This installation lets you know how much slower you are than an Olympian. With the press of a button, visitors can choose to “race” in the Men’s Olympic 100m, the Women’s Olympic Marathon, the Men’s Olympic 10,000m or the Women’s Paralympic T11 100m (a race for athletes with visual impairment). They then sprint along a 100m light trail on the footbridge to the Olympic Stadium that tracks the pace of different record-setting athletes. After the 2012 Games, the lights will be reset with the new winning times. The work, designed by the Jason Bruges Studio, also features an imaginary water surface on the underside of the bridge. Pedestrians taking the underpass will experience the speed of Olympic swimmers as lights glide overhead.
The Quirky Art of Britain’s Cultural Olympiad
In order to showcase Britain's arts and heritage during the Olympic Games, the U.K. government has bestowed $150 million on the Cultural Olympiad and its accompanying London 2012 Festival, which runs from June 21 to September 9. The results of that investment include a towering Lady Godiva puppet and a taxidermy-style crocheted lion. Is Britain's Olympic art any good? You be the judge