Sculpture in the City 2015 is a public sculpture trail around London's Square Mile. This is the fifth year of the public art event and features work by artists such as Damien Hirst, Ai Weiwei, Laura Ford, Kris Martin, Folkert de Jong, Tomoaki Suzuki, and others. As last year, workshops are also available to local schools to encourage students to explore and understand art.
Charity by Damien Hirst
This sculpture was publicised the most last summer because it was based on a real image for Scope charity's collection box, which would have been outside of local shops in the 1960s and 1970s. The sculpture was completed in 2003 and is made of bronze and stands at 22 feet tall. The sculpture was in the news for the portrayal of 'victims' on the collection boxes and political correctness. In addition, this sculpture was made to appear vandalised with the box itself emptied with 'coins' lying on the ground.
Forever by Ai Weiwei
This sculpture is created with rows of similar steel bikes. Looking at the sculpture from different vantage points, and it appears that the sculpture moves. Weiwei is a popular Chinese artist, and the name of the sculpture is the brand of the bicycles that were mass-manufactured in Shanghai since 1940. Nowadays, the bikes are being replaced by cars. I love the sense of movement created by this piece, and it was one of the pieces that I enjoyed photographing and gazing at.
Bells II by Kris Martin
This sculpture is made up of two church bells of the same size that have been joined at the bottom. The significance of the sculpture is that the bells cannot ring as they are closed together. The bells essentially become silenced as they are closed together, and this alters the perception of the object.
Carson, Emma, Takashi, Zezi, Nia by Tomoaki Suzuki
Suzuki was inspired by Japanese woodcarving to create detailed portraits of miniature diverse youths. These five sculptures have been cast in bronze. Each one is unique and highly-detailed.
Altar by Kris Martin
This metal sculpture is a replica of the 15th century Ghent Alterpiece (located in Saint Bavo Cathedral) by Jan Van Eych and Hubert, which was central to Renaissance painting. The viewer looks out at the world instead of idealistic painted scenery and religious imagery that would normally be represented inside these panels. Instead, the focus is on life and 'realistic' everyday scenery instead of the ideal.
´O my friends, there are no friends´ by Sigalit Landau
This sculpture is created with bronze shoes and real laces tied together to form a circle. According to the artist, it represents a time of the future when people can put the shoes on to create a better community and a better history. The shoes are tied together and have a sense of belonging. They are tied into a large circle, and all must work together.
Broken Pillar #12 by Shan Hur
This sculpture is a series of work developed. The artist uses found objects relevant to the location of the structure, and places the objects within the pillar. This pillar's location is in St. Helen's Churchyard, and it contains a floral vase inside it.
Days of Judgement - Cats 1 & 2 by Laura Ford
Laura Ford is known for portraying animals with human characteristics. The cats sculptures are made of bronze and her inspiration was Masaccio's fresco "The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden" in Brancacci Chapel in Florence. Adam and Eve are portrayed as cats that seem to be torn apart emotionally in their postures, with featureless faces.
Breakout II by Bruce Beasley
This sculpture consists of cubic structures placed together in an organic situation with gravity seeming to enforce the shape of the sculpture. The sculpture is created out of bronze.
Rays (London) by Xavier Veilhan
This sculpture is a part of a series of similar sculptures that allow the viewer to look at new views of the city based on ongoing construction work. The two poles create a skeleton frame which allows the viewer to imagine that they are a new addition to the city and to provide a new relationship to the buildings and other objects around them.
Red Atlas by Ekkehard Altenburger
This sculpture is a part of a series of sculptures that relate to balance. The artist has used architectural elements in other sculptures in the series to achieve this. This black and gold sculpture is propped up against a wall, seeminlgy held up by its own weight.
Organisms of Control #8 by Keita Miyazaki
This aculpture is based on a series that view a new vision of Japan from the rubble of the earthquake and tsunami. The sculpture is created with old car parts and the sculpture makes sound, inspired by the tunes played in the Tokyo public transport and in Japanese shops.
Ghost by Adam Chodzko
This is a sculpture of a kayak hanging above Leadenhall Market. The sculpture has been used all over the UK and ferries a passenger on a journey while recording it the memory. The artwork was created in 2010 and has travelled in Kent, Devon, Olympic Park, and Newcastle.
Old DNA by Folkert de Jong
Artist de Jong created this sculpture using a 3D scan of armour that belonged to Henry VIII. The sculpture represents decay and how power/strength can decay over time.
The sculptures are on display until May 2016 before they are replaced with new sculptures that will be on display until next May.
Previous years of London's Sculpture in the City are included below:
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