Temple Station’s roof terrace has undergone a kaleidoscopic transformation courtesy of London-based artist Lakwena Maciver, who has transformed the drab concrete space into an immersive artwork that elicits the power of ‘positive dynamism.

Entitled, Back in the Air: A Meditation on Higher Ground, the giant mural comprises colourful interlocking tiles to create pathways and patterns inspired by Lakwena Maciver’s Ugandan heritage. The mantra ‘Nothing Can Separate us’ drills home her uplifting message of connectivity and social accountability.

‘They say that the Garden of Eden was the first temple — the story goes that we were cast out of the Garden, and ever since then we have been longing to find our way back,’ says the artist.

‘This idea of a subconscious yearning for paradise sits in stark contrast to the highly colonised, concrete environment that now surrounds Temple Station. Yet it is this which has become the impetus for this public intervention.’

 

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Passers-by can follow the lines of the artwork, absorbing the sense of positivity and playfulness imbued through its pathways. A replica of one of the landmark cabmen’s huts, which dot the Northbank, has also been dazzled, encouraging visitors to see the architectural environment through fresh eyes…

On show until 30 April 2022, Back in the Air is the first installation at The Artist’s Garden – a collaborative project by The CoLab Temple, 180 Studios and Vigo Gallery.

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