The Idol, Abbey Leisure Centre, 2015–24
Monster Chetwynd, The Idol, The Guardian, 2015.
Whilst Chief Curator at Create London, I commissioned Monster Chetwynd to develop The Idol (2015–2024), a permanent soft play environment situated within the Abbey Leisure Centre in Barking.
Monster worked with local children and parents, a commercial soft play company and the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham to develop the work, transforming the vernacular of soft play into a two-storey haptic sculpture inspired by the Neolithic Dagenham Idol.
The commission connects with my long term interest exploring what happens when artistic practice is embedded within municipal services and everyday public infrastructure.
Monster Chetwynd, promotional leaflet for The Idol, Abbey Leisure Centre, Barking 2015. Courtesy Monster Chetwyn, Create London, London Borough Barking and Dagenham.