The South Hall of the 19th century Covent Garden Market building has been filled with a billowing cloud of 100,000 balloons created by the French artist Charles Petillon and which stretches for 54 metres through the Hall and includes pulsing lights reinforcing its name “Heartbeat” – to represent the “beating heart” of this tourist attraction in Central London. It also gives the nostalgic impression of smoke from steam trains within similar 19th century arched railway architecture.
“The balloon invasions I create are metaphors. Their goal is to change the way in which we see the things we live alongside each day without really noticing them….. With Heartbeat I wanted to represent the Market Building as the beating heart of this area – connecting its past with the present day to allow visitors to re-examine its role at the heart of London’s life”. (Charles Petillon)
The installation is estimated to weigh 320 kilos and have taken 25 people to spend five night inflating the 100,000 balloons and on its first day was drawing a good crowd of visitors to see it and enjoy it and hopefully then stay in the area and spend time in the shops, cafés and bars.
