Sculpture in the City, the annual public art exhibition set amidst the iconic architecture of the City of London, has unveiled its 13th edition today. This edition comprises 17 artworks, including ten new sculptures by Samuel Ross, Richard Mackness, Ida Ekblad, Julian Opie, Clare Burnett, Seph Li, Maya Rose Edwards, Hilary Jack, and Daniel Silver, as well as five works retained from previous editions, and two permanent acquisitions.
Featuring an eclectic mix of sculptures from established and emerging artists, the 13th edition promises to continue the tradition of transforming the City’s public spaces into a vibrant open-air gallery.
This year’s new sculptures include the interactive work Kissing Gate by Maya Rose Edwards, situated in Aldgate Square, which playfully brings a rural kissing gate into the urban landscape, prompting romantic encounters between passers-by. At Mitre Square, CAUCUS by Samuel Ross invites public engagement with the sculpture, prompting familiar gestures like sitting, standing, and leaning.
Transforming a gilded paper bag to architectural scale, Temple by Richard Mackness evokes both the mundane of everyday commerce and the sacredness of a shrine from its location on the corner of 99 Bishopsgate and Wormwood Street. At 120 Fenchurch Street, a digital artwork by Seph Li, Everything Before, Everything After, features a meandering river rendered in Chinese ink painting style which speaks to the roof garden above the screen and provides the opportunity for a meditative moment while the river flows to achieve eternity.
Crafted from found objects and covered in mosaic tiles and situated at 70 St Mary Axe, Clare Burnett’s playful and colourful series of sculptures Secret Sentinels reference the ubiquitous cameras in the City’s security systems, exploring the balance between privacy and surveillance. Also part of the exhibition is BOOK OF BOREDOM by Ida Ekblad, a monumental, vibrant, colourful painted bronze sculpture that combines fragments from the artist’s own expressive paintings and will be displayed on Undershaft, behind the Leadenhall Building.
Works to be unveiled in September
Four new works by Julian Opie, Charles, Jiwon, Nethaneel, and Elena, at 100 Bishopsgate, capture a diverse group of faces through strict vertical symmetry, combining elements of traditional portraiture, modern face recognition, and public monuments. At The Leadenhall Building, Hilary Jack’s Deluge will invite reflection on the climate crisis with two LED text strips resembling a scrolling newsreel, one of them displaying contemporary flood data and the other narrating ancient flood myths.
Part of his Rock Formations series, composed of “collages” of stone and bronze heads on pieces of Michelangelo marble, two sculptures by Daniel Silver will be situated at 40 Leadenhall (one by the Fenchurch Street entrance and one by the Leadenhall Street entrance) and present interpretations of the human form that have evolved from the study of statues and busts of the ancient world.
Works remaining on show
Remaining on show at 33 Creechurch Lane, is Untitled by Arturo Herrera, a vibrant vertical collage of fragmented shapes and colours, including a nod to Cézanne. Another work by Herrera, Untitled, situated under The Leadenhall Building’s escalators, reflects the dynamic movement of people in the area. Taking residence in Cunard Place and also remaining on show is The Granary by Jesse Pollock, which renders a traditional English grain store in pearlescent candy orange to evoke a nostalgic ideal of the past.
Mimicking fantastical fruits and functioning as bird nests, the Nest Series works by Victor Lim Seaward blend into trees outside 99 Bishopsgate while providing a safe, insulated space for nesting. Characterised by sinuous fluid shapes, Vanessa da Silva’s Muamba Grove, 0 Hue #1 and Muamba Grove, 0 Hue #2, placed within the churchyard of St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate, reference a body that is in a constant state of transformation, metamorphosing into something still unknown.
Permanent acquisitions
Oliver Bragg’s work, In Loving Memory, features engraved brass plaques situated on existing benches around the City of London commemorating fictional or abstract ideas with a mix of optimism, humour, and reflection. On show in a pedestrianised space outside 70 St Mary Axe, Elisa Artesero’s The Garden of Floating Words is a neon poem that appears to be floating in the darkness from within the foliage of a garden.
Stella Ioannou, Artistic Director of Sculpture in the City and Founding Director of Lacuna, said, “Sculpture in the City is a celebration of contemporary art amidst the striking architecture of the City of London, enhancing the City’s cultural offer and aiming to bring art to diverse audiences across various communities. This year’s inspiring selection of artists brings interactive, contemplative, and playful sculptures that engage and captivate the onlooker, whilst our extensive activation programme highlights our commitment to engaging local residents, city workers and London visitors alike.”
Wendy Hyde, Chair of Sculpture in the City said: “The 13th Edition of Sculpture in the City is an absolute must-see, inviting you to explore a selection of 17 splendid artworks within the streets and public spaces of the Square Mile. Sculpture in the City has something for everyone with incredible installations, a fun filled family trail map and unique activation experiences. As the oldest part of London, that never stays the same, there’s a new story to uncover in the City every time you visit.”
Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Culture, Heritage and Libraries Committee, Munsur Ali, said: “Sculpture in the City has always delivered on showcasing bold, thought-provoking, and engaging artworks by established artists and emerging talent. This year’s edition is a credit to everyone involved and I look forward to seeing the artworks in place and creating a real buzz in the City over the coming months.”
Kate Hart, CEO of the EC BID, said: “It is a real privilege to once again partner with Sculpture in the City to deliver pieces of first class art installations across our footprint. These glorious and unique sculptures will attract a different visitor while enhancing the area for our City workers to enjoy.”
Activations Programme
In addition to the artworks on display, Sculpture in the City offers a free activation programme throughout the summer to March 2025, with a diverse range of events including Muamba Movement, Little Art Critics TV workshops for children, Art on the Skyline: Cocktail & Create workshops, exhibition tours, a BSL guided tour, talks and student takeovers. The programme is kindly supported by EC BID and curated and produced by Lacuna.
An award-winning educational programme delivered by Urban Learners will offer workshops for local schools; and SITC Learning, a digital learning programme supported by the City of London Corporation, will offer creative activities for the home and classroom.
A multimedia guide on the free arts and culture app Bloomberg Connects will allow visitors to explore the artworks with exclusive artwork information. In addition, MSCTY x Sculpture in the City will allow visitors to experience site-specific architecture-inspired music and sound art.
Sculpture in the City will also be part of London Sculpture Week, a collaboration with Frieze Sculpture, The Line and the Mayor of London’s Fourth Plinth Programme, taking place 21-29 September 2024.