Artelier Curation: Architectural Firm Commissions Public Art Sculpture

As public art consultants, Artelier specialises in curating artwork collections for luxury projects. As well as sourcing contemporary art by leading global artists, we also collaborate with artists to create custom public art commissions tailored to the project.

The award-winning architectural firm DMFK, who specialise in high-end residential projects, wanted to commission a public artwork for a residential development in London, UK. As part of the planning process for the project in Maida Vale, London, there was a requirement for the developer to commission a public realm artwork.

Artelier was brought onboard to review the project strategy and identify a suitable location and context for the artwork. As with all public art commissions, a primary focus was to engage with the local context and carryout research into the most suitable artist for the opportunity.

Through consultation with us, it was agreed that the residential development's main gate would be the focus for the art commission, combining utility with artistic value.

Following a full art consultation with the architectural firm and the developers about their vision for the project, we conducted extensive art market research before developing three proposals featuring different international artists.

The chosen artist was British Zachary Eastwood-Bloom. He had previously created a series of works which were physical representations of soundscapes; given the musical context of the Maida Vale area, he saw an opportunity for this project to extend his experimentation with transforming sound into object.

Eastwood-Bloom recorded the ambient sounds of the geographical area – such as the sounds created by the local streets, and the nearby school and community centre. After digitally splitting the soundscapes and converting them into three-dimensional forms, Eastwood-Bloom was able to transform them into the subtle undulation of the gate's bars. This resulted in a public artwork that was entirely tailored to its central London context.

Whilst conceptually complex, the gate is visually elegant and simple, perfectly complementing the modern design of the development. To give an engaging experience for passers-by, the gate transforms at different angles: from the side, its wide bars appear opaque and curved, while a frontal perspective offers a full view of the development beyond.

The gate's everyday use was fully considered when deciding upon the finishes of the public artwork. The edges of the bronze bars are finished with a high-polish, so that they shimmer against the light as the gate opens and closes. Each element was also specially coated to be weather-resistant, whilst maintaining the patina and polish of the bronze.

To learn more about our turn-key art consultancy services and our process for commissioning artworks, visit our Art Consultancy page. As public art consultants in London, we have been involved in various development and private projects: discover the projects here.