London Sculpture Week 2023
London Sculpture Week returns to celebrate public art in the capital, from 16 – 24 September 2023!
The second edition of London Sculpture Week kicks off this Saturday, for what is set to be a week full of all things public art, spanning from East to West London!
Running from 16 – 24 September 2023, the event brings together four London cultural initiatives – Frieze Sculpture, Fourth Plinth, Sculpture in the City, and The Line. From guided art tours to family workshops to artist performances, there are many events scheduled to highlight and celebrate the vast variety of public art showcased all across London.
Sculpture in the City
The 12th Edition of Sculpture in the City features 18 artworks by 17 artists from ten different countries – all chosen for their ability to engage with and respond to the dramatic architectural setting. With works by artists, such as Phyllida Barlow and Simeon Barclay, placed amongst the towering skyscrapers of the City of London, visitors are able to experience international contemporary art in the public realm, while discovering new and familiar locations at the heart of the continually changing City landscape.
Events:
16th September:
SculptureFest. Featuring free family events, such as Poetry, Making and Build Workshops, as well as Children's Tours of the sculptures.
18th to 23rd September:
Free Sculpture in the City Tour led by City of London Guides.
The Line
The Line is a free public art walk in East London, stretching from Greenwich Peninsula to the East Bank in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Art installations by world renowned artists such as Anish Kapoor, Larry Achiampong, Tracey Emin and Serge Attukwei Clottey adorn the landscape and accentuate the natural beauty of East London’s waterways.
Events:
17th September:
Launch of Simon Faithfull's installation, 0°00 Navigation, on The Line's route, followed by a performance lecture by the artist, titled 0º00 Navigation at Cody Dock, relating to his two personal journeys to trace the 0° line of longitude across the planet. (14:00pm).
Experience a performance by Turner-Prize-winning artist Helen Cammock- her new site-specific commission titled The Lay Shaft Drive is Down, delving into the complexities of social history through performance(16:00pm).
Public conversations about outdoor sculpture led by The Line’s Youth Guides.
23rd September:
Mask-making workshop at Greenwich Peninsula with Thames Festival Trust, where recycled materials are used to explore themes of heritage and identity in the style of Ghanaian artist Serge Attukwei Clottey.
Free BSL-interpreted guided tour of The Line with Remiiya Badru (12:00pm-14:00pm).
Public conversations about outdoor sculpture led by The Line's Youth Guides.
Frieze Sculpture
Hosted in The Regent’s Park’s historic English Gardens since 2012, Frieze Sculpture is a major public art exhibition, free and open to all, that showcases a breadth of contemporary sculpture. Coinciding with Frieze London’s 20th anniversary, this year's presentation is curated for the first time by acclaimed independent curator Fatoş Üstek. The 2023 edition features works by 21 leading international artists including Leilah Babirye, Zak Ové, Tomas Saraceno and Holly Stevenson.
Events:
21st September:
Free Frieze Sculpture Night Walk in celebration of Autumn Equinox. (20:00-20:30pm & 20:45-21:15pm).
24th September:
Free Frieze Sculpture Curator Tour with Fatos Üstek (12:00-12:30pm).
Welcome to The Hop, open call for bookings to organise gatherings around The Hop by artist Jyll Bradley.
Fourth Plinth
Trafalgar Square’s iconic Fourth Plinth, an acclaimed public art commission, invites leading international artists to create sculptures for the plinth. The Fourth Plinth commissions are chosen through public consultation by an independent panel of artists, curators and journalists. In 2022, Antelope by Samson Kambalu was announced as the Fourth Plinth sculpture.
Events:
17th September:
An Introduction to the Fourth Plinth will take place in Trafalgar Square from 4pm to 4.30pm, where Samson Kambalu’s Antelope is on show as the Mayor of London’s 14th commission.
London Sculpture Week runs from 16 – 24 September 2023. For more information, visit London Sculpture Week