A massive warehouse in East London is preparing to unveil one of the most ambitious kinetic sculptures ever created by British artist Conrad Shawcross. "Umbilical," the artist's latest and largest mechanical sculpture, will make its London debut in a free exhibition that represents the only opportunity for audiences to witness this extraordinary work in the UK capital before it moves to its permanent home.
The monumental sculpture represents the culmination of Shawcross's lifetime exploration of mobile artworks, drawing inspiration from his ongoing fascination with thread-weaving processes as part of his acclaimed rope makers series. At first glance, the mechanics appear straightforward: a large rotating structure suspended overhead continuously feeds colored threads downward to an intricate clockwork mechanism that methodically twists them into thick rope, which gradually accumulates around the exhibition space.
However, the technical description fails to capture the profound visceral impact of encountering the sculpture in person, particularly within the scale of the windowless industrial warehouse that houses it. Visitors describe an almost otherworldly sensation when observing the moving spools overhead, which evoke imagery ranging from a multicolored metallic spider to an alien entity attempting to pass through a dimensional portal. The thin threads descending from above are captured by human-made machinery and transformed into thick cord that seems to extrude into our plane of existence.
Shawcross's artistic philosophy centers on his fascination with space and the complex relationship between apparent randomness and order, particularly how seemingly controlled celestial physics can actually exhibit chaotic randomness in nature. The clockwork spools rotating above viewers' heads appear precisely controlled, yet they demonstrate a form of chaotic randomness that ensures the patterns woven into the threads will never repeat themselves. This concept mirrors how internet security companies like Cloudflare utilize natural pattern randomness to generate encryption keys.
The sculpture incorporates numerous temporal references that speak to its ambitious scope and longevity. The artwork required approximately 12 years to develop from initial concept to completion, with spools requiring refilling annually and the mechanism needing maintenance only once every seven years. As a functional artwork, "Umbilical" is designed to operate continuously for at least 52 years, though not in its current London location.
When the London exhibition concludes in a couple of months, the entire structure will be carefully dismantled and shipped to David Walsh's Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Tasmania, where it will become a permanent fixture in the collection. Over the years at MONA, the continuously created rope will accumulate around the sculpture, eventually forming what Walsh envisions as a giant soft-play area where visitors can relax while observing the mechanical spooling process overhead.
The London exhibition will also feature two additional works by Shawcross, providing context for his artistic evolution. One piece represents an earlier, smaller iteration of his mechanical concepts, while another much larger work was originally designed to weave thread on one side while unfurling it on the other. The artist candidly acknowledges that this larger piece didn't function as intended, describing it as "an unrealized dream" that nonetheless contributes to understanding his artistic process.
The free exhibition will run from September 11 through November 2, 2025, with daily hours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visitors should enter through the west side of the building via the Timber Yard doorway, located next to the Saint Espresso coffee shop. Additionally, Shawcross will debut another new artwork at the Science Gallery near London Bridge when its new exhibition opens in October, providing London audiences with multiple opportunities to engage with his innovative kinetic sculptures.
