Published
Tue, Nov 1, 2022, 22:05
- Kai Campos said he's "heartbroken" after high winds caused four giant orbs to tumble down Tottenham Court Road.
A Mount Kimbie art installation in Central London fell apart after a storm caused four giant orbs to tumble down Tottenham Court Road.
Created by the artist Tom Shannon and commissioned by Mount Kimbie's Kai Campos, "Four World Set" opened last Sunday and was due to remain in St. Giles Square for a week to coincide with the UK duo's new double album, which lands this Friday.
But in the early hours of today, November 1st, Storm Claudio's strong winds caused the four, 16-foot wide orbs to come loose from their concrete base. They then careered down one of London's most famous streets until passing motorists stopped and burst them, leaving them deflated on the pavement.
Campos shared a statement on Instagram in the wake of the incident, saying he was "heartbroken."
"The fact that it was so out in the open and public was one of the best parts of the work and when seeing the joy and intrigue it brought to everyone who walked through the square," he wrote. "It felt like it had a life of its own and one that was just getting started. I'm absolutely gutted that more people won't get to see it this week."
He added: "We of course had prepared for bad weather and strong winds, but just got really unlucky last night. It was amazing, but too brief."
Put together in New York, "Four World Set" featured four mirrored orbs arranged in a pyramid structure. Their combined reflections created an optical illusion.
Watch a video of the orbs tumbling down Tottenham Court Road, courtesy of The Telegraph and The Shade Borough, which incorrectly called them "Christmas baubles."
Here's Campos's post in full.