public sculpture in Park Lane
One Million Queen
by Matt Marga
The Story
The One Million Queen public sculpture celebrates the life and legacy of one of the most influential figures in modern history and Head of the Commonwealth as a union of nations.
Matt Marga is an Italian artist based in London and working from his studio in Chelsea. When looking for a universal symbol representing the city, he chose one of the most recognisable profiles in modern culture, the one of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The 1MQ marked the first exhibit of Marga public artwork in London.
The profile of Her Majesty the Queen
is created by the composition of 999.999 crystals embedded in a monolithic optically clear sheet of glass.
The handmade diamond-cut crystals, which are approximately
2.5 mm in diameter, are partially coated with gold foil to increase the diffraction of light.
Among the 999.999 crystals, 53 real diamonds - carefully placed at the centre of the crown’s cross - represent the 53 member states of the Commonwealth of Nations.
The number is also a nod to the coronation of Elizabeth II which took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey, London.
