Ecliptical Spheres

Ecliptical Spheres by James Hopkins is located at Dollar Bay, Canary Wharf. This permanent, sculptural artwork was commissioned by Mount Anvil and curated by Futurecity.

Futurecity managed the commission from concept through to completion. Working closely with Mount Anvil to establish the opportunities and constraints of the project, develop the Artist’s Brief and manage the artist selection process. Futurecity acted as curatorial advisor, client representative, artist liaison and ensured quality control throughout the delivery process.

Dollar Bay is a waterside development close to South Dock, which rises from the edge of the Thames like two crystals, its glass facades reflecting the ever-changing light. Water, time passing and reflection were important aspects of the commission brief, as well as the nautical heritage of the old West India Docks. The commission was to enhance the public realm and visitor experience, assist with wayfinding, and complement the surrounding architectural environment of Dollar Bay and the nearby South Dock. It was to speak to Mount Anvil’s ambitions for the future, as well as resonating with the past, and add to the cultural identity of the Dollar Bay development and wider borough of Tower Hamlets.

British artist James Hopkins was selected for the commission for the way in which his practice  uses optical illusions, scale, materiality and dimension to transform everyday objects and play with the viewer’s perceptions.  Hopkins created Ecliptical Spheres– three stone orbs strategically placed in alignment with a mirror-finished, stainless-steel plane intersecting through them – allowing the objects to merge, creating an ecliptical illusion. The configuration of the spheres reflects planetary alignment, adding a sense of calm and contemplation to the work. The artist’s work pays homage to the area’s nautical past by referencing the angled, mirrored shapes and materiality of a telescope.  Depending on where the viewer is standing the spheres appear to converge, creating a questioning of orientation and disorientation.

‘Nothing is quite what it seems in my work because I often use perspective and illusions, so depending on which viewpoint you adopt, you see different things.’ James Hopkins

This is one of three commissions curated by Futurecity for Mount Anvil across London; the others are Column by Studio Swine and Untitled by Jo Hayes Ward.

• Read interview with James Hopkins about his work here
• Read more about James Hopkins here
• Read more about Dollar Bay here