As if we are not sick enough of them already, it seems we will be spending even more time staring at our walls this winter, what with Covid-19 lockdown 2.0. coming into force in the UK and elsewhere this week.
So, maybe try renting a sculpture to jazz things up a bit.
Pangolin London is launching a "Loan a Lockdown Sculpture" scheme from now until January (when the London gallery hopes to reopen) through which it will unleash some of its sculptures from storage and offer them to clients to take home for a bit. Works available will be smaller indoor pieces by any of the gallery's artists including Lynn Chadwick, David Mach, William Tucker, Ann Christopher and Jeff Lowe among others. Think of it like fostering—it's free of charge for existing clients, but they must cover the cost of insurance.
"These are troubling times for everyone so if we can lift spirits by bringing a beautiful sculpture into people’s homes then we will. We’d far rather the sculptures were out being enjoyed than locked up storage," says Polly Bielecka, the gallery's director.
Bielacka adds, "we would certainly be open to new clients loaning sculptures and have done this previously by charging a monthly fee calculated on a percentage of the retail price of the work. Again insurance and delivery costs would need to be covered and we would require details of where the sculpture was going and the security measures in place."
What's in it for the gallery? Well, hopefully some clients will fall so much in love with their sculpture that they decide to buy it. Plus, it'll no doubt save on insurance and storage space...