where art can be encountered and by whom and—together with the Serpentine show—provide the UK public with an unprecedented insight into Christo and Jeanne-Claude's work.”
“Christo is an imaginative visionary who conceives big ideas and brings them to life with relentless determination,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, Chairman, Serpentine Galleries.
The Mastaba (Project for London, Hyde Park, Serpentine Lake) is funded solely by Christo. No public money is used for Christo’s projects and he does not accept sponsorship. Christo would like to thank The Royal Parks and the many community and park partners, including Westminster Council and BlueBird Boats.
MARTINA NICOLLSis an international aid and development consultant, and the authorof:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom(2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).
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