£20,000 ‘Madonna bra’ sculptures burned children: unusual artwork moved out of the sun

An unusual £20,000 art installation that locals compared to Madonna’s iconic cone bra has been moved into the shade after complaints that its metal structures became scorching hot in the sun and could burn children, the Daily Mail reports.

The installation, A Hand’s Turn, was created by artists Natalie Bradwell and Livia Spinolo and installed in Farnham, Surrey, in 2023. The artwork consists of 20 gold-colored metal cones of different sizes that can be rotated.

Since its arrival, the artwork has repeatedly become the subject of mockery. Some locals said it reminded them of Madonna’s famous cone bra from her 1990 Blond Ambition tour, while others compared it to the Daleks from the cult TV series Doctor Who.

But that was not the end of local complaints. Farnham residents claimed that the structure not only spoiled the townscape but could also pose a potential danger to children.

Some residents said that during the summer, the metal surfaces became so hot in direct sunlight that children could suffer burns if they touched them.

The metal structures have also been damaged by vandals on several occasions.

The sculptures have now been moved from their original location to a dedicated sculpture garden on the UCA campus in Farnham. A university representative confirmed that overheating should no longer be an issue at the new site, with the cones positioned beneath tall trees and surrounded by dense vegetation.

The artists originally explained that the cone-shaped forms were intended to evoke piles of grain during the malting process, traditional roofs used for drying hops, spindles for spinning wool, or the silhouettes of ceramic vessels.