British artist and designer Alex Chinneck has slid the front of a detached four storey house in the seaside town of Margate in Kent, UK to transform his visualization of ‘From the knees of my nose to the belly of my toes’ into a reality. The installation was created by peeling of the façade of the house that had been derelict for eleven years and replacing it with a brand new frontage that leaves the crumbling top storey exposed, then curves outwards so the bottom section lies flat in front of the house.
The creative installation was made possible through a 12 month campaign undertaken by the artist to raise £100,000 for the project. Ten leading companies across British industry donated all the materials, manufacturing capabilities and professional services required to build the sliding façade.
Alex Chinneck chose the Cliftonville area for this installation as it is up the hill and the absence of an art culture is evident. The artist loves surprising his audience and hence never puts any signs or labels on his works. “The installation is positioned in a way that one can’t see the artwork as you approach from either direction – you just see the hole in the top at first, so it’s a series of discoveries and you have to walk around it.” explains Chinneck.
While this project definitely has a surprising element and creates a sense of curiosity amongst the neighbourhood residents, the artist also aims at attracting visitors from the centre of Margate in an attempt to regain the lost charm and affluence of this seaside town.
Images © Stephen O’Flaherty