Esben Weile Kjær's Golden Inflatable Rat 'Lions' Occupies London's St. Chads Projects

Danish artist Esben Weile Kjær presents 'Lions,' a solo exhibition featuring a large golden inflatable rat sculpture at St. Chads Projects in London from February 15 to May 30, 2026. Curated by Benjamin Orlow, the installation occupies a former hospital storage room near King's Cross, a space with white-painted brick walls and black polished concrete floors. The 2025 fabric and motor work depicts a sleeping rat with seamed panels, concentric stitching around an inflation point, and a deep gold surface that shifts in light. Kjær draws on the rat's complex political symbolism in Denmark, where it has served as an emblem for both punk and queer subcultures and far-right nationalist groups. The artist's background includes formative years in Copenhagen squats and activism against right-wing extremism in the late 1980s and 1990s. The exhibition title references the legend of Holger Danske, the warrior sleeping beneath Kronborg Castle who awakens when Denmark faces danger, creating a parallel with rats beneath Rosenborg Castle where crown jewels are stored. The sculpture fills the room completely, offering no single vantage point and confronting visitors directly upon entry. Photography is by Studio Adamson, and viewing is by appointment only.