Covent Garden launches ‘Little Cloud World’ art installation

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Aug 2, 2024

Covent Garden’s tourist/consumer appeal is a key element of landlord Shaftesbury Capital’s portfolio and maintaining that appeal is essential.

So the London-focused commercial property giant has unveiled a brand-new large-scale art installation-with-a-message called ‘Little Cloud World’.

Created by Los Angeles-based artists Samuel Borkson & Arturo Sandoval III (known collectively as FriendsWithYou), the London-first commission has been installed until October and features inflatable floating clouds in the central Covent Garden Market Building.

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The giant cloud sculptures “create a portal into a happy place where visitors from across the globe are invited to gather in Covent Garden, spreading kindness and compassion for people and the planet,” we’re told. 

This is the latest cultural investment in the historic landmark and reflects Shaftesbury Capital’s “continued support of Covent Garden’s heritage as a pioneer of public realm arts and culture in London”. It follows previous public realm commissions in the area including Paul Smith, Alex Chinneck, Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst.

The latest commission kicks off a programme of seasonal activity taking place across the neighbourhood.

Michelle McGrath, Executive Director, Shaftesbury Capital, said: “We are proud of our cultural heritage at Covent Garden, and our ongoing partnerships with the most exciting trailblazers from the creative world enable us to continuously celebrate this story. With ‘Little Cloud World’, our aim is to put a smile on the faces of those who visit and enhance their experience of the neighbourhood.”

For the installation, Covent Garden has partnered with Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), a charity that exists to change the devastating rates of suicide in the UK. Visitors to the installation can access multiple donation stations and retailers across Covent Garden will be offering items with proceeds going to the charity.