London’s home of culture, Covent Garden, announces its summer art commission for 2024. A staggering series of large-scale installations with an uplifting message, created by Los Angeles-based artists, Samuel Borkson & Arturo Sandoval III – FriendsWithYou. Launching to the public on 1st August, “Little Cloud World’ will transform Covent Garden with a number of giant cloud sculptures, creating a portal into a happy place where joy and harmony are waiting. Live for two months, the London-first commission will kick off an unrivalled programme of seasonal activity taking place throughout the Covent Garden neighbourhood.
A joyful smile awaits visitors as they enter Covent Garden’s historic Market Building, as 40 ‘floating’ clouds, each measuring over 4ft in height, fill the South Hall. From there, visitors are invited on a ‘happy trail’ around the estate, to discover the rest of the series, including a giant cloud squeezed in between the Market Building columns on the North Piazza. The message of the artwork is simple; one that aims to spread kindness and compassion for people and the planet, helping to unify and bring people together.
FriendsWithYou is the collaborative art project of artists Samuel Borkson & Arturo Sandoval III, working to create modern modes of spirituality with the mission of having a positive impact on the world. Little Cloud has been developed over the last 20 years as a symbol of peace and connectivity, with a calm joy that can be felt universally. Little Cloud has become a world icon, seen all over the globe in large-scale public art projects, being featured in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade in New York City; at West Kowloon Art Park commissioned by the Hong Kong Tourism Board and in Tokyo, Japan commissioned by the City of Shibuya. Commissions throughout the U.S. include installations in Miami, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Aspen. In addition to being featured in fine art exhibitions at galleries and museums worldwide, Little Cloud has also been turned in to limited edition art objects in collaboration with international brands.
The dynamic duo have also produced legendary works including a candy-coloured stage set for J. Balvin, and joining forces with Pharrell on many major projects, including building the Netflix animated blockbuster True and the Rainbow Kingdom.
FriendsWithYou commented: “Covent Garden is one of the most iconic areas of London. As you enter, we invite you to play and dream of a better more friendly world that we will create together. Our aim for this installation is to become a beacon of love and compassion, and we can’t wait to see how people interact and engage with it.”
The essence of “Little Cloud World” will further spill out across the Covent Garden neighbourhood. Home to over 200 stores and 200 bars, restaurants and cafes, visitors will discover a range of joyful events and experiences across the summer. From the historic Market Building and world-famous Piazza, to the bustling cobbled streets of Seven Dials, the unrivalled summer series of immersive pop-ups and programming will further bring to life the creativity and culture of Europe’s most popular destination of shopping, dining and discovery. The collaboration with FriendsWithYou follows previous joyful public realm commissions including Alex Chinneck, Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst and Paul Smith.
For the bespoke summer installation, Covent Garden has partnered with Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), a charity who exist to change the devastating rates of suicide in the UK. The charity is on a mission to help people end their misery, and not their lives. They do this by offering life-saving services, tools and guides; provoking national conversation and by bringing people together to show that life is always worth living.
Throughout the summer, there will be multiple donation stations and helpful information on CALM. Retailers and restaurants across Covent Garden will also be offering items with proceeds going to the charity.
Michelle McGrath, Executive Director, Shaftesbury Capital, commented: “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, whilst championing the positive impact art can have on our iconic destinations as well as our wellbeing. 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.”