A strange being made a grand appearance in Grosvenor Gardens, just outside Victoria Station, in May 2013.
Unusual he may be, but the locals are taking it in their stride. Walking, resting and lunching continue as normal.
This visitor is a contemporary outdoor sculpture of Alien, by David Breuer-Weil. Upside down, with its head buried firmly in the ground, this alien stands 5 times the height of a human man.
Breuer-Weil says “I love the idea of the shock of an alien landing in the heart of London and taking everybody by surprise. Every new work of art should be like an alien landing, something sudden and unexpected… I have this idea that extra-terrestrials are completely human, maybe just different in scale, as is the case with my sculpture”.
The artist’s grandfather was a refugee from Vienna, fleeing the Nazis in 1938. Breuer-Weil tells that when his grandfather arrived in England he was labelled an ‘Enemy Alien’ explaining “He always discussed the tragedy of being considered an alien in his new home. I wrote his name, Ernst, on the sculpture in huge letters. The sculpture is more about our sense of belonging than any sci-fi theme, but both ideas are present.”
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It has now become a part of the scenery in this pleasant garden. Whenever I am in that part of town, I wander through and pause a while to marvel at the size and detail of this giant sculpture. He is due to stay here until mid-2015.
Update, September 2015: the Alien has moved to the National Trust property of Mottisfont in Hampshire.
Update, January 2018: the Alien is back in London – click here to find out more
Travel with Intent 
Ooo! That’s gotta hurt!
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I hope he didn’t land from a height!
On Wed, Jul 22, 2015 at 1:13 AM, Travel with Intent wrote:
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So it was there last year and I did not see it. I love the idea and the sculpture and your captures 🙂
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And this is actually my most popular blog post ever – it gets hits every day. The statue is still there and seems a permanent feature, so next time Paula. What’s more, there’s a nice wine bar just across the road – tell you what, I’ll take you there next time you visit 🙂
On Thu, Apr 9, 2015 at 7:34 PM, Travel with Intent wrote:
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🙂 That would be cool, Debbie
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I didn’t see this sculpture when I was in London in 2012, but I recognized the park by its fence immediately. The bus coming from the airport goes by the park before you get off at Victoria.
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Yes, you’re right about the bus. The statues may have appeared just after your visit.
On Wed, Mar 11, 2015 at 10:47 PM, Travel with Intent wrote:
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WOW!! Very similar to statue in Berlin~
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Ohhhh!!!! I think it is great!!!! I love the explanation of the statue…And also how you took the pics…Something strange, in the middle of a green park, with people having their lunch around, without paying attention to it…I wonder if that could be the last reaction if a real alien would appear there…After the emotion and the novelty, and may be some appearances on TV…..We, humans, are like that! 🙂
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Oo.. London, wish I was there in the future and see London, see the world
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Love the background on the statue – it makes so much more sense!
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I don`t want to arrived in that position kidding!.. Great post my friend 🙂
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Yup, that is random and fantastic! It has the colour and texture of soft liquorice – would love to know what it really feels like… Thanks for the entry.
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