Rock Number 59, sculpture by Chinese artist Zhan Wang in The Great Court in London's British Museum
The Great Court in the centre of the British Museum. On 6th December 2000 Queen Elizabeth II opened this amazing space. It is Europe´s largest covered Square. Designed by internationally acclaimed firm of architects Foster and Partners, the 6,100 sq. metre area is enclosed by a unique glazed roof, which has transformed the Museum´s inner courtyard. The Great Court is now a new visitor hub for the Museum and the development has also created a magnificent new civic space for London. At the heart of the newly developed area is the Museum´s famous round Reading Room, now restored to its original glory and home to a modern information centre. Overall, the roof contains enough glass to glaze 500 average-sized domestic greenhouses. But despite its deceptive visual simplicity, every one of the 3,312 triangular double glazed elements is slightly different in size and shape because of the roof´s complex geometric form. This sculpture is by Chinese artist Zhan Wang. For centuries in China, large natural craggy rocks were placed in gardens to be appreciated as artificial mountains. Zhan has updated this practice for urban spaces by moulding sheets of steel around rocks and welding them together to create hollow sculptures. With his artwork he wants us to think about the point where nature bacomes art, while the mirrored surface reflects the real world as an endless series of shifting illusions.
Size: 3407px × 5111px
Location: The British Museum, London
Photo credit: © Bruce McGowan / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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