Though we often hear complaints that modern architecture can't hold a candle to older buildings, few structures have as short a shelf-life as Alex Chinneck's latest creation. Following his Covent Garden-based levitating market building, the artist has returned with another architectural oddity. A pound of flesh for 50p is a full-size two-story home that's primarily built from wax, and is slowly melting away with stunning effect.
A pound of flesh for 50p was created for the Bankside Merge Festival, which is currently taking place in central London. The building is located, fittingly, on the site of an old candle factory and at first glance looks a lot like any other typical British brick residence.
Some 8,000 paraffin wax bricks were used in the build. Following 12 months of experimentation with various experts and collaborators, Chinneck cast the bricks in terra cotta sand to make them more closely resemble standard bricks.
The windows are also made from wax panes and are also melting away as the project progresses. Chinneck and his team are speeding up the melting process with handheld torches, which also enables them to manipulate the wax to produce the most striking effect possible.
The installation will be in place until November 18, by which time all that will remain is a roof sat atop a pile of melted wax. The video below offer some insight into its construction.
Sources: Alex Chinneck, Merge Festival
