In Berkeley Square right now is a peculiar sculpture that appears to be bigger on the inside.
This is Triacontahedron by Anthony James (you may remember similar sculptures from his exhibition in the Marble Arch Mound). From a distance, it looks like any old geometric sculpture that you might find decorating a corporate plaza. But take a close-up peek and something magical happens.
You're treated to a glimpse of infinity.
This dimensional transcendentalism is, of course, really a clever trick with mirrors, but the effect is quite stunning — especially as the object also reflects its surroundings, including the square's mighty plane trees and the person peering inside.
It's an exceptional object for anyone to behold, but will particularly enchant children. It's the nearest you'll get to a Tardis experience. The name "Triacontahedron", incidentally, is a mathematical term for this particular 30-faced polyhedron.
This is not the only mind-bending sculpture in Mayfair right now. Head to Hanover Square, conveniently situated at one of the exits to the Bond Street Elizabeth line station. Here you'll find Sister, by David Breuer-Weil. This installation resembles a well-polished egg from a distance, but get up close and it becomes an enticingly interactive object.
Its erratically shaped shell affords all manner of strange reflections — it's like a hall of mirrors getting sucked into a black hole. Step inside to see your face twist, distend and morph along the concave surface. On the outside, reflections merge with surroundings and curl around gaps. We're reminded of the liquid-metal T-1000 from Terminator 2.
It's only after playing with the sculpture for 10 minutes that I spotted the titular "Sister". The artist has shaped a female form into the piece, easily missed unless you look at just the right spot in just the right way.
Both sculptures are free to visit and enormous fun to explore — especially for families.
Sister will be in Hanover Square until July 2023. Triacontahedron has been in situ for over a year now, and we can find no publicised date of removal.
