New Artwork Unveiled at the Turnham Green Piazza
Soundscape of Chiswick Bridge latest installation at the 'W4th Plinth'
Sonic Serenity: Chiswick Bridge & the Infinite
January 16, 2024
The official unveiling of the latest artwork to be installed on the ‘W4th Plinth’ took place this Saturday (13 January).
The new piece “Sonic Serenity: Chiswick Bridge & the Infinite” is a soundscape of Chiswick Bridge by Giovanna Iorio. It was created using a spectrogram merge the sounds of a nineteenth century Italian poem "L'infinito" with an image of the bridge.
Giovanna is an Italian poet and artist who moved from Rome to London in 2017, and now lives in Brentford.
The artist says she “captured the inner voice of Chiswick by blending natural sounds recorded along the Thames with a reading of the poem The Infinite by Giacomo Leopardi. This artwork suggests the possibility of harmony between nature, poetry and urban life, inviting viewers to explore the connection between sound, poetry and the environment. It represents the vibrant vitality of Chiswick, offering a captivating portrayal of the intersection between human expression and the natural world.”
The spectrogram also includes a sound file accessible via a QR code on the information panel nearby. You can hear poets and artists from around the world chant the word green in their mother tongue “evoking a new beginning for human beings and their relationship with nature.”
The work was selected for its residency after being one of the top choices in last year’s public vote. It was decided that, as there were so many submissions of such high quality, some of the most popular pieces will be displayed over the next year.
The ceremony by the railway embankment near Turnham Green station also included live music from pupils at Chiswick School and Abundance London held workshops on building and decorating bird and bat boxes.
Cristina Schek, the artist who created the previous work occupying the spot, The Ceiling in the Sky, explained the creative process behind the new display which will remain in place for at least six months.
The so-called W4th Plinth aims to infuse artistry into the urban landscape and transform the piazza at Turnham Green Terrace into a focus for community life, art and planting.
The initiative, which has been running for five years, is a collaborative effort between local community organisation Abundance London and local artists.
The first ever display was in 2019 with pop art master Sir Peter Blake’s artwork The Chiswick Empire and since then new pieces from both emerging talents and established creators have been displayed.
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