Zanzibar
(2018-)
Materials: corrugated cast concrete, plants, soil.
Dimensions: 125m2.
Zanzibar is a sculpture that functions both as an indoor / outdoor garden and public furniture. Zanzibar consists of three separate multi-layered shapes with large planters hosting tropical greenery, two indoor and one outdoor, linking the two spaces and welcoming visitors to the public space of this building in the regeneration area of King’s Cross.
Like the museum and garden benches of the 18th century, Zanzibar provides a place to rest or converse, for people to make their own performances, whether planned or impromptu; or simply for them to sit on and watch the world go by; to read, to wait, to talk together. The work is informed by tropical modernist architecture, particularly by the work of Lina Bo Bardi in Salvador de Bahia, and is named after her mysterious restaurant, from which it also borrows the material finish of concrete cast against corrigated metal. The planting follows another exhibition history, present in the installation photographs from the MOMA archive of the 1950s and 1960s.
Commissioned by: The King’s Cross Project, a programme of temporary and permanent art commissions for the buildings and public spaces of King’s Cross. This sculpture garden is an outdoor exhibition and is open all the time.
Executed by:
Scott Battell
Gabor Boda
Scott Boden
Phil Brown
Céline Condorelli
Johnny Cullinan
Craig Edser
Omi Feeney
Daniel Gower
Tom Keynes
Sam Kirkham
George Koula
Anton Krivosejenko
Marcello Mangetti
Slawomir Niedbalski
Steven Noonan
Ryan Orme
Alex Puchella
Des Smith
Daniel Stuart
John Walker
Tim Walker
