alex chinneck fractures the façade of a brick building in london

alex chinneck has melted a two-story wax house, levitated covent garden’s market building, and inverted a london loft, constituting an artistic practice that spans the wild and the whimsical, the surprising and the surreal. thus, chinneck’s latest installation is an extension of the brain-bending and sometimes bizarre public interventions he has become widely known to produce. coined ‘six pins and half a dozen needles’, the london-based sculpture takes the form of a fractured façade, where a building’s brickwork splits in two halves as if ripped apart by some dramatic natural force.

all images by charles emerson

after a year of work, and the installation of 5,000 bespoke bricks and more than 1,000 stainless steel components, ‘six pins and half a dozen needles’ is materialized on the façade of assembly london, a mixed-use office complex in hammersmith. referencing a torn sheet of paper, the intervention seemingly separates the exterior surface of the site into two parts, dramatically altering the quality of the site. chinneck hopes his permanent work invites a surprising sense of wonder and awe for both local residents and casual passersby.

the artist’s practice spans the wild and the whimsical, the surprising and the surreal

‘the work was conceived to engage people in a fun and uplifting way,’ chinneck says. ‘although we use real brick, it was designed with a cartoon-like quality to give the sculpture an endearing artifice and playful personality. I set out to create accessible artworks and I sincerely hope this becomes a popular landmark for london and positive experience for londoners.’

chinneck’s installation is an extension of the brain-bending public interventions he has become widely known for