Calling all art and architecture fans, and lovers of all things bright, colourful, and dopamine-inducing: a new piece of public art is set to hit London soon, and you won’t want to miss it. Elysian Arcs is a delightful new ‘art-chitectural’ installation of glowing, rainbow-coloured arcs, that will drop down near Leadenhall Market this February.
On February 26the Elysian Arcs will arrive outside the Leadenhall Building (otherwise known as the Cheesegrater). They’ll be free to visit, and open to all between the hours of 10am – 8pm. So if you’re in dire need of some colour and light in these cold winter days, head on over for a dopamine dosing.
Elysian Arcs
The immersive installation – which will stand 20ft tall! – blends glowing visuals with an ambient soundtrack. It will be particularly impressive as the sun begins to set, as the arcs are illuminated from the inside out. The actual material of the sculpture will also add a layer of visual spectacle. The Elysian Arcs are made from “a colour-reflecting dichroic film that reacts to changes in light, causing a rainbow of reflections and a unique picture from every angle.”
Remember those giant bubbles that plopped down outside London’s Cheesegrater building The Leadenhall Building last year? Well, this year’s Elysian Arcs are part of the same initiative, just with a new work for 2024.
Just like last year’s Evanescent, Elysian Arcs comes courtesy of Sydney-based ‘art-chitects’ Atelier Sisu. The work was commissioned by the Eastern City Business Improvement District (EC BID) and produced by FESTIVAL.ORG. The artwork is intended to bring a bit of colour and brightness to those in the area. This can, after all, be a pretty dark and gloomy time of year.
Said Renzo B. Larriviere and Zara Pasfield of Atelier Sisu:
“Being able to create an immersive installation for the people of London for a second year in a row is a fantastic opportunity. We are incredibly pleased that this piece of art can go some way in improving people’s mental, physical and environmental wellbeing in the darker months of the year. Elysian is our visualisation of joy. The very word Elysian relates to the characteristics of heaven or paradise, something we hope people will feel from the installation itself.”
The glowing artwork has already been displayed around the world in locations such as Bristol, Dubai, and Liverpool.
Visiting the Elysian Arcs is completely free, with no booking or tickets required. The installation is open daily, from 10am-8pm, until Friday, March 15. There is an audio description available for blind and visually impaired visitors. A live audio description tour will take place on March 1, at 1pm.
The Elysian Arcs will be displayed at The Leadenhall Building (west side), 122 Leadenhall Street, EC3V 4AB.
