St Pancras Church Garden is a hidden and open garden located
near to the City on Pancras Lane. The garden design was created by Studio
Weave.
St Pancras Church used to reside on the very same spot in
the 11th century before it was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666.
It was continually used as a burial until 1853 and the church was not rebuilt. Remains
of the old church can still be found under the modern churchyard.
In 1963, an excavation was carried out by the Guildhall
Museum and it appeared that the burials were removed at that point. The site
was left in a derelict condition until the City of London obtained the lease to
it in 2010 to turn it into a public garden.
A design competition was held by the Street Scene of the
City of London, where in which the winning design would be the finalised design
of the garden. Studio Weave won the competition with designs that reflected the
history of the site. The concept was to bring on Romanesque Architecture which
resembled the past church as it raises from the ashes of the ground from where
the church burnt down.
The benches were carved by the City and Guilds of London Art
School students with references to the Romanesque carvings. The stone paving
and wood carving follow the same designs as it takes an asymmetrical and
layered design, arranged in a herringbone design. They are displayed among
buildings and tall trees that brings in a lack of sunlight which adds to the
atmosphere of the garden.
The Love and Liquid Fire installation is an exhibition part of the Southbank Centre's Festival of Love. The works were created by Chris Bracey who is known for his neon sign works in God's Own Junkyard and neon lights in Soho, London. The installations are there from the 6 June to 31 August 2015.
Part of the exhibitions show early works and pictures of his life, which include ones from when he was a young man. There are conceptual and initial designs of works of his such as The Globe which was commissioned for the 2012 London Olympic Games as well as images of his neon signed featured in Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut, Judge Dredd, Batman and the ultra camp Superman III. Another cabinet shows his works that his done for the fashion Company, Mulberry.
The installations on shows neon signs in all shapes and forms exploring the different side of love such as "PRIDE", "Passion" as well as "Heartbreak Hotel". The letterings in bold and striking fonts and colours playing on the different forms that it takes forming an universal beauty and appeal to them. The neon stands are surrounded by remnants of photographs and objects giving the exhibition more of a personal touch to them.
#SouthbankforLove
Southbank Centre lay host to their own Festival of Love with art, activities and workshops. With a series of installations as part of their “Art Across the Site”, it explores the different types of love that we may encounter from family and friends to complete strangers.
1. Love Flags – Mark Titchner
Flags that spell out “LOVE” are displayed on the rooftops of the Royal Festival Hall and the Queen Elizabeth Hall. They incorporate the spectrum of colours from the rainbow.
2. Reverie – Nike Savvas
Made from a combinartion of wood, wool and plastic, they form thousands of ribbons made from a spectrum of different colours that represents “ hundreds of different paintings being made around you”.
3. Arcadia – Gabriel Lester and Martine Vledder of the design studio PolyLester
The installation is made up from translucent plastic strips found in industrial settings. The installation is lit by sun during the day (that is IF there is sun) and lit by a beacon from within during the night. What Lester said of love is that is “a heart should be colourful, open and light to let in love”.
4. Dil Phaink – PeaceNiche
The installation’s name means “to throw your heart out to work”, explores the different side to Pakistani culture through street design, cinema, visuals and matters of the heart. The installation takes away from the negativity that the media presents their focus on and looks at the artistry and quirks of Pakistani life.
5. Film Kiosks – Lyn Atelier and Restoration Station
The television screen shows different forms of love ranging from ones between siblings to unexpected connections made between strangers. The kiosk was designed by Lyn Atelier and the furniture made by Restoration Station.
6. This is a Public Service Announcement – Sarah Crane
Projected on screens across the Southbank site, the installation explores the interactions between people in our day-to-day-lives. The installation prompts people to “look up” as a way of looking at the positive connection made between strangers.
7. Love Story – Richard Woods
The colourful timber-encased pillars draw attention to the hidden venue of the Southbank Centre.
8. Love the Yarn – Lasmin Salmon in collaboration with Celia Pym and ActionSpace
Lasmin Salmon worked collaboratively with Celia Pym to gradually grow this piece of installation made with balls of yarn.
9. Ludus Folly – Simon and Tom Baker
The installation plays on the playful and flirtatious form of love, which is made up of a mirrored wall, maze and tower in all style of colours. It is based on the two chemicals (Serotonin and Dopamine) which are produced by the brain when we play and are in love.
10. Provocation – Mark Titchner
Plastered above one of the entrances to the Queen Elizabeth Hall is the Provocation.
11. Pulse and Bloom – Shilo Shiv Suleman
The installations are of Lotuses which a symbolism of beauty, prosperity and fertility. Each lotus is built with two hand sensors that transmits a heartbeat of LED lights up the stem to the lotus flower. Beats faster if two hands are placed on the adjoining flower of the individual lotus.
12. Squeeze – Linda Bell in collaboration with Sam Haynes and ActionSpace
Bell used different techniques to create and form different shapes to explore the tactile versatility of different materials. Bell and Haynes were asked to create a site-specific series of sculptures.
13. Vespers – Jones Bulley
A sound installation made from a musical score of thoughts, text and sound, celebrates the combined creativity that stems from the web. Bulley describes it as “a real-life moment ofg togetherness that reflects the digital togetherness provided by the web.
#SouthbankforLove
