Paul Nurse, Director of the Francis Crick Institute, has
announced today that the London artist Conrad Shawcross has been
commissioned to create a stunning piece of public art for the
institute.
Conrad, who was born in Camden, will be creating a majestic
tower 14 metres in height. The external sculpture - called Paradigm
- will be made of weathered steel and will provide a strong, visual
statement for the Crick when it opens in late 2015.
The sculpture will be a feat of engineering. Starting from a
base of under one metre wide, that seemingly punctures the
pavement, each subsequent tetrahedron form will grow steadily in
volume to the top tetrahedron that is a monumental five-metre wide
width and height. It will be located at the entrance of the
institute.
Paul Nurse said: "The Crick's success will depend on the way
researchers collaborate with colleagues from other disciplines. New
advances often occur when we are able to look at things from a
different perspective. Conrad's stimulating design for Paradigm
draws on both artistic and scientific inspiration. It's also an
exceptional piece of engineering and will be a striking new piece
of public art for London."
Conrad, who is the youngest living artist to be elected to the
Royal Academy, said: "Paradigm is inspired by science and ideas of
science and is also a metaphor for potential; the potential to
grow, to take risks, to be bold and brave. All qualities which are
necessary for scientific progress and qualities which I think the
Crick's researchers will have in abundance. I chose weathered steel
as the material for the sculpture because it is true to the
industrial history of the area, will be fabricated locally and is
designed to be robust and practical."
Conrad received the prestigious Jack Goldhill Award for Best
Sculpture in the RA Summer Exhibition 2014 for his Study for
Paradigm.
The funding for Paradigm has been provided by a grant from the
Wellcome Trust. The Trust supports the creation of new artistic
work that critically engages artists and audiences with biomedical
science.
Clare Matterson, Head of Strategy at the Wellcome Trust, said:
"After more than two decades of helping to bring the worlds of
science and art into contact, we are convinced that extraordinary
thinking and making can happen when they mingle. Conrad's work will
provide a wonderful monument to the energy generated through
collaboration and will, I am sure, quickly become recognised as one
of London's most important public artworks."