In the final throes of putting
together a new sculpture, Paradigm,
to stand outside the Francis Crick Institute, near King’s Cross, London, Conrad
Shawcross (b1977) is fulfilling the role of director – as well as creator – as
his teams in both his studio and the fabricator Benson and Sedgwick endeavour
to get everything ready in time.
Studio International was lucky
enough to accompany Shawcross on a visit to Benson and Sedgwick, where he saw
the sculpture, for the first time, in a nearly complete state. “It’s like being
seven years old again and it being Christmas Eve!” he said, looking around
excitedly with his camera phone out and a big grin on his face. The work, made
of weathered steel, stands 14 metres high and is 5 metres at its widest point,
but balances (albeit with some serious underground bolting, deeper than the
height of the sculpture itself) on a base of less than one metre wide. The
precariousness and audacity of the tetrahedral forms is breathtaking, even
seeing the piece as it lay on its side.
We were also able to watch and film
as the sculpture was installed at its new location, outside the Francis Crick
Institute at King’s Cross.
Watch the interview here