A spectacular art installation made from over 2,500 pieces of coal opened in the Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College at the weekend.
The artist, Paul Cocksedge, hopes that visitors will come away from Coalescence questioning their dependence on fossil fuels after seeing the half-tonne artwork, which represents the amount of coal consumed by a single 200-watt light bulb in a year.
Coalescence is joined in the adjacent Nelson Room by a brand new work, 20 Trees. Made from anthracite blocks, it would take 20 trees an entire year to offset the carbon emissions produced if it was burned.
The two artworks’ appearance in Greenwich follows Luke Jerram’s Museum of the Moon going on display at the Painted Hall a year ago. As with Jerram’s show, special events taking place include a “festive dining experience” this Friday and a special yoga session, while an hour on Monday mornings will be set aide for those wanting to get the perfect selfie.
Cocksedge, the co-founder of the Paul Cocksedge Studio, said: “The grandeur of the Painted Hall, with the impressive space it offers, is a perfect frame for Coalescence. We believe the historic setting speaks to the artwork’s own implicit links with time and British heritage. We are excited to see how the sculpture emphasises and complements the beauty of the awe-inspiring setting.”
Matthew Meese, the chief executive of the Old Royal Naval College, said: “ As the centrepiece of Maritime Greenwich, the Old Royal Naval College is a place of wonder and awe that we want to share with people and inspire through art and stories.
“We are delighted that Paul Cocksedge chose the Painted Hall for the London debut of this remarkable artwork. The setting of this new installation invites our visitors to reflect on the environment, energy, power, time and history. “
Coalescence’s debut in Greenwich came as news emerged that the area’s tourist trade has almost completely bounced back from the coronavirus shutdowns.
Tourism generated £1.49 billion for the borough last year and supported 17,000 jobs – just short of the £1.56 billion brought in during 2019.
Some 17 million people visited the borough last year, compared with 20 million in 2019.
Barrie Kelly, the chief executive of Visit Greenwich, the company that promotes the borough, told a council scrutiny committee on Thursday: “I’m pleased the recovery is going a bit better than we thought. When we get the 2023 figures in, which will in around February, I think we’ll be virtually up to pre-pandemic levels – about a year ahead of where we thought we’d be.”
Hotel stays “have never been better”, Kelly said, although he added that some of that was down to visitors to events at the Excel centre across the Thames.
Greenwich was also highly rated by visitors, according data gathered by Mastercard, coming second in London to Richmond, which has seen a boost from the Apple TV series Ted Lasso.
Coalescence runs until February 4 at the Painted Hall. For more details, visit ornc.org.
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