Heartbeat - Charles Pétillon

10,000 balloons float in Covent Garden Piazza as Charles Pétillon brings his Heartbeat art installation to the Square. The installation was unveiled on 27 August and will be there until 27 September 2015.

The installation is inspired by Covent Garden’s heritage, pioneer in being the first public space as well as the liveliness of the West End. The white light that pulsates from the balloons represent the history, change and energy of the area. The installation took 25 people over 5 nights to install which measures at 54 metre long and 12 metre wide.

“The balloon invasions I create are metaphors. Their goal is to change the way in which we see the things we live alongside each day without really noticing them. With Heartbeat I wanted to represent the Market Building as the beating hear of London’s lie. Each balloon has its own dimensions and yet is part of a giant but fragile composition that creates a floating cloud above the energy of the market below. This fragility is represented by contrasting materials and also the whiteness of the balloons that move and pulse appearing as alive and vibrant as the area itself.” – Charles Pétillon

Around the corner in Unit 5 of the Royal Opera House Arcade is a pop-up gallery of Charles Pétillon showcasing photographs and other works.

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