Reclaimed Chaos

The Architectural Association will host Reclaimed Chaos by AA alum Elyssa Sykes-Smith (AAIS), a sculptural installation created from salvaged wood collected from London construction sites during the 2021 lockdown. The artwork was originally created for a six-part TV series titled Next Big Thing which was aired on London Live during February–March 2021, and was exhibited at the Old Design Museum, London. Selected as a winner in the sculpture category, Elyssa was commissioned to create a sculpture reflecting the theme ‘The Spirit of London’. 

The artwork is presented at the Architectural Association in reconstructed form, incorporating additional elements of reclaimed wood, and has been specifically designed in response to the unique architectural features of the AA Front Members’ Room. Visually integrated into the space as a swirl of circular movement held in the corner of the room, the interconnected wave of elements appears as if attempting to flow out of the window onto Bedford Square and beyond.

Climate psychology is a new way of understanding our collective paralysis in the face of worsening climate change. Metaphorically, the artwork presents London embodied as a protagonist within the global narrative of the climate crisis, caught within a perpetual, cyclical wave and held within a complex network of associations. The protagonist figure in the artwork is confronted with the potential emotional states of loss, grief, guilt, anxiety, shame, despair; and hope that may emerge when faced with an awareness of climate change, or when personally subjected to experiences of the global climate crisis or climate-based disasters.

London, an urban space defined by a dynamic energy and an interconnected and ever-changing construction, had come to a standstill like a held breath during the pandemic. Reclaimed Chaos offers a paused moment of reflection within a haze of uncertainty, an opportunity to observe our relationship with and as nature, and a platform to consider how we construct our future.

Please note that, in line with the 2021–22 Academic Year AA Coronavirus Policy, access to the AA buildings including the Front Members' Room is currently limited to AA students and staff only.

Image: Elyssa Sykes-Smith, Concept Image - Reclaimed Chaos