Artist Charles Pétillon fills Covent Garden’s Piazza with 100,000 white balloons

A cluster of giant white balloons has taken over Covent Garden’s Piazza, lighting up the South Hall of its Grade II-listed Market Building.

Titled ‘Heartbeat’, the installation by French artist Charles Pétillon comprises 100,000 balloons that collectively project a ‘beating’ white light.

‘The balloon invasions I create are metaphors. Their goal is to change the way in which we see the things we live alongside each day without really noticing them,’ says Pétillon.

‘With “Heartbeat” I wanted to represent the Market Building as the beating heart of this area – connecting its past with the present day to allow visitors to re-examine its role at the heart of London life.’

Architect Charles Fowler designed Covent Garden’s Market Building, built in 1830, and the Greco-Roman design remains today in much the same state.

‘Heartbeat’, Pétillon’s first public art installation outside of France, is also his largest. It runs for a month until 27 September.