Elena Bowes

New York-London design & culture writer of a certain vintage looking for meaning and wholeness in life

Make the Most of Balmy London- Outdoor Sculptures are Very In

October 17th, 2014
London
Places

Enjoy this unseasonably warm weekend weather by visiting London’s vast array of new outdoor installations, especially Frieze’s Sculpture Park which ends Sunday. From the Tower of London to the east to Kensington Gardens to the west, the poppies are redder and the grass is greener right here.

Inspired by Charlotte Higgin’s terrific article in the Guardian earlier this week as to why the Frieze Art Fair works in this uniquely civic-minded city, I decided to visit the art that is here for all to enjoy, namely the outdoor eye candy. Where to begin? At the top, of course, with the Queen.

_78270695_3a625f32-0e4c-4341-99ec-9b6d52041816

The Queen, Prince Phillip and I visited the Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red at the Tower of London yesterday (not together, sadly). Nearly a million ceramic red poppies have been filling up the moat outside the tower, paying tribute to the British and Colonials soldiers who died fighting in WWI a hundred years ago.  Unable to get a selfie of  Liz and me, I settled for a  more sweeping shot.

20141016_111132

From there I headed west to Southbank to admire a cherry red installation called Unstoppable Spirit. Spot the car?

20141016_113344

Designed by Italian artist Nino Mustica in collaboration with Land Rover, Unstoppable Spirit fuses art with automotive design. Not so practical for getting around town, but it sure is easy on the eye. Launched during Frieze Week, the sculpture takes off Sunday.

Then onto my favourite freebie, Frieze’s Sculpture Park where twenty works represented by Frieze and Frieze Masters exhibitors have been scattered throughout the manicured English Garden in divine Regent’s Park, a three minute walk from the fair.

20141016_123725

Here are just a couple to whet your appetite.

20141016_122820Small Lie by KAWS,  Galerie Perrotin

20141016_122236Pumpkins by Yayoi Kusama, Victoria Miro

Finally, cool off with an unruly mass of garden hoses at Fountain by French artist Bertrand Lavier. This is a brand new installation at the Serpentine’s Sackler Gallery.

20141016_102402

 October, 2014