As Pride month draws to a close, King’s Cross will explode with camp, colour and creativity as British Argentine-Japanese artist and designer Adam Nathaniel Furman unveils their ‘Proud Little Pyramid’ in Granary Square.
Known worldwide for their irreverent architectural creations and infectious love of colour, pattern and ornament, Furman’s ‘Proud Little Pyramid’, which will remain in place throughout the summer, is designed to monumentalise joy during Pride after such a difficult year. The 31ft pyramid, which has communal seating integrated into its base, is designed to act as a beacon in the centre of King’s Cross signposting the entrance to Coal Drops Yard, reinforcing Granary Square’s reputation as a place for people to meet and come together.
Furman’s overriding ambition with their art is to decorate and improve public spaces, helping to break down social barriers and to improve people’s everyday lives, aligned with the democratic and inclusive vision of the King’s Cross neighbourhood.
During the six-month residency – their first for a destination – Furman will use King’s Cross as a creative playground, delivering multiple ‘fabulous’ artworks across the site as well as a series of pop-up retail experiences, in person and virtual events. Furman will also launch and co-judge the destination’s first annual poster competition in the run up to London Design Festival which would be open to all with a prize value of £2,500 for the winning entry. Up to 60 posters from the competition would be showcased during the autumn in the Outside Art Project, an outdoor gallery spread across King’s Cross.
King’s Cross has built a reputation as a London arts and culture destination, using its public spaces and buildings to showcase artworks from a huge variety of artists and sculptors such as Eva Rothschild and Tess Jaray, street artists such as Andy Leek and Rana Begum, and painter and curator Rashid Araeen.
Furman explains, “King’s Cross has been the backdrop for so much of my life – I have learnt, loved and laughed here. In the 90s I was regular at iconic nightclubs The Cross & the Scala and later a student and then teacher at Central St Martins. Whilst I have taken inspiration for my residency from King’s Cross’ recent queer history from the 80s through to the early 2000s, I have also looked back to London’s Victorian heritage in which dramatic monuments of all sizes, from water fountains and public loos, to tube stations, memorials and town halls brought accessible decorative art to public spaces. I want to make history – and its complexity- instantly present and fun. And the opportunity to use this vast and striking space – once my playground, now my canvas – is beyond thrilling.”
Anthea Harries, Head of Assets for King’s Cross, comments “We are proud to be working with Adam Nathaniel Furman as our latest Artist in Residence. At King’s Cross we are committed to delivering outstanding places, and art is a fundamental part of that. We have been working with artists to create installations at King’s Cross for 15 years now and the site is home to numerous spectacular pieces that act as orientation points for meeting friends and loved ones, as well as to interact and play with. Now more than ever we need to bring as much joy and opportunity to everyday life as possible, and King’s Cross remains the ideal backdrop for embracing these simple pleasures and looking forward to the future with optimism.”
