Canary Wharf has a huge new addition: a sculpture of a blue whale leaping from the dock in Wood Wharf.
The artwork, Whale on the Wharf (Skyscraper), is made of plastic found on Hawaiian beaches: plastic crates, fans, and even a skateboard can be seen among its components. Artist/architect duo Jason Klimoski and Lesley Chang worked with the Hawaii Wildlife Fund to repurpose the rubbish, to highlight the problem of plastic in our oceans. It's thought that there's 150 million tonnes of plastic in seas and oceans worldwide, which means that pound for pound, there is more plastic swimming in the world’s oceans than there are whales.
The blue and white sculpture is 11 metres, or four storeys, tall, and appears to be leaping from the water towards the path alongside the dock. Its concrete base is made from used coffee grounds from nearby cafes and bars in Canary Wharf.
Whale on the Wharf can be seen at Wood Wharf, on the corner of Water Street by Mallow and Dishoom. It's free to view, and is a permanent addition to the area.
