London Sculpture Week Inaugural Symposium

About the event

Continuing our Annual Symposia on Public Art developed from a research partnership between The Line and CREATURE. This was an evening of discussion and exchange, considering the unique role that public art plays in cities like London. Timed to coincide with London Sculpture Week 2024, this symposium brought together four organisations united by a drive to make space for sculpture, meet people where they are and make art accessible.

Research in Public Art practices highlights the evolving approaches in the sector and the latter’s cultural value and social impact. Historically, sculpture has represented the medium with which public art has been mostly associated. Its implications are, however, complex, often provoking lively responses and controversial debates: heavy with a lineage of monuments, sculpture in public space now has the potential and a duty to reconsider historic power relations, decolonising the public realm.

Key questions explored during the symposium were:

How do organisational contexts impact commissioning approaches and ways of working?
How is public sculpture activated through participation?
What is the relationship between public sculpture and performance?
How can sculpture diversify the public realm in London and promote engagement with different communities?

Contributors:

Jo Baxendale, Visual Arts Project Manager Fourth Plinth, Greater London Authority

Sarah Carrington, Deputy Director, The Line

Stella Ioannou, Artistic Director, Sculpture in the City

Fatoş Üstek, Curator, Frieze Sculpture

Symposium Moderator: Dr Jacek Ludwig Scarso, Deputy Director of CREATURE

Listen to the podcast from the Symposium.

In the news:

CREATURE hosts London Sculpture Week Inaugural Symposium

Official Digital Partner: Bloomberg Connects for London Sculpture Week