The Industry Looping Boat

The Industry, an eye-catching creation by sculptor Alex Chinneck, is a surreal artwork that appears to be a coiled canal boat floating tranquilly on the waters of the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal. The sculpture sits between locks 4 and 5 of the 19th-century waterway, which played a vital role in Sheffield’s success during its industrial heyday. 

The sculpture itself is decorated in the traditional style of canal boats, with its nameplate ornamented with a Tudor Rose, the hallmark of Sheffield-made silver and gold, in honour of the city’s notable heritage of craftsmanship and metalworking.

The Industry spans 13 meters (42 feet) in length and stands, with its signature loop, at a height of six meters (19 feet). The journey from the initial plan, to the design and construction of this sculpture spanned eight years.

Before it was installed and unveiled in September 2024, the transportation of the sculpture in sections along the canal involved many extraordinary logistical feats. The endeavour involved negotiating approximately twenty locks and navigating around potential unexploded World War II bombs believed to be resting in the canal bed.