A striking, site-specific sculpture by internationally-renowned artist Yinka Shonibare, MBE has been unveiled to the general public as part of Howick Place in Victoria, London.
Doughty Hanson & Co Real Estate and Terrace Hill, the joint developers behind the new landmark building at 1-5 Howick Place, commissioned Wind Sculpture through art consultants HS Projects. It was unveiled yesterday in Wilcox Place by the artist himself, and will now serve as an integral part of the area’s development, which is rapidly becoming Victoria’s vibrant new ‘cultural quarter’.
Wind Sculpture, measuring 6 metres by 3 metres, explores the notion of harnessing movement, through the idea of capturing and freezing a volume of wind in a moment in time. The work echoes the sails from Yinka Shonibare’s Fourth Plinth commission in Trafalgar Square, ‘Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle’, now on permanent display outside the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.
The captivating piece has special resonance at Howick Place, named after Viscount Howick, later 2nd Earl Grey, one of the main architects of the Reform Act 1832, Catholic emancipation and the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. Wind Sculpture continues Shonibare’s focus on themes of colonialism, trade, and race and employs the artist’s signature use of batik Dutch wax fabric designs – materials which have become synonymous with African identity.
Designed by award winning architects Rolfe Judd, Howick Place is an architecturally stunning and award-winning building, including just over 143,000 sq ft of commercial space and 23 luxury residential apartments, with spacious terraces offering expansive views over London’s most iconic sights. Situated midway between the fashion centres of Bond Street and Sloane Street, Howick Place is also recognised as a sought-after destination among a community of stylish tenants.
It has already attracted the Head Office of Giorgio Armani S.p.A, to 5 Howick Place, with international auction house Phillips, the design studio of Marc Newson and HQ’s of luxury brands Tom Ford and Jimmy Choo – with Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, Moët Hennessy and Richemont a stone’s throw away.
Reflecting this sense of art and culture, Wind Sculpture, is the developers’ contribution to the ongoing renaissance of the area.
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