Artist Paul Cocksedge is radiating excitement in London's Trafalgar Square as he prepares to unveil his latest creation for this year's London Design Festival. His new sculpture, "What Nelson Sees," offers visitors a unique perspective of the capital city through an innovative interactive installation that captures the viewpoint from atop Nelson's Column, 45 meters above ground.
The artwork consists of five weathered steel industrial pipes fused together in a bundle, creating a striking contrast against the Victorian grandeur of the square's fountains, statues, and bronze lions. Three of the pipes contain embedded eyepieces that visitors can peer through after pressing a play button. The experience begins by showing real-time images of the surrounding cityscape from Admiral Horatio Nelson's elevated position, then transitions into an AI-generated film depicting the area's transformation from before the column's construction in the 1840s through to a speculative future.
"I grew up in London," Cocksedge explains, "and I always looked at Nelson's solitary figure and wondered what it would be like up there. I've got sketchbooks going back to when I was a teenager full of ideas about how seeing that view could be possible." This childhood curiosity has finally materialized into a sophisticated blend of artistry and technology that makes the impossible accessible to everyday visitors.
The installation exemplifies Cocksedge's signature approach to art-making, which combines whimsical, childlike concepts with exceptional craftsmanship and cutting-edge engineering. His previous works follow similar patterns of imaginative complexity. "Coalescence" features 2,500 pieces of anthracite suspended in a starburst formation, representing the coal required to power a lightbulb continuously for one year. The "Bourrasque" series, inspired by light dancing on airborne paper sheets, creates the magical illusion of floating paper using high-tech materials and electric currents - a piece now permanently installed in Dior's Avenue Montaigne boutique in Paris.
For "What Nelson Sees," Cocksedge collaborated with Google to develop the AI-generated historical timeline. Each scene - spanning from the London Blitz through the swinging 1960s to a future cityscape adapted for an aging population - was created using carefully crafted written prompts designed to ensure historical accuracy and reflect statistically probable outcomes based on extensive research. "Technology had to be part of the work so it felt the right moment for me to experiment," he notes. "It's very different to my art college days when you had paint and canvas, but I've got a four-year-old daughter and an almost 80-year-old dad - I want him to see the city change and I want her to see what the past was like. How else could I do that?"
Beyond its entertainment value, the sculpture carries a deeper environmental and social message. Cocksedge's optimistic vision of London's future incorporates research from climate change and urban planning experts. "Do you know, in Paris food production is 60% local, whereas in London it's only 3%?" he asks. "That's why in the future, we created hydroponics and a much greener city." The futuristic scenes show pedestrianized streets and rooftops covered with hydroponic growing systems, presenting sustainable solutions for urban development.
The artist sees public art as a powerful tool for engaging diverse audiences with important issues, particularly reaching people who might not typically visit traditional galleries. "My background is working class and my entry point into creativity came very late on," Cocksedge reflects. "Looking around Trafalgar Square I can see people from different backgrounds interacting with things and that's great to me. I'm so excited that you can use design to create open situations where you can reach more people and deal with quite important issues in an engaging way."
The interactive nature of the piece is fundamental to its concept. "This piece isn't finished until I see people gazing through the sculpture - their bodies are the last ingredient," Cocksedge emphasizes. Despite Trafalgar Square's history as a site of protests, celebrations, and political rallies, the artist remains optimistic about London's future. "I'm very aware of the challenges this city has. This square is a place that's always charged. But we keep on going even if it feels dicey. I think London will cope."
During a technical test the following day, the installation's appeal was immediately evident. Elizabeth Dellert, head of development for the festival, observed approximately 20 passersby stopping to examine the eyepieces or curiously touch the pipe structure within a brief period. One particularly engaging encounter involved a businessman whose meeting had been cancelled due to transport strikes. Upon learning about the sculpture, he revealed that he runs a mentoring service inspired by Nelson's leadership strategies, sparking an impromptu conversation with Dellert about military infrastructure's influence on business hierarchy and team loyalty, including recognition for Lady Emma Hamilton, Nelson's mistress.
"What Nelson Sees" will remain in Trafalgar Square until September 18 as part of the London Design Festival, continuing to offer visitors this unique perspective on their city's past, present, and potential future through the eyes of one of Britain's most famous naval heroes.
