By now you guys should be used to how carmakers commission talented artists to promote their new models. This is why we’re pretty sure your heart rate won’t change too much when we’ll tell you that Vauxhall Motors gave away a new Corsa so a sculptor could suspend it 15 feet in the air at London’s Southbank Centre.
British artist Alex Chinneck has worked with the carmaker before, yet this time his project is something out of this world. Dubbed “Pick yourself up and pull yourself together”, the collaboration with Vauxhall Motors turns a parking space on its head, peeling back 15 meters of arching tarmac to turn a one ton car upside-down as the vehicle grips the curling road with no visible support.
Magic? No, it’s just good, old engineering. Vauxhall Motors commissioned Chinneck to create a piece inspired by the new Corsa, which was launched earlier this year. The odd creation can be found in Southbank Centre Car Park, beside The London Eye, until Wednesday, February 25th.
In case you wondering, Vauxhall Motors claims the sculpture has been produced by a team of structural engineers, steel bender, scenic artists, metal workers, carpenters, tarmac layers and road painters. All these create an object that was designed to occupy the maximum UK road-legal dimensions so it can be installed overnight.
“The installation certainly celebrates the new Corsa as a ball of energy - a small car with a big heart. Alex Chinneck’s work is astounding, he’s an amazing British sculptor who creates illusionary structures with the most in-depth engineering and design. Above all, the astonishing rip curl embodies the fun people have driving the much-loved Vauxhall Corsa,” Mark Adams, head of Design at Vauxhall Motors commented.
For further details there’s a press release below you could consult and a behind-the-scenes movie which offers insights into how the project developed.
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