5 Art Installations That Found a Home in London

 

Photo by Andrew Ruiz on Unsplash

{This is a collaborative post}

Over the years, London has been graced by many weird and wonderful art installations. Some of these additions became permanent fixtures, while others were there just long enough to attract the attention of passers-by before moving elsewhere.

Here are five of the most fascinating installations to call the Capital home, however, brief their stay.

 

1)     One & Other, Anthony Gormley

Back in 2009, Anthony Gormley organised an occupation of Trafalgar Square’s vacant fourth plinth. For 100 days, 2400 members of the public had an hour to perform for the world.

The Guardian have ranked the top ten of these 2400 participants, including Jonathan May-Bowles who invited members of the public to text him their secrets so they could be read aloud, and Paul Speller who performed numerous scientific experiments. Art can certainly take many forms. 

 

2)     Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Read, Paul Cummins and Tom Piper

In 2014, a moat of 888,246 ceramic red poppies were placed in the grounds of the Tower of London, each representing servicemen that were killed in World War I.

The title of the work was taken from the poem of an unknown soldier, and at the end of the exhibition, the poppies were sold to members of the public, with the proceeds going to charity. It really was the most awe-inspiring installation.

Where I Live ..... well for now!

A few weeks back the delightful Michelle at The American Resident started up a new weekly linky, called Where I live. I completely meant to get involved a while back but you know what happens...

This week I felt absolutely compelled to join in and I ran around photographing things before I went out for ladies group tonight. Michelle's prompt for this week is 'Indoors' but in her post she shares with us some of the beautiful and meaningful art that she has around her house. I knew as soon as I read her post I wanted to share my art and the things that mean so much to me, especially with my house move coming up in just 3 weeks. It is a real comfort to me to remember all these wonderful memories come with my family and I wherever we go.

You can tell so much about a person by what they display on their walls and if you enter my house you will know that my family are my world.  Every wall has photographs on it and most every surface too, we have far more photos than we do classic 'art' pieces.  In fact art is pretty thin on the ground in this house but I'm hoping I can change that over the next few months.

Anyway enough waffle - I'll share -

I love this watercolour, not because it is technically brilliant but because it was done by my friend Julie especially as a present for me. I want to drive down that road and see where the bend takes me...

These are very me as they are about my babies - foot and handprints for each of my three kids, the frames are lovely and thick and these cost me a bomb at the time.

I have 4 of these mini pictures in my dining room and they are special to us, as they came from our honeymoon in Barbados and remind dh and I of the wonderful time we had there.

In a similar vein, this mobile came from St Lucia and the other part of our honeymoon.  I can watch the way the sun catches it and it casts shadows and rainbows all day long

The whale and dolphin were from Barbados, the chicken from Ethiopia and the elephant from India - all trips that meant the world to dh and I.

This is one of my most treasured pieces of art for sure. It was done by one of my God daughters when she was 5 and it is a picture of my twinnies - Miss M and Miss E

I mentioned photos - this is how the top of the chest of drawers looks in my bedroom, family photos filled with love.

I love my little house and I have been getting very melancholy just recently about leaving it. I'm so pleased Michelle reminded me today that all I am leaving is a bare shell, all the memories and love are going with me.

Fancy sharing what your indoors looks like?  Link up with Michelle.

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