alex chinneck inverts a london building near blackfriar's bridge
alex chinneck inverts a london building near blackfriar’s bridge
all images courtesy of alex chinneck

 

 

 

inverting the familiar architectural scenery and narrative of southwark, london, british artist and designer alex chinneck has turned the façade of an existing building completely upside down for his latest installation ‘miner on the moon’. the public sculpture sees the exterior of a 1780s livery stable flipped, with glass-paned windows its base and rustic doors positioned its peak. aesthetically, the intervention responds to the specific function of the original site; live cattle were ferried from the rear yard to the thames for trade through a large underpass to the structure’s bottom right, a negative space which chinneck has adapted as the irregular silhouette of the two, neighboring constructions. enamel signage bearing the name ‘W. H. willcox & co ltd’ has been appropriated from the now-bygone company, whose store was once situated just a few minutes away. both juxtaposing and synthesizing with its surrounding, chinneck explains that, ‘I wanted to create an artwork that offered spectacle, but was simultaneously subtle and by using the material and architectural language of the district the artwork has the ability to disappear into its environment without dominating it.’

 

 

alex chinneck inverts a london building near blackfriar's bridge
the upside down building occupies a busy junction

 

 

alex chinneck inverts a london building near blackfriar's bridge
‘miner on the moon’ flipped upside down

 

 

alex chinneck inverts a london building near blackfriar's bridge
the public sculpture sees the exterior of a 1780s livery stable flipped

 

 

alex chinneck inverts a london building near blackfriar's bridge
a passerby looks at the installation

 

 

alex chinneck inverts a london building near blackfriar's bridge
enamel signage has been appropriated from a former company ‘W. H. willcox & co ltd’

 

 

alex chinneck inverts a london building near blackfriar's bridge
glass-painted windows are at the base and doors are positioned at the peak

 

 

alex chinneck inverts a london building near blackfriar's bridge
negative space has been adapted as the irregular silhouette of the two neighboring sites

 

 

alex chinneck inverts a london building near blackfriar's bridge
the facade of the structure, upside down

 

 

the project was built in partnership mace group. other supporters and sponsors include tate, better bankside, ibstock brick, norbord, euroform, eurobrick, k-rend, kingspan, lyons annoot, benchmark scaffolding, dhesi and urban surface protection.