A Slice of Reality

Standing permanently on the foreshore of the Thames, this sculpture is a 1/8th slice of what was originally the Arco Trent, an ocean-going sand dredger.  

British artist Richard Wilson, who is known for his architectural interventions, acquired the Arco Trent and carved a vertical section of the ship, intentionally exposing the living quarters and engine room – both visually and to the elements.

Much like the Millennium Dome (The O2), the sliced ship is almost completely defined by its visible interior. Wilson describes the work as a ‘sound bite’, communicating Greenwich’s rich maritime history, whilst referencing the manner in which the line of the Meridian slices through the Greenwich Peninsula.  

Commissioned as part of the millennium celebrations by The New Millennium Experience Company, Slice of Reality is part of The Line, London’s first dedicated modern and contemporary art walk.