Saved by the Whale's Tail, Saved by Art
2025
Public art project, mixed media installation, poster campaignm painting and an award trophy
Commissioned by Art on the Underground in collaboration with New Contemporaries
This project is generously supported by Reed and the Henry Moore Foundation
Images: GG Achard
2025
Public art project, mixed media installation, poster campaignm painting and an award trophy
Commissioned by Art on the Underground in collaboration with New Contemporaries
This project is generously supported by Reed and the Henry Moore Foundation
Images: GG Achard
“Saved by the Whale’s Tail, Saved by Art” is a large-scale artwork in London commissioned by Art on the Underground in collaboration with New Contemporaries. It’s inspired by an incident that occurred in 2020 when a train on the Rotterdam Metro overran the stop blocks at a station located on an elevated metro line. A carriage, at risk of falling into the water beneath, was ‘saved’ by a 10-metre high public art sculpture of a whale’s tail, which prevented its fall. Taking this as a base story, the campaign initiatied the following questions to the public; Can art save lives? Have you witnessed art saving a life?
In April 2025, a call was issued out to the public for real-life stories from across the UK about times when art has saved, transformed, or reshaped lives. Out of hundreds of submissions, Helen Whitley’s story ‘The Bracelet’ was selected as winner. We feature in Helen’s story as part of my new installation at Stratford. It also has been printed alongside other stories in a special publication available for free at Stratford station. A bronz sculpture akin to an award trophy which will be awarded to Helen Whitley.
In April 2025, a call was issued out to the public for real-life stories from across the UK about times when art has saved, transformed, or reshaped lives. Out of hundreds of submissions, Helen Whitley’s story ‘The Bracelet’ was selected as winner. We feature in Helen’s story as part of my new installation at Stratford. It also has been printed alongside other stories in a special publication available for free at Stratford station. A bronz sculpture akin to an award trophy which will be awarded to Helen Whitley.
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