Hasta La Motion!

‘Interloop’, by artist Chris Fox, hangs from Wynyard station ceiling, hovering above the escalators that travel underground from York Street. The vast twisting accordion-shaped sculpture reconfigures the heritage escalators that once stood there in a stitched form. Suspended between two ends of the building, Interloop measures more than fifty metres in length, weighs over five tonnes, and weaves in 244 wooden treads and four combs from the original escalators. Whilst paying homage to the past, it also, simultaneously, looks forward to the future. First installed in 1931, the historic timber-escalators – which have served Sydney’s commuters for over eight decades – held a sense of time, journeys, and travel before they were removed this year. Interloop resembles, in part, the original escalators: important for Fox is creating an otherworldly space above people’s heads. The artwork explores the idea that people are stationary on an escalator whilst also travelling, allowing for a moment of pause that occurs mid-motion. The sculpture resonates with people in this state, referencing all those journeys that have passed and are now interlooping back. A major milestone for Sydney and for Transport for NSW, who commissioned the large-scale sculptural project, Interloop provides an important legacy, helping to maintain and celebrate the historic identity of the city, while also looking to its future. Video: David Varga Sum of Infinity