Artist Turns A Central Street In Bristol Into A Giant Water Slide

Bristol artist Luke Jerram turns Park Street into a water slide! On the May 4th this giant 90m (300ft) water slide was installed on Park Street in Bristol, England as part of Making Sundays Special and the Bristol Art Weekender. Running from 11am-5pm for one day only, the day was an event for the city to remember!

These are some of the participants’ comments:

“It’s a lovely day for it as well. Loads and crowds of people are supporting it.”
“I couldn’t believe it. At first, I thought it’s a bit of a joke and then I got the actual ticket and I was very surprised.”
“I got a ticket like in the Charlies Chocolate Factory”.

96,573 people signed up for their chance to get a “ticket to slide” through a ballot, with only 360 tickets being issued to a few lucky individuals. Enabling people to navigate the streets of their city in a new way, the slide is a simple architectural intervention and a playful response to the urban landscape.

“I have known Luke for a long time and I have always admired his way of using art as a way of bringing places alive. The publicity it has got the city across the world is wonderful, but the real point, and that is the way that people see the city in a new light. Nobody would be able to come down Park Street again without thinking that it is not just a place for cars but it is also a place for people to enjoy themselves,” a delighted member of the public and connoisseur of Luke’s art commented the installation.

Like many of Jerram's projects, the installation requires public participation to be activated. The person on the slide becomes the performer, while spectators either side watch on.