LONDON WITH KIDS: COVENT GARDEN’S BALLOON INSTALLATION

My kids love balloon games.  A humble party balloon is a cheap and cheerful way to keep them occupied for hours.

Both kids and adults will love this amazing Art Installation of 100.000 white ballons by French artists Charles Pétillon at the 19th Century Market Building of Covent Garden.

If you live in London, or planning a trip to this vibrant city, you cannot miss this ambitious project (it will run until 27th September).

Uniting the world of art with world-class architecture, the installation Heartbeat was inspired by Covent Garden’s heritage as London’s first public square and the West End’s reputation as the beating heart of the city.

Weaving its way through the South Hall of the Grade II listed Market Building, this installation stretches 54 metres in length and 12 metres in width, and incorporates gentle pulsating white light to symbolise the beating of a heart and reflect the history, energy and dynamism of the district.

Charles Pétillon said: “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”.

“Each balloon has its own dimensions and yet is part of a giant, but fragile composition that creates a floating cloud above the energy of the market below. This fragility is represented by contrasting materials and also the whiteness of the balloons that move and pulse appearing as alive and vibrant as the area itself.”

Heartbeat forms part of Covent Garden’s ongoing cultural programme which transforms the district into an ever-changing, open-air art gallery.

It is wonderful to see how culture is alive today in London and available for everyone to enjoy.