LONDON, June 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --
Macmillan Science and Education commissioned street art star EINE to create bespoke art installation to celebrate completion of new Kings Cross Campus
Street art enthusiasts can add another highlight to London's street art fan trail with the arrival of a new EINE art work in Kings Cross this week. The artist will take up residence in his home town to paint a piece based on the theme of "curiosity", commissioned in 2014 by publisher Macmillan Science and Education (newly part of joint venture Springer Nature), to celebrate the completion of its new state-of-the-art London Campus in the thriving regeneration area of Kings Cross.
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Commenting on the commission, Dominic Knight, Executive Director of Change Programmes at Macmillan Science and Education, said: "It has been so exciting to collaborate with EINE on this project, which will complement the many wonderful public art installations throughout the Kings Cross area. It will also complement the design aesthetic of our new home and the "Curiosity" theme we have brought to life elsewhere on our Campus, which expresses the passion for learning and discovery running through our business."
Macmillan has been based in a heritage building situated south of Kings Place and backing the Regent's Canal for over 20 years and has now expanded its Campus to encompass three more buildings in Regent Quarter. Due to many of its buildings being listed and of architectural interest the piece will be radically different to EINE's previous projects. Instead of spray painting on an exterior wall as with much of his other graffiti work, EINE will paint on to large acrylic panels which will then be installed in a glass-fronted atrium, wrapping the corner of Macmillan's Printworks building on York Way and Railway Street. The piece will be created over the course of this week.
When complete, it will feature an embedded graphic which uses augmented reality technology to allow visitors to unlock a "making of" film by Pagefield Creative, featuring an interview with EINE, via their smart devices.
The new commission is the culmination of a wider arts programme which has been rolled out across the Campus. As part of the redevelopment project, Macmillan brought together a group of its own designers in a unique collaboration to create a series of creative features, based around three themes: "Transformers", in homage to great writers, thinkers and scientists who inspire the company's employees; "Curiosity", which has been brought to life in a multi-media "Curiosity Wall", in the main Campus reception as well as the new EINE installation and "Heritage", with pieces that relate to the buildings and their previous use.
EINE said: "It is always exciting to be back in London and to collaborate with new people on projects like this one with Macmillan. Albert Einstein said curiosity is the key to the creative process and I totally agree; staying curious and engaged always makes for the greatest adventures in life."
Notes for Editors
About Macmillan Science and Education:
Formed in 2012, Macmillan Science and Education (http://www.learndiscover.com) houses brands that date back to 1843 (Macmillan), 1845 (Scientific American) and 1869 (Nature). It has more than 5,700 employees in more than 50 markets and supplies high-quality content and innovative digital products and services to customers in 120 countries around the world. It unites all Macmillan's science, scholarly and education businesses across the globe. In 2015, the majority of these businesses were merged with Springer Science+Business Media to form Springer Nature, a major new force in scientific, scholarly, professional and educational publishing. The merged company numbers almost 13,000 staff in over 50 countries and has a turnover of EURO 1.5 billion. Follow: @MacmillanSandE
About the Macmillan Campus:
Macmillan's lease of new buildings in Regent Quarter, King's Cross, in addition to the publishers existing premises on Crinan Street, has created a Campus-style headquarters now home to its consolidated publishing operations and over 1,500 employees. The new development includes a Grade II listed Stables, built in the 1890s and once home to the Kings Cross omnibus horses, which is now a highly-specified, 4,000 square foot conference centre. The Porters building on Crinan Street, an architectural gem, has also undergone complete refurbishment. The completed Campus project, which has spanned four years, has succeeded in bringing all employees together in an environment that encourages collaboration, fosters innovation and supports learning and career development. It sits in the heart of the thriving Kings Cross area, where an extraordinary new piece of London is taking shape after a decade of planning and a £2bn investment. When complete, the 67 acre development will be home to 50 new buildings, 2,000 new homes, 20 new streets, 10 new public squares and 500,000 square foot of retail. It is an area that continues to attract academic institutions and businesses in science, technology, the media and the arts - from the British Library and Central St Martins to the Guardian, Google and The Francis Crick) Institute.
About EINE:
EINE is one of the UK's most prolific and original street artists. Over time his style evolved to become what is today one of the most instantly recognisable and distinct street signatures: single letters and cryptic statements presented in bold colours all elaborately crafted from stylized fonts. EINE's striking typography has transformed streets around the world from London to LA, via Mexico City, Miami, Paris, Dublin, Tokyo, Stockholm and his current home in San Francisco. In 2010 EINE was catapulted to international fame when David Cameron presented one of his works to President Obama on his first official state visit to the White House. In 2011, EINE was included in the biggest exhibition of street art to date, "Art in the Streets", at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA) in Los Angeles. In 2012 EINE created his largest indoor installation to date, painted in The Lowry Museum in Manchester. Critically acclaimed sell out shows in Europe and coast to coast in the US followed in 2012 and 2013, together with a commission from one of the world's most desirable luxury brands, when Louis Vuitton invited EINE to design a limited edition fine art silk scarf. In 2014 EINE unveiled his first solo New York show at the Judith Charles gallery on the Bowery. This was complimented with a number of street pieces from Broadway to the notorious Rikers Island Prison complex, where his work took its place alongside pieces by Jose Parla and JR. Back in the UK, EINE was commissioned to create a mural at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London as part of the nation's art and cultural legacy programme. EINE continues to make his mark worldwide starting with two upcoming solo shows - spanning two continents - that will showcase his ongoing love affair with typography. EINE's work is currently held in the permanent collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and the Museum of Modern Art, Los Angeles. Instagram: @einesigns
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