Canary Wharf Archives

Voyage – An Art Installation of 300 Illuminated Paper Boats

A grand flotilla of 300 illuminated paper boats have invaded Middle Dock in Canary Wharf, London. Titled “Vovage,” the interactive installation is the brainchild of Aether & Hemera, an artistic partnership between architect Claudio Benghi and lighting artist Gloria Ronchi. The paper boats light up from within in an ever-changing and riotous display of colors and patterns, whenever someone with a mobile phone comes in range of them.

People who are passing by can interact with the boats to change colors and patterns. This can be done by connecting their mobile devices to the Voyage Wi-Fi network, opening the web browser, going to voyage.co.uk and following the instructions on the site.

The installation, commissioned for Canary Wharf Group’s award-winning public art program, will be on show until 15 February, 2012, with the lights coming on before dusk until 2am.

More images after the jump.

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Giant Sculptures Made From Food Cans

From June 24, 2012, Canary Wharf is set to host London’s first Canstruction^® event. The exhibition will see some giant sculptures being created out of 40,000 cans of food, by some of the world’s leading architects and designers. At the end of the event, the sculptures will be taken apart, and the cans will be redistributed to London’s needy people by Fareshare, an UK food charity.

The pieces will be on display in the lobby of One Canada Square, Britain’s tallest skyscraper, and Canary Wharf’s shopping malls. An expert panel of judges will select an overall champion, among other categories, and the winners will compete in the final International Canstruction^® Competition 2013 in the United States.

The main exhibition will run from Monday 25 June – Saturday 7 July, 2012.

Hit the jump to check out images of sculptures exhibited at previous Canstruction events.

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‘Aeolus’ – A Giant Acoustic Sculpture

Installed in the heart of Canary Wharf, London, Aeolus is a enormous acoustic sculpture that “sings” with the passing breeze. Named after the god of the four winds in Greek mythology, the sculpture consists of low-tension nylon harp strings attached to 310 polished stainless steel tubes, which redirect the passing air into the center of the piece, and create an unique sound in the process.

The sculpture will be positioned in Canada Square Park. It provides both acoustic and optical sensations, with the pipes framing, inverting and magnifying the landscape, which in Canary Wharf will include the reflected architecture of the UK’s tallest skyscrapers. The viewers’ experience will change throughout the day as the clouds and sun move across the sky and surrounding buildings.

The installation is the brainchild of Bristol-based artist Luke Jerram, who is quite well known for his ‘Play Me I’m Yours’ project, where dozens of pianos were installed across central London for the public to play. Aeolus is the grand culmination of Jerram’s three year investigation into acoustics, wind and architecture. Jerram says that he was inspired during a research trip to Iran, where a well-digger in the Qanat desert spoke to him of “the wells singing in the wind.”

The sculpture will be on display until 10th May, 2012, at Canada Square Park, Canary Wharf, London.

Link to the official site.

Hit the jump to see more awe-inspiring images of the installation.

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