Artist Liz West has created Hundreds and Thousands, a new temporary site-specific artwork that wraps 700 metres of the walkway’s glass balustrades of The Tide, London‘s first-ever elevated riverside linear park designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with Neiheiser Argyros on Greenwich Peninsula. The installation contemplates the subtle nuances of light in this unique riverside location as we transition from Spring to Summer, creating a ribbon of undulating colour.
For West, Hundreds and Thousands pays homage to The Tide’s geography and proximity to the Greenwich meridian line by behaving as a sundial, therefore, allowing people to see the changing light depending on the time of day and season. The multiple reflective glass surfaces adorned with jewel-like multicolours will reflect people and the surroundings, encouraging and promoting movement around The Tide and making a work that feels like it ‘belongs’.
“The experience of seeing my work as you move along and around The Tide gives visitors/pedestrians a kaleidoscopic and rich visual experience that will hopefully trigger feelings of wellbeing and joy,” says Liz West.
The architecture and design of The Tide as well as how the space is used by the public, has influenced the intricate design to allow people a fluid and ever-changing experience of the work. Selected colours and repeated visuals have been used to augment and enhance the space and visitor experience. This site-specific work aims to create a new space for exploration and discovery. It depicts and symbolises a physical and metaphorical meeting point of both colours and people.
Covering all the glass panels of The Tide, this immersive installation helps join together the different paths across the space. The luminous multicoloured stripes collectively become a rhythmic cacophony of colours, creating a mesmerising mass when viewed from all angles. The work appears to change and morph as you journey around the space. The work encourages you to follow the work around the space, with different perspectives offering intriguing colourways and kaleidoscopic visuals.
The colour palette aims to encourage positive associations and memories of colour. West makes these colour choices instinctively and intuitively, experimenting in colour mixing to focus on the interaction of colours as well as carefully composing a spatial balance between geometric elements and forms. “We are delighted to have such a joyous piece as part of our series of colourful commissions for The Tide and we hope people will feel uplifted by the bold and bright experience,” says Kaia Charles, Cultural Curator at Greenwich Peninsula.
