Jorge Otero-Pailos to wrap Palace of Westminster in latex

Date
19 May 2016
Above

Jorge Otero-Pailos in front of The Ethics of Dust: Doge’s Palace, during the Venice Biennale 2009.

Over 900 years of Westminster Hall’s dirt, dust and debris are to be aired for all to see in the latest addition to Jorge Otero-Pailos’ series of installations, The Ethics of Dust, commissioned by Artangel and the Palace of Westminster.

Self-described as an “artist, architect, preservationist”, in that order, Jorge Otero-Pailos’ series reveals the effects left by the passage of time on the surface of some of our oldest, best-known and most important monuments. Having previously taken casts of Doge’s Palace in Venice and Trajan’s Column at the Victoria & Albert Museum, Jorge will now turn his attention to the limestone hall and seat of power in central London.

The 50m-long latex cast taken from Westminster Hall’s eastern wall will aim to catalogue the effects and interactions of 900 years of history and government, from the coronations of kings and queens to the trials of treason against the likes of Guy Fawkes, Thomas More and William Wallace, as well as the damaging and polluting effects of the industrial revolution, the great smog of 1952 and the Blitz.

Suspended from the exalted 28m-high hammerbeam roof and set against the historic architectural features of Westminster Hall itself, the cast will aim to “capture and document the minutiae of history on a monumental scale.”

The exhibit will be on display from 29 June—1 September 2016.

This film by Alex Emslie follows the creation of Jorge’s The Ethics Of Dust: Trajan’s Column sculpture at the V&A.

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About the Author

Jamie Green

Jamie joined It’s Nice That back in May 2016 as an editorial assistant. And, after a seven-year sojourn away planning advertising campaigns for the likes of The LEGO Group and Converse, he came back to look after New Business & Partnerships here at It’s Nice That. Get in touch with him to discuss new business opportunities, and how we can work together on creative partnerships, insights, experiences or advertising.

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