M@Sculpture In The City 2022: Art Returns To The Streets
The Granary, by Jesse Pollock. One of the more colourful sculptures this year.
Track down all 20 sculptures around the Square Mile.
One of London's best annual traditions is back for its 11th year. Sculpture in the City places large works of art in prominent locations around the Square Mile — all free to visit.
This year's event sees 20 installations, by such artists as Sarah Lucas and Eva Rothschild. The sculptures are scattered across the eastern parts of the City of London, all within easy walking distance of one another.
Bosco Sodi's 'Untitled'. This is one of those sculptures that looks only mildly diverting, but be sure to read the accompanying interpretation for the work's dramatic origins.
As art festivals go, it must be one of the most-visited in the country, given the millions of people who pass along the busy City streets each week. We'd recommend saving your exploration for the weekend, when you'll find the pavements much quieter — all the better to contemplate the art work.
Ugo Rondinone's "summer moon" in front of the Gherkin. It's a cast of an olive tree, but anyone who's seen Blade Runner 2049 might make different associations
In truth, this isn't a vintage year, with about a third of the sculptures remaining from 2021's crop, while some of the newer ones failed to whelm. You'll have to properly search for a few of these works — one is hidden beneath the Cheesegrater's escalators, while one of the Leadenhall pieces does not tally with the map. Still, as ever, you will find a few humdingers among the collection.
Jocelyn McGregor's anthropomorphic snails, at Aldgate square. This one appeared in May, when we captured further imagesReturning from last year (with a few additions, we think) are these amusing bench plaques by Oliver Bragg. Pleeease let these remain in permanent place.Sarah Lucas's "Sandwich". An acquired taste? The actual art here is in the hilariously (and deliberately?) artspeaky interpretation: "...Lucas ambiguously transposes the humble sandwich on a monumental scale with a metaphoric and literal sense of hyperbole; simultaneously satirising and celebrating the commonplace foodstuff as a proletariat symbol."Victor Seaward's fruit-like birdboxes hang from trees in a couple of locations. This isn't art that will stop you in your tracks, but it does have a commendable purpose. Another installation we'd love to see stick around permanently.A colourful abstract called "Cosmos" from Eva Rothschild. Sadly, it's placed among the shadows of tall buildings so doesn't shine to its full potential (a problem with several sculptures this year).
Sculpture in the City is in the Square Mile, between Leadenhall Market and Aldgate, until spring 2023. You can turn up any time and wander round for free. An app and online map will help you navigate, and each site has a physical map and interpretation to help you find and understand the sculptures.
