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Giant spider attacks Liverpool

Last weekend, giant crowds looked on in awe as a colossal spider took over the streets of Liverpool. It looked like something out of The War of the Worlds, an oversized arachnid poised to eat the famous city alive. In reality it was a piece of performance art by French theatrical engineers La Machine, in honor of Liverpool's status as European Capital of Culture.

You may remember this time last year on Been-Seen we mentioned Les Machines de l'Ile, incredible animatronic creatures that were prowling the French city of Nantes. La Princesse, Liverpool's giant spider, was created by the same people. Fifty-foot in height, she caused a sensation when she was first spotted clinging to the side of a building next to the railway station.

She roamed the streets for five days, operated like a giant puppet by the artists riding her. This year, Liverpool has seen some pretty spectacular events, including appearances by both surviving Beatles, but for my money this beats Ringo Starr hands down.

If you missed La Princesse, head for any of the other places La Machine plan to unveil their extraordinary creatures in the near future. Later this month, Symphonie Mécanique, a show in which classical musicians perform with industrial machines, arrives in Paris.

Le Manège Carré Sénart, a square merry-go-round of insects and buffalo, will visit Madrid later this year and St Petersburg, Russia, in 2009. Les Mécaniques Savants: Part 2 will visit Yokohama in Japan next year. And, in addition to Les Machines de l'Ile, Nantes will soon boast Le Carrousel du Monde Marins, a merry-go-round made up of sea creatures (set to open in 2010). RM

Images: La Machine (Matthew Andrews)

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