‘I want my time with you’. That’s what the massive light sculpture hanging in St Pancras states. It’s the sixth and latest art installation in the Terrace Wires series commissioned by HS1, St Pancras International and the Royal Academy of Arts. Of the six installations we’ve had so far this is by far the most high profile name to have taken part, and comes at both the Royal Academy’s 250th anniversary year and 150 years for St Pancras.
Hanging above the divisive giant statue of The Lovers by Paul Day it does seem like something uttered between loved ones. As Tracey Emin says:
That would be nice, our usual greeting on disembarking is being pushed out the way by a commuter who is late for an important meeting and shambling into the nearest coffee shop for our next caffeine hit.
But there’s a secondary message too and it relates to the fact it faces off with the Eurostar platforms and Emin sees it as a love letter to our friends on the continent:It’s really a great subliminal message sent out to the rest of Europe … I am deeply, deeply concerned about Europe, and that in a year’s time we’re going to be a tiny little island just floating around in the North Sea. I don’t personally want to leave Europe at all and this is my message to all Europeans. I love Europe.
Emin also remarked how it would look even more impressive at night when the station concourse will become bathed in pink light. We like this idea and will add a night time re-visit to our diaries.
Tracey Emin, who has a Turkish Cypriot father and born in Margate is probably best known for her unmade bed installation, said she wanted 2015’s winners to have something “special” at the 25 February ceremony.
