Alex Chinneck completes trail of surreal street furniture for Assembly Bristol
Three new sculptures by acclaimed sculptor Alex Chinneck have appeared at Assembly Bristol, completing a trail of surreal street furniture by the artist that leads visitors through the newly opened site.
A traditional British phone box whose body twists through 720 degrees, titled ‘Wring ring’, now stands outside ‘Building A’ which is occupied by BT. Cast in metal with rippling, glazed windows that follow its twisting form, the phone box is illuminated at night.
Two new pairs of knotted lamp posts by the artist add to the playful personality and illumination of the site. Also cast in metal, the first pair are tied into a large bow, while the second pair wrap closely around each other as if held in an embrace, leading the artist to name them ‘First kiss at last light’.
Standing over four metres tall in front of Bristol’s historic floating harbour wall, with its cast iron railings, the traditional aesthetic of the contemporary artworks acts as a bridge between old and new.
The new sculptures join Chinneck’s knotted post box onsite, which was installed on Cheese Lane earlier this year to coincide with its re-opening as a public right of way following a 50 year closure.
Their arrival in Bristol is designed to enhance the new and improved pedestrian links between the city centre and Temple Meads Station provided by the Assembly Bristol complex, as well as marking the opening of a new waterside park and the completion of all three Assembly buildings.
Titled ‘Alphabetti Spaghetti’, the knotted post box first appeared overnight in three towns and cities around the UK, as part of a temporary, multi-site installation in 2019.
Painted pillar box red, both the knotted post box and twisted phone box complement the cobbles of Cheese Lane and the colourful design of Assembly, whose buildings, by architects Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, are characterised by their painted steel girders.
Assembly provides Bristol with three unique landscaped areas designed to enhance the biodiversity of this part of the city. The planting includes 29 trees of five different varieties, and a multitude of plant species including 3,200 plants and bulbs. Assembly’s open harbourside areas are perfect for relaxing and hosting outdoor activities, and create a new urban haven for the occupiers of the buildings and public to enjoy.
The family of sculptures have been conceived by Chinneck as uplifting additions to the streetscape, enriching the public realm by transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. Seen from a distance they will help draw visitors into and through the site. Up close, they provide opportunities for engagement.
Chinneck’s playful reimagining of street furniture continues his track record for creating surreal sculptures and public artworks that disrupt the world around us. Over the last 10 years he has realised 17 public artworks that have established his reputation as “art’s master illusionist”.
The artist uses simple, playful narratives to weave fantasy into everyday scenes. He has made bricks melt, stone hover, and four storey buildings bend and unzip. His work is highly accessible and engages a global audience. Previous projects include landmark commissions for London Design Festival, Milan Design Week, and Assembly London.
Photography by Charles Emerson
