Acclaimed artist uses Cemex cement for London masterpiece

World-renowned Argentine artist Adrián Villar Rojas sculpted a life-size elephant using 1.5tonnes of CEMEX Portland cement for the centerpiece of a new exhibition at the inaugural opening of the Serpentine Sackler Gallery in Kensington Gardens, London. Virtually filling the entrance to the gallery, the impressive creation is over 370cm high, 225cm wide, extends 520cm from trunk to tail, and carries a beam measuring 1,450cm in length.

October 3, 2013 Read time: 2 mins

World-renowned Argentine artist Adrián Villar Rojas sculpted a life-size elephant using 1.5tonnes of 643 Cemex Portland cement for the centerpiece of a new exhibition at the inaugural opening of the Serpentine Sackler Gallery in Kensington Gardens, London.

Virtually filling the entrance to the gallery, the impressive creation is over 370cm high, 225cm wide, extends 520cm from trunk to tail, and carries a beam measuring 1,450cm in length.

“The concrete clay mix is an essential material for my practice. The clay allows my work to appear fragile, with the cracks appearing naturally over time, while the cement gives it strength to remain durable for the period of the presentation. We have used many tons of Cemex cement to realise this exhibition,” said the artist.

One of the most exciting artists to have emerged in recent years, Adrián Villar Rojas is renowned for his large-scale sculptural works created using building materials such as clay, concrete, and bricks. He has been working in London for the past several months to develop this site-specific installation, entitled Today We Reboot the Planet. This marks his first exhibition in the UK.

Concrete Plants, Equipment & Applications

For more information on companies in this article

Cemex

Case fleet helps quarry restoration

Contractor Carlomagno Gaetano from Lagonegro in northern Italy has been contracted by main contractor SIS to build the new Renazza Tunnel on the A3 Salerno-Reggio Calabria highway. The previous tunnel, which collapsed in the past, is constructed through fragile ground conditions of mainly sand and clay, calling for delicate operations.

A Case excavator loads material onto a truck

July 16, 2012

Concrete remains at forefront of versatility

January 22, 2021

CEMEX supplies over 40,000 tonnes of primary sprayed concrete to London's 'Super Sewer' project

CEMEX is supplying over 40,000 tonnes of a complicated lining spray concrete for the construction of the Thames Tideway Tunnel, the biggest infrastructure project ever undertaken by the UK water industry.