Yinka Shonibare: Globe Head Ballerina
Date uploaded: July 2, 2012
A commission by artist Yinka Shonibare has been produced by Up Projects for the Royal Opera House. Titled Globe Head Ballerina, the work is inspired by a famous photograph of ballerina Margot Fonteyn. Shonibare's sculpture depicts a life-size ballerina, modelled on Melissa Hamilton, a soloist with the Royal Ballet. Encased in a giant 'snow globe', the figure, whose head is a replica Victorian globe, rotates slowly. Her tutu is made of fabrics that are synonymous with Shonibare's work and his exploration of the ambiguities of heritage and identity; originally manufactured by the Dutch for sale in the Indonesian market, the fabrics have become a symbol of African identity, having eventually been sold to the colonies in West Africa. The work is displayed on the exterior of the building overlooking Russell Street and will remain in place for five years.
