And a new outdoor work by British artist Rana Begum was this week unveiled as the first of a new series of art commissions for King’s Cross.
Born in Bangladesh, 1977, Begum lives and works in London, where she received her MFA in painting from the Slade School. Hovering between optical art and minimalism, and sculpture and painting, her work features intricate geometric patterns, frequently inspired by the traditional forms found in Islamic art and architecture.
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With saturated colour and complex 3D surfaces, the installation features 35,000 reflectors, which create a continuous surface of shifting colour and form, a dynamic interaction with viewers as they pass by – and, we assume, with whatever the weather’s doing. It must be especially powerful in the morning, with the sun on it.
“It’s great to be making site specific work for King’s Cross in such dynamic area,” Begum says. “I’ve enjoyed watching it develop over the last few years. I’ve also taken my children to various activities held there in the summer and have played freely in the water fountain, so it’s exciting to create something other people can appreciate.”
How did the project come about?
The King’s Cross area is in the process of being completely redeveloped and already more and more people are choosing to visit the new restaurants, bars and outdoor events in the area, not to mention the growing residential and business population. The King’s Cross Project was set up to introduce temporary and permanent pieces of public art to many of these spaces. We were brought on board to commission artists to produce new work for specific areas of the development.
What’s your background?
I work on developing opportunities for artists to create new work for audiences beyond the confines of traditional museum and gallery spaces. Until 2014, I was director of Art on the Underground, a contemporary art programme for Transport for London, which saw high profile artists creating new work for tube platforms and ticket areas. Following that I was Head of Exhibitions at Tate Liverpool, and more recently a curator for 14-18 NOW, the UK’s arts programme for the First World War centenary.
A number of temporary and permanent works both in buildings and in public spaces right across the new King’s Cross development. I think people will be surprised to see how the area will be transformed over that period.
Talk us through the Rana work?
When we were asked to find an artist for the Lewis Cubitt Square hoarding, we instantly thought Rana’s work would be perfect. She uses industrial materials and transforms them into artworks – heightening and enriching people’s experience of urban and architectural environments, a process that fits perfectly with the King’s Cross development.
Hers is a colossal work and will zigzag along the periphery, forming a striking backdrop to the popular public events space. It will certainly bring colour, drama and movement to a central part of King’s Cross.
Go check out the work on Stable Street N1C. Free.
