Interior Design Blog

The installation by internationally renowned artist Monica Bonvicini consists of three capital letters R U and N, all 9m tall. Each letter weighs 10 tonnes, making RUN the largest standalone artwork in the Olympic Park. The sculpture is constructed of steel and reflective glass, and the letters are designed to produce a mirror effect during the day and glow at night, with LED lighting used to reflect off a series of internal curved mirrors. It will be one of the main features on the plaza of Copper Box venue, where handball, goalball and modern pentathlon will take place.

The work references popular music titles, including the Velvet Underground's Run Run Run, Neil Young's Running Dry and Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run, which the artist also used in a previous solo exhibition, 'RUN, TAKE one SQUARE or two'. When putting together the proposal for the project, Bonvicini was inspired by the many uses of the Olympic Park and decided to return to this exhibition and the word 'run'. Bonvicini said of her installation in the Olympic Park: 'RUN will blend in perfectly in the landscape, avoiding monumentality by mirroring the surroundings.'

The sculpture's construction began on 13 January and will be completed by the end of February. It will remain as a permanent feature in the space after the Games have finished and the Olympic Park is transformed into an urban green space.

Known for her artworks that explore specific conventions and investigate the relationship between space, power and gender, Berlin-based Bonvicini has exhibited in galleries such as Hayward Gallery in London (2010) and the Art Institute of Chicago (2009) and has taken part of both Venice and Berlin Biennales.

Art in the Park initiative features permanent commissions of art projects that range from bridges and underpasses designed by different artists to planting schemes and standalone artworks.

Artist-led community projects in the Olympics' host boroughs also form a significant part of the project. One of the main aims of the initiative is to achieve a unique area that will give existing local communities a sense of ownership.