Alien (sculpture)
A giant head-first humanoid sculpture by David Breuer-Weil.
Alien is a 2012 sculpture by British artist David Breuer-Weil. The work shows a giant humanoid figure, five times the size of a person, stuck head-first into the ground. It was first put on display in April 2013 in Grosvenor Gardens, Westminster, as part of the City of Sculpture program. In September 2015, it was relocated to Mottisfont, a National Trust property in Hampshire.
The sculpture is made from glass reinforced plastic with a bronze powder coat. It was enlarged from a much smaller maquette and features oversized versions of the artist’s own fingerprints, along with his graffiti. One major inspiration was Breuer-Weil’s grandfather Ernst, who fled to England after the Nazi takeover of Austria in 1938 but was later labeled an “enemy alien.” In recognition of this, the name “Ernst” appears in large letters on the sculpture’s surface. The piece also includes a portrait of the fictional Kaiser of Nerac, a character from an imaginary world Breuer-Weil created to fuel his art.
Breuer-Weil says the sculpture is meant to evoke “the shock of an alien landing in the heart of London and taking everybody by surprise,” adding that “every new work of art should be like an alien landing, something sudden and unexpected.” He explains that the work is more about “our sense of belonging than any sci-fi theme,” and suggests that “extra-terrestrials are completely human, maybe just different in scale, as is the case with my sculpture, which is five times the size of an ordinary person, but very human otherwise.” He also notes that being Jewish can feel like “landing on an alien planet … We belong in this culture, but our forebears crash-landed into it.”
The sculpture was well received by both the public and critics. In July 2013, it was named one of Time Out’s “Top 10 Public Sculptures.” Initially, permission allowed it to stay in Grosvenor Gardens for six months, but a request to extend that to 18 more months was approved by Westminster City Council. The statue remained there until 13 April 2015, then moved to Mottisfont, where it was unveiled on 7 September 2015.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Alien
- Artist
- David Breuer-Weil
- Medium
- Glass reinforced plastic with bronze powder coat
- Height Metric
- 600
- Metric Unit
- cm
- Imperial Unit
- in
- City
- Mottisfont, Hampshire, England
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The sculpture is executed in glass reinforced plastic with a bronze powder coat. It was scaled up from a much smaller maquette and incorporates hugely enlarged versions of the artist's fingerprints as well as his own graffiti. The name 'Ernst' is written in large letters on the surface, in acknowledgement of the artist's grandfather Ernst, who fled to England after the Nazi takeover of Austria in 1938 but subsequently found himself labelled an 'enemy alien'. The sculpture also incorporates a portrait of the fictional Kaiser of Nerac, a character who rules an imaginary world conceived of by Breuer-Weil as a source of inspiration for his artworks.
Reader's Guide
Alien is significant as a public sculpture that blends personal history with themes of displacement and belonging. Breuer-Weil intended the work to evoke 'the shock of an alien landing in the heart of London and taking everybody by surprise,' and he noted that 'every new work of art should be like an alien landing, something sudden and unexpected.' The sculpture was well received by the public and critics, being named as one of Time Out's 'Top 10 Public Sculptures' in July 2013. Its initial six-month display permission was extended by Westminster City Council for a further 18 months, and it remained at Grosvenor Gardens until 13 April 2015 before being moved to Mottisfont. The work's legacy lies in its layered commentary on identity, migration, and the experience of being an outsider, using scale and material to challenge perceptions of what is human.
Did You Know?
- It incorporates the artist's own fingerprints and graffiti, hugely enlarged.
- The name 'Ernst' is written on the surface, referencing the artist's grandfather who was labelled an 'enemy alien'.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Alien (sculpture)?
Alien is a 2012 public artwork by British artist David Breuer-Weil that depicts a giant humanoid figure, roughly five times the height of a person, driven head-first into the ground. Despite its name, it does not portray a literal extraterrestrial but instead uses the imagery of an 'alien' to explore themes of otherness and displacement.
Who created Alien (sculpture) and what is it made from?
David Breuer-Weil built the piece in 2012 from glass reinforced plastic finished with a bronze powder coat. The sculpture was scaled up from a smaller maquette and includes oversized impressions of the artist's own fingerprints along with his graffiti.
Where can you see Alien (sculpture)?
The work was first installed in Grosvenor Gardens, Westminster, London in April 2013 under the City of Sculpture program and stayed there until September 2015. It was subsequently relocated to Mottisfont, a National Trust property in Hampshire, where it remains on display.
What inspired Alien (sculpture)?
Breuer-Weil was motivated by the story of his grandfather Ernst, who fled Nazi Austria and was then branded an 'enemy alien' by British authorities. The figure's head-first, buried posture evokes that feeling of being swallowed by a hostile society.
Why is Alien (sculpture) significant in popular culture?
Its striking, almost otherworldly silhouette has made it one of the most photographed and discussed public artworks in London, frequently appearing in art, travel, and design media. It also serves as a tangible cultural touchstone in conversations about immigration, belonging, and what it means to be labelled a foreigner.
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