Circadian
Marble Arch Place, London
‘Circadian’ facing south towards Hyde Park and situated in-between two new buildings, undertaken by Almacantar, at one of London’s most historical geographical fulcrums.
‘Circadian’ has looked to respond to a fascination Lee has had and researched in that of Circadian Clocks, that are the natural worlds biological timekeepers, that allow living cells to time their activity in anticipation of predictable environmental changes, both in concept and form, have built out from an exploration and research of this intriguing trait of how nature regulates times. Capturing a snapshot or passage of time that occurs within the natural world, is at the metaphysical heart of the piece.
The construction of the stainless-steel sheets that are the underpinning of the sculptures form are folded and pleated into shape, having pushed the limitations of the materiality by creating a fine filigree surface where the material at its outer limits of the sculpture, dissipates out.
The stainless-steel finish has been deeply researched to take on a more sensual finish that you would not typically associate with the utilitarian nature of stainless steel. The finish of the sculpture takes on the form of a soft matte blasted finish that subtly captures the light and highlights the accents of the form, holding on to the light and a subtle shimmer, more than a typical reflective surface of stainless steel.
Given the alignment of the south-west direction of the public realm thoroughfare, the relationship of the sculpture to light and form is one that will grow and evolve throughout the course of a day and a year, capturing the essence of growth, as if the form has risen from beneath the ground, driven by the light at the gateway of the public realm, carved out between the two buildings.
‘Circadian’ captures the essence of a flora like form burrowing towards the light at the southernly end of the public realm at Marble Arch Place and arching towards the majestic Hyde Park opposite, forming a new relationship with the ground and surrounding site context.
Watch a series of shorts films that captured the journey from conception to installation here.
