Cave comes to West India Quay

By Rob Virtue on June 24, 2009 4:52 PM |

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German street artist Edgar Mueller has transformed the pavement around West India Quay into a cave.

Edgar arrived in the area last week for the beginning of the area's summer festival and on Wednesday morning completed his 100m sq work.

He said: "It's a cave scene. I got the idea three weeks ago when I was in China and spent a week visiting some natural caves. I just thought why don't I put a cave in London?

"The idea is after a little earthquake this cave appears. It shouldn't be there and scientists say it is 10million years old. Maybe it's a series of different caves."

Starting at between three and four o'clock in the morning, Edgar spent about 15 hours a day on his work.

"I'm very satisfied with it," he said. "It's just how I planned it on the PC. I think it's one of the best I've ever done."

Visitors can look through a specially-built lens, which is set up to allow them to focus on the right spot where the image looks most 3D.

The artwork is part of a month of entertainment put on by the owners of West India Quay, X-Leisure, which begins with an art week.

Creative director of X-Leisure Robert Warner said it has proved a success so far, with attendance at the Museum of London Docklands up by 200 on Sunday.

He said: "We're promoting West India Quay as a destination in itself. Maybe people think it's part of Canary Wharf. Well. we are geographically, but it's a unique area which offers something for everyone."