One of the greatest joys of living in London is the sheer amount of art this city contains. Our city is packed to bursting with museums (many of which are free!) that feature world-class art. Even our streets are stuffed with public art – from sculptures to murals and even tunnels full of ever-changing street art. And now, there’s even more artwork to find scattered around the city, thanks to the return of Sculpture in the City for 2025.
The annual public art exhibition has returned for its 14th year of showcasing sculptural art throughout the city. Pieces from the likes of Ai Weiwei, Andrew Sabin, and Jane and Louise Wilson transform “public spaces into a vibrant open-air gallery.”
Sculpture in the City artworks
The open-air exhibition includes permanent artworks, returning pieces, and three all-new works for 2025. The new pieces are:
- Ai Weiwei’s Roots: Palace – “a dramatic cast-iron tree root sculpture created in collaboration with Brazilian artisans by moulding from endangered trees.”
- Jane and Louise Wilson’s Dendrophiles – a sprawling artwork on the underside of the escalators of The Leadenhall Building, which “combines ink drawings based on images of DNA with 3D scans of ancient oak wooden samples estimated to be over 2,000 years old.”
- Andrew Sabin’s Looping Loop – a “large-scale abstract sculpture made using moulds from shapes first sculpted in margarine, combines soft, textured surfaces with vividly coloured, solid casting materials.”
Returning pieces from last year include the interactive Kissing Gate by Maya Rose Edwards, which places a rural kissing gate in the middle of a city setting. Richard Mackness’s impressive Temple has also returned, which transforms a “humble paper bag into a sculptural, gilded monument”, among other pieces.
Where to find the sculptures
The titular sculptures of Sculpture in the City sit side-by-side with London’s architecture in the City’s financial district. You’ll find them along Bishopsgate, at Mitre Square, placed on Leadenhall Street, and on benches around the city. You’ll even find some floating in the air.
Conveniently, there is a map to help you tick off all of the sculptures with ease. But we say, where’s the fun in that? Why not wander around when you have a few hours to spare, and stumble upon them as you explore?
Sculpture in the City comes to London courtesy of the City of London Corporation, alongside LACUNA, a leading cultural studio. Find out more here.
Sculpture in the City will remain in place from July 16, 2025, to Spring of 2026. It is completely free and accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
