Sculpture in the City is an annual urban sculpture park set in the heart of London’s insurance district. Every summer, the City of London, in partnership with local businesses, unveils a new selection of artworks by internationally acclaimed and emerging artists. Now in its twelfth year, the programme has shown 152 artworks by 129 artists and continues to go from strength to strength. This year, there were over 400 submissions from which around 20 were chosen. The standard is incredibly high and the experience of viewing sculpture juxtaposed with the environment of the ever-changing city is thrilling. 

 

I was shown around the latest installations by Sculpture in the City’s founder, Stella Ioannou along with 20 others during a two-hour Saturday morning walking tour. There is huge variety in the installations, and it was fascinating to see how the group all liked very different ones – there really is something for everyone. It was also noticeable how Stella’s explanation of the works, and the stories she was able to tell, changed the views of the group. There is a PhD to be written on how knowledge and information on art can alter perceptions. 

 

What was clear was the sheer hard work in putting this fantastic venture together each year. The artist known for wrapping some of the world’s most famous buildings, Christo said many years ago that the process of obtaining permits and agreement from many stakeholders is actually part of the work. Sculpture in the City is a great example of tenacity. Every installation has its own planning application and risk assessment. The budget has to be spread, and some works cost more to produce and organise than others.

 

The results are spectacular though. There is something about viewing sculpture against a real-life environment that is so special. When it is in a gallery, the viewer is conscious that it’s intended as ‘art’ rather than an intervention in an environment. Sometimes, this can be a good thing. Carl Andre’s bricks, for example, need a gallery setting. But for years, I’ve been trying to get all the vent shafts and escape stairs associated with underground railway designed as urban sculptures. We managed it at London Bridge for the Jubilee Line in the Southwark Conservation Area, using curved mirrored stainless steel before they were incorporated into the Shard and other developments. But it wasn’t easy. 

 

Larry Bell’s Pacific Red (IV) 2017 on Bishopsgate shows the art of the possible when permissions are favourable. It is stunning. Another personal favourite this season is ‘Summer Moon’ by Ugo Rondinone. Cast in aluminium from real olive trees, it has a multitude of meanings. The scale of Mika Rottenberg’s ‘Untitled Ceiling Projection’ is truly impressive; the sound and vision are captivating. On a similar scale, Arturo Herrera’s use of the underside of the escalators at RSHP’s Leadenhall Building is another amazing transformation of the city’s infrastructure.

 

At the opposite end of the scale, Oliver Bragg’s ‘In Loving Memory’ are a collection of tiny thought provoking and witty plaques on benches, which have to be discovered. And that discovery is one of the great joys of Sculpture in the City.