Conrad Shawcross Unveils Monumental Sculpture for Cambridge Life Sciences Campus
Conrad Shawcross, a British artist, has introduced a permanent public installation titled Glance of the Sun (Time Pebble C40AS2), commissioned by Breakthrough Properties for the Vitrum life sciences facility located at St John’s Innovation Park in Cambridge. This four-meter tall sculpture delves into themes of mathematics, physics, and cosmology, symbolizing the universe's expansion following the Big Bang. Made from thousands of perforated parts, it offers a dynamic visual experience as light interacts with it. Shawcross's creation is influenced by his 2023 residency at the University of Nottingham and his visit to the Holmdel 'Big Ear' Antenna. Vitrum, designed by Henning Larsen, spans 166,000 sq ft and is part of Breakthrough's ongoing Breakthrough Art Program. Since 2016, Shawcross has completed many public commissions.
Key facts
- Conrad Shawcross unveiled Glance of the Sun (Time Pebble C40AS2) in 2026.
- The sculpture is a permanent public artwork at Vitrum, a life sciences building at St John’s Innovation Park in Cambridge.
- The sculpture is four metres high and four metres wide.
- It is constructed from thousands of individually perforated components.
- The work references the rapid expansion of the universe after the Big Bang.
- Shawcross cited a 2023 residency at the University of Nottingham as a key influence.
- Vitrum is a 166,000 sq ft laboratory designed by Henning Larsen.
- The commission is part of Breakthrough Properties' Breakthrough Art Program.
- Breakthrough Properties is backed by Tishman Speyer and Bellco Capital.
- Shawcross has completed other public commissions including Paradigm (2016) and Exploded Paradigm (2018).
Entities
Artists
- Conrad Shawcross
Institutions
- Breakthrough Properties
- St John’s Innovation Park
- University of Nottingham
- Henning Larsen
- Tishman Speyer
- Bellco Capital
- Francis Crick Institute
- Comcast Technology Center
- Château La Coste
- Palais de Tokyo
- Mori Art Museum
- National Gallery in London
Locations
- Cambridge
- United Kingdom
- New Jersey
- United States
- London
- Greenwich
- Philadelphia
- Provence
- France
- Chiswick
- Beijing
- Tasmania
- Connecticut
- Malta
- Oxford