Last Autumn, Liverpool was visited by a giant spider dubbed La Princesse. It was a project sponsored by the city and designed by La Machine. Photos of it have started appearing in greater numbers around the Internet and Caroline D posted on boston.com, "It’s supposed to be coming to Antwerp, Belgium this summer. If you want to follow up, check http://www.zva.be (later this year though...)"
This may actually be true. A similar previous project, the Sultan’s Elephant, went from Nantes and Amiens, France in the summer of 2005 to London, England in late summer 2006 to Antwerp, Belgium in the mid-season. Events for the 2009 Summer of Antwerp event are not yet published, but it would seem a natural destination for the steampunk arachnid.
It is scheduled to visit Yokohama, Japan from April 16-19, 2009 and dates are pending for the cities of Calais and Madrid.
Photographs by Pete Carr via boston.com.
Giant Steampunk Spiders
La Princesse Webs Her Way Across the Globe
Trend Themes
1. Giant Steampunk Art Installations - Opportunities for artists and companies to create large-scale, interactive art pieces with a steampunk aesthetic.
2. Global Interactive Tourism - Businesses in various cities can attract tourists by hosting La Princesse and similar interactive art installations.
3. Robotics and AI in Art - As technology advances, there may be more opportunities to incorporate robotics and AI into large-scale artworks.
Industry Implications
1. Art - Artists and companies can create, design, and produce large-scale interactive art installations with a steampunk aesthetic that attract public interest and tourism.
2. Tourism and Hospitality - Cities can use interactive art installations like La Princesse to promote tourism and stoke public interest in their urban centers.
3. Technology - As robotics and AI become more advanced, these technologies have potential to be incorporated into the design and production of large-scale art installations.