This car defies gravity. Instead of simply standing on the ground, the one tonne vehicle hangs upside down from arching tarmac with no visible support. ‘Pick yourself up and pull yourself together’ sees British artist Alex Chinneck suspend a new Vauxhall Corsa, 15 feet in the air at London’s Southbank Centre. The illusory artwork is the result of a collaboration with Vauxhall inspired by the new Corsa, which was launched earlier this year.

Speaking on the artwork, Alex Chinneck said, “I see sculpture as the physical reinterpretation of the material world around us and so by introducing fictional narratives into familiar scenarios, I try to make everyday situations as extraordinary as they can be. I choose to do this through illusions because I think there is something both optimistic and captivating about defying the realms of possibility.”

“With an effortlessly curling road I hoped to transcend the material nature of tarmac and stone, giving these typically inflexible materials an apparent fluidity. Vauxhall Motors allowed me a great amount of creative freedom and this collaboration offered my studio an exciting platform to explore new areas of engineering and fabrication”.

Chinneck wanted to create a public installation of significant sculptural and theatrical impact, which complimented the new Corsa’s design.

Commenting on the commission, Mark Adams, Head of Design at Vauxhall Motors said: “The installation certainly celebrates the new Corsa as a ball of energy – a small car with a big heart. Alex Chinneck’s work is astounding, he’s an amazing British sculptor who creates illusionary structures with the most in-depth engineering and design.  Above all, the astonishing rip curl embodies the fun people have driving the much-loved Vauxhall Corsa.”

The gravity defying feat can be found in Southbank Centre Car Park, beside The London Eye, until Wednesday 25th February 2015.