Artists have created colourful and interactive installations on pedestrian walkways
Bankside, London, December 21, 2015 – Better Bankside welcomes Colourful Crossings to Southwark Street. The exciting project sees three international artists transform the street with interactive and unusual pedestrian crossings that are already bringing colour, movement and animation to Southwark Street, London SE1.
Colourful Crossings is part of Better Bankside’s Avenue of Art initiative. Avenue of Art takes art out of its traditional gallery context to transform public spaces.
The artists commissioned include:
- LAST CHANCE TO SEE Colourful Crossings has put the spotlight on Southwark Street with an interactive and innovative artwork. Visitors to Bankside will receive a spontaneous round of applause on walking through a spotlight projected onto a busy pavement under the railway bridge at the junction of Redcross Way. The more movement under the light, the louder the applause gets, encouraging people to dance and move around, eventually reaching the volume of a 500-member audience. Performer was created by New York based artist and designer Adam Frank and will be in place every evening from 6pm-10pm until 8th January 2016.
Follow this link to view a video of Performer: http://bit.ly/1NI4Rzw
- A vivid graphic image applied to the streetscape outside the Menier Gallery ‘Crossing Stories’ has transformed a pedestrian crossing. Artist collective The Office for Crafted Architecture collected an A-Z of personal stories from Bankside locals that take you on a journey of discovery. A playful board game on the pavement is made up of words and pictograms to encourage exploration of Bankside’s secrets.
Pick up a Crossing Stories map and guide at the Menier Gallery or Bankside Community Space. Follow this link for a video about the project - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rM15wlJZeJE
Further information about Crossing Stories can be found here www.crossingstories.co.uk
- COMING SOON The third installation by renowned photographer Morgan Silk is coming soon. Silk has created a photographic image which can only be seen from a particular viewpoint, creating an optical illusion. The image will depict a falling woman - paying homage to Bankside’s history including the story of the Crossbones Graveyard, an unconsecrated burial ground for prostitutes in medieval London. Keep an eye out for this incredible piece of art.
The Colourful Crossings installations have added to the existing creative interventions along the street which include Ian Davenport’s Poured Lines by Blackfriars Road and Mark Titchener’s Another World is Possible on the exterior of citizenM.
As one of the busiest streets in Bankside, Southwark Street can sometimes be a barrier to people exploring the neighbourhood. “We want to make Bankside a better place to live, work and visit,” said Donald Hyslop, Head of Partnerships at Tate and Chair of Better Bankside. “The Colourful Crossings project will transform the public realm to the benefit of the local businesses and visitors to the area. We aim to draw footfall further south from the busy riverside stretch, encouraging people to explore Southwark Street and beyond and discover Bankside’s full cultural offer.”
The Colourful Crossings is part-funded through Transport for London’s ‘Future Streets Incubator’. The project aims to increase pedestrian footfall along the street, changing the way it is used and perceived by the public and motorists.