It's not what you'd expect to find on a street corner in Bermondsey (specifically the corner of Page's Walk and Mandela Way, SE1).
This is Southwark Rising, a new art installation by Myfanwy Roberts as part of the Old Kent Road Sculpture Festival 2021. This summer-long celebration of community renewal kicked off last weekend with a virtual parade down Albany Road and continues today with a Bank Holiday picnic in Burgess Park. Myfanwy's tank-shaped contribution took several months to complete, moulded in fibreglass recycled from plastic waste collected by children from three local schools. A companion piece made from papier-mâché has been placed in the centre of the Bricklayers Arms roundabout.
Myfanwy took inspiration from a V1 bomb strike on Page's Walk in 1944. Although nobody was killed the blast destroyed several buildings and a Victorian pub, as well as rendering the Surrey Stables uninhabitable so that several horses had to be rehomed. By placing a facsimile German tank on the site the conflicting themes of retribution and rebirth are deftly juxtaposed, forcing residents to address the nature of the catalyst that facilitated the creation of local postwar housing.
The most startling aspect of the artwork is the musical soundtrack combining the futuristic rap of MC Flohio with backing from New Cross harpist Jean Kelly, an ethereal duet which ends with the sound of the 'All Clear' siren. Playback is solar-powered and is triggered by proximity sensors (except between 8pm and 8am when neighbours are granted temporary respite). The artwork is expected to remain in place until the end of August when, lockdown permitting, the tank will be carried in procession to the SELCHP recycling centre and incinerated. But for the next three months it's very much not what you'd expect to find on a street corner in Bermondsey.
