Can any country in the world hope to rival the creative diversity of our own British Isles? I mean, if we’re not joining in with the ongoing story of Boomtown we’re enjoying the latest interactive art pieces at the Isle of Wight Festival.
And, just when you thought things couldn’t get much more interesting, you hear this news: there’s going to be a humungous flame-shooting metal spider put up in east London. Oh, and there’ll be a DJ set-up inside the head to host one of the coolest music festivals around.
That question we asked right at the start? The answer is ‘no’.
So, what’s this giant spider idea all about? Well, it’s the brainchild of art collective Arcadia, who are already renowned for their Glastonbury appearances. If you fancy catching their award-winning “Metamorphosis”, you can catch it at the top of this 98ft-tall creature at the Olympic Park in Stratford.
The Spider itself is powered by biofuel and constructed from recycled former military and industrial parts. The idea is simple enough. They take repurposed military hardware and use it to explore the ever-changing relationship between humanity and technology. The Metamorphosis show delves deep into those themes.
Considering fire one of the strongest elemental forces that brings us together, especially when combined with music, Arcadia use the world’s first recycled biofuel pyrotechnic system to showcase what can be done with waste and show how we can be guided by an ethos of positive change. They aim to launch projects that at once provide people with as much fun as possible and minimize any negative impact on the world itself.
Lofty goals, and it’s sure to offer an intensely interesting time. The Spider boasts built-in flame cannons capable of shooting jets of fire up to 50 feet into the air, and they’ll be doing just that during a 30-minute act that combines pyrotechnics, music, and jaw-dropping aerial performances. Beyond Arcadia, the festival will offer a fantastic range of live music and DJ sets from favourites such as Rudimental, Groove Armada, and Noisia
If you’re interested, they’re also showing a ‘spider-centred collaboration with Australian aboriginal tribe the Whadjuk Noongar’. In the words of founder Pip Rush: “This is the first time we’ve had all our installations and performances from around the world in one place, and we can’t wait to launch the brand-new Reactor.”