9 public sculptures by prominent artists feature in the Square Mile of the City of London. Sculpture in the City 2013 [SITC] is the third yearly instalment of London’s City Arts 12-month initiative, aimed at providing public art to this ever-changing area.

Exhibition Notes

My art buddy Andy and I were treated to lovely weather as we wandered through London’s banking district (also known as The Square Mile or even, The City). Having City of London’s SITC map to hand, off we went to look at large arty things dotted around The Gherkin.

1. Love – Robert Indiana
99 Bishopsgate

'LOVE', Robert Indiana, in 'Sculpture in the City 2013', City of London. Photo courtesy Kelise Franclemont.
‘LOVE’, Robert Indiana, in ‘Sculpture in the City 2013’, City of London. Photo courtesy Kelise Franclemont.

2. The Good, The Bad, The Ugly – Jake and Dinos Chapman
30 St Mary Axe

'The Good, The Bad, The Ugly', Jake and Dinos Chapman, in 'Sculpture in the City 2013', City of London. Photo courtesy Kelise Franclemont.
‘The Good, The Bad, The Ugly’, Jake and Dinos Chapman, in ‘Sculpture in the City 2013’, City of London. Photo courtesy Kelise Franclemont.

3. More Really Shiny Things That Don’t Mean Anything – Ryan Gander
Undershaft

'More Really Shiny Things That Don't Mean Anything' by Ryan Gander, in 'Sculpture in the City 2013', City of London. Photo courtesy Kelise Franclemont.
‘More Really Shiny Things That Don’t Mean Anything’ by Ryan Gander, in ‘Sculpture in the City 2013’, City of London. Photo courtesy Kelise Franclemont.

4. Twenty-Four Hour Flag – Richard Wentworth
Undershaft – One Great St Helen’s

'Twenty-Four Hour Flag', Richard Wentworth, in 'Sculpture in the City 2013', City of London. Photo courtesy Kelise Franclemont.
‘Twenty-Four Hour Flag’, Richard Wentworth, in ‘Sculpture in the City 2013’, City of London. Photo courtesy Kelise Franclemont.

5. Bench / Mare Street, E8 – Keith Coventry
Undershaft – One Great St Helen’s

'Bench / Mare Street, E8' Keith Coventry, in 'Sculpture in the City 2013', City of London. Photo courtesy Kelise Franclemont.
‘Bench / Mare Street, E8’ Keith Coventry, in ‘Sculpture in the City 2013’, City of London. Photo courtesy Kelise Franclemont.

6. Parallel Field – Antony Gormley
St Mary Axe

'Parallel Field', Antony Gormley, in 'Sculpture in the City 2013', City of London. Photo courtesy Kelise Franclemont.
‘Parallel Field’, Antony Gormley, in ‘Sculpture in the City 2013’, City of London. Photo courtesy Kelise Franclemont.
'Parallel Field', Antony Gormley, in 'Sculpture in the City 2013', City of London. Photo courtesy Kelise Franclemont.
‘Parallel Field’, Antony Gormley, in ‘Sculpture in the City 2013’, City of London. Photo courtesy Kelise Franclemont.

7. String Quintet – Shirazeh Houshiary
Leadenhall Street – St Mary Axe

'String Quintet', Shirazeh Houshiary, in 'Sculpture in the City 2013', City of London. Photo courtesy Kelise Franclemont.
‘String Quintet’, Shirazeh Houshiary, in ‘Sculpture in the City 2013’, City of London. Photo courtesy Kelise Franclemont.

8. One Through Zero – Robert Indiana
51 Lime Street

'One Through Zero', Robert Indiana, in 'Sculpture in the City 2013', City of London. Photo courtesy Kelise Franclemont.
‘One Through Zero’, Robert Indiana, in ‘Sculpture in the City 2013’, City of London. Photo courtesy Kelise Franclemont.

In just eight locations, Sculpture in the City 2013 shows a dynamic range of work from British (and one American) artists. The locations are easy to find and hard to miss (except for the “Twenty-four Hour Flag” piece – who looks skyward in the city with all these pigeons around?), and most of all, having art in a hard-working city centre surely must be a welcome break from being a desk jockey.

All of these can be found on a single lunch hour, or if you prefer to take measured art-bites, stroll around over a few weeks spread, coming back to sit by a favourite piece with Pret in hand.

More information

More About the Artists

Exhibition details: Sculpture in the City 2013 is in the City of London from June 2013 through May 2014. Free, publicly accessible.