The HMS President (1918), one of only three surviving Royal Navy warships from the First World War, has been ‘dazzled’ by Tobias Rehberger. One of the most respected European artists of his generation, Rehberger is a German sculptor whose work blurs the boundaries between design, sculpture, furniture-making and installation.
HMS President (1918) served as a Dazzle Ship during the First World War under its original name HMS Saxifrage. This eye-catching vessel reminds Londoners and visitors of the crucial role ships played in the country’s wartime survival.
The dazzle style in which the HMS President (1918) is painted, takes its inspiration from the famous glaring colours and jagged lines of the ‘dazzle’ camouflage, designed to confuse enemy U-boat captains. The geometrically patterned boats would have been a familiar sight during the First World War, when hundreds of shipping convoys sailed to and from Britain’s ports.
LOCATION:
HMS President (1918)
Victoria Embankment
London EC4Y 0HJ
The ship is located on Victoria Embankment close to Temple. Go to Blackfriars Bridge or the South Bank of the river Thames for the best views.
EVENTS:
Get on board HMS President (1918) to see the artwork up close during the following events this Autumn:
