Hurwitz, who is currently the Savoy's artist in residence has created the latest in his Generation Pi series of anamorphic sculptures, which were launched at the Kinetic art fair in February 2013. Hurwitz explores the boundary between illusion and reality, which he describes as increasingly blurred. The works are contemporary trompe l’oeil; at first glance appearing abstract, but in mirrored reflections, representational. The series is a study on the physics of how the human brain perceives space based on Einstein’s theory E=mc2 (energy, mass and the speed of light). Each sculpture in the series is an object that could only be created by the technology of today, as over 1 billion mathematical calculations and algorithms are used in its creation.

His latest work, ‘The 14th Guest’ is inspired by the notorious story of a dinner for fourteen hosted by South African diamond magnate Woolf Joel at The Savoy in 1898. When one guest pulled out at the last minute, another superstitious guest predicted that death would come to the first person to leave the unlucky table of thirteen. Joel himself was the first to leave and a few weeks later was shot dead in Johannesburg. Subsequently a member of the Savoy staff was offered to join tables of thirteen to ward off superstition. However, in 1927 British designer Basil Ionides came up with the idea of creating a two foot high sculpture of a black cat called Kaspar who would join parties of thirteen with a place set for him and a napkin placed around his neck. Winston Churchill was so taken by Kaspar that he insisted the cat join him at every gathering at The Savoy, regardless of numbers. Hurwitz work successfully continues this modern fable by creating an anamorphic sculpture of Kaspar which is the centrepiece of this stylish new restaurant.

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