Giant sticks run across London’s Tottenham Court Road

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LONDON – It was a month before Christmas.

Revelers mingled throughout the city; the lights looked great.

Then suddenly, out of nowhere – huge ornaments jumped up near Soho Square.

The scene looked like something out of a dystopian holiday movie as two giant, silver orbs hurtled towards people on one of the British capital’s busiest streets in howling wind and torrential rain. Cars and bicycles are off the road.

According to videos captured by onlookers and shared on social media, the orbs gradually shed their mirror coatings until a white core remained.

While many thought the orbs were giant Christmas sticks, they somehow came loose during this time Storm Claudiohit France and the UK this week, they were part of a temporary art installation in central London to promote a music duo’s new album.

The installation “Four Worlds Set” created by the American artist Tom Shannon was created on Sunday evening and will be exhibited in St. Petersburg until Saturday. Giles Square, near Tottenham Court Road.

Online, the footage sparked reactions from some, ranging from outright joy to utter disbelief wrote songs and poems to the bewildered orbs.

🎶 Decorate the streets with oversized sticks
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Watch the spheroids bounce and wobble
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Waves of shredded Mylar spill
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la
London drivers are all scared
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la 🎶 https://t.co/uLDqUq9bXO

— Avram Grumer 🎲 (@avram) November 1, 2022

For some, the orbs brought back memories of the 1960s British TV show The Prisoner, which featured a large white orb named Rover with the power to immobilize people. Others joked that the scene reminded them of Harrison Ford’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, starring Indiana Jones. chased down the tunnel with a huge stone.

“Imagine coming home and saying how a giant Indiana Jones-style stick almost knocked you over and no one believed you until this video,” wrote one Twitter user. “Life is really weird right now,” one wrote simply.

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For those behind the installation, the news hit harder. Musician Kai Campos, one half of electronic music duo Mount Kimbie, said he was “heartbroken” after the wind caused at least two spheres to separate.

He said the team responsible had “prepared for bad weather and strong winds but were really unlucky”.