Sculpture in the City is a public sculpture trail that runs for a year from May to May and is centred in London's Square Mile. Sculpture in the City, now in its eighth year, has featured artists such as Damien Hirst, Antony Gormley, Ai Weiwei, and Tracey Emin (this year) along with newer talent. I enjoy visiting the sculpture trail each year, although my schedule did not allow me to visit at any point last year, but I was able to visit a few weeks ago before the sculptures are replaced.
In 2018 and moving into the early part of the year, there were twenty new artworks (and for the first time, soundscapes) on display, although one of those has been removed at some point during the duration of the event and will not be on display.
Untitled (1969) - David Annesley
This bright shape uses negative space and includes smaller shapes inside it, giving it a sense of order and continuity. The artist was inspired by his time in the RAF, and the bold colours are a result of using colour in sculpture and inspired by other artists.
Bridging Home, London - Do Ho Suh
This installation is located on a bridge above Wormwood Street in the City of London and shows a traditional-style Korean house appear to have fallen from the sky and landed on the middle of the bridge. It appeals to the migrant story of London's East End, which has been a welcome place for those moving to London in history. This is one of the most eye-catching sculptures because it appears so unexpected.
Pepper Rock - Richard Rome
Richard Rome built this sculpture from parts of earlier sculptures, and this work was on display at Yorkshire Sculpture Park for a couple of years before being removed, and it was also on display in Canary Wharf. To me, the inear elements are strong but encase an organic circular form which appears to be a human face, but this was my own interpretation.
Tree - Marina Abramović
This is a soundscape that takes place inside a real tree and offers creativity to all, repeating the sounds and reminiscent of the artist's childhood and strict upbringing. The audio played tweeting birds when I visited it.
The Adventurer - Gabriel Lester
This sculpture contains the elements of poster-changers that display advertising, and these have been arranged with a bench to sit on. The illustrations have been made to mimic city streets, and they move from illustration to illustration in a maze-like journey.
Your Lips Moved Across My Face - Tracey Emin
In the past year, Emin has been experimenting and creating neon sign artwork with phrases from her diary or sentences to evoke a feeling. This one is a sensual meaning with bright pink, evoking a private and passionate moment and displayed in an alleyway.
UNIVRS - Michail Pirgelis
It is a section of a plane. Michael Pirgelis works with aviation materials that he selects from scrapyards in the American desert. This is an Airbus 300 section. The artwork is showing it in context with its surroundings.
Sari Garden - Clare Jarrett
This artwork is made up of the sari (women's dress). All sewn together and made of bright colours, they appear to become a flag or washing hanging out to dry. The piece is meant to showcase women's lives and domesticity.
Climb - Juliana Cerqueira Leite
This sculpture was created in a reverse way by creating a sculpture shell, carving it from moving inside, and then filling it with wet clay. The sculpture thus includes imprints of the artist's hands, knees, feet, and arms. I interpreted this sculpture to be a candle that has been burning and dripping with wax.
The Great Escape - Miroslaw Balka
This soundscape is located in a small alley between buildings off Fenchurch Street. It involves a man whistling. The whistling is to the tune played in the film "The Great Escape". At first, the listener thinks someone is inside the alleyway and whistling, and it's also funny because it brings up emotions of the film.
Synapsid - Karen Tang
This brightly-coloured sculpture was on display during the 2017-2018 Sculpture in the City. It appears to be a giant insect or alien creature. The bright colour and organic shape draws visitors to it, and it encourages interaction via its shape and openings.
Perceval - Sarah Lucas
This life-sized bronze horse pulling a car of giant ceramic squash in a cart represents the ceramic ornaments that people used to display in their homes.
Stack Blues - Sean Scully RA
These blocks and this artwork is inspired by looking at the horizon. This artist's work has been shown before in London, and this one mimics the blue hues of the sky, land (in the distance/mountains) and sea.
A Worldwide Web of Somewheres - Amanda Lwin
This artwork hanging above Leadenhall Market is made from Polynesian fishing nets, which were also used as maps of the water's currents and the wind.
I'm Staying - Shaun C. Badham
This neon sign was developed and shown in Bristol for awhile before moving to various locations depending on online votes. It is high above Leadenhall Market currently.
Numen (Shifting Votives One and Two and Three) - Thomas J Price
These sculptures have been in display in London before, and these aluminum heads rest on top of marble columns. They have been inspired by the Greek, Roman and Egyptian busts and sculptures but for the modern day, and they are placed at high level instead of above it.
Body - Jean-Luc Moulene
Produced at the Renault factory is this organic and contoured form. It appears fluid like a car's body or some sort of form, containing only three colours that have been blended into white.
Crocodylius Philodendrus - Nancy Rubins
This creature is a cluster of animals that take on their own form as a whole, balancing on each other and opposing each other. The congealment of the animals reminded me of a cluster of plastic toy animals that have been thrown in the air or onto the floor in a pattern.
Previous years of London's Sculpture in the City are included below:
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