For nine days this September, London will become one of the world’s largest outdoor galleries. London Sculpture Week returns for its fourth edition from 20 to 28 September 2025, uniting five major public art initiatives – Frieze Sculpture, Sculpture in the City, The Line, the Fourth Plinth, and East Bank – into a citywide celebration of contemporary sculpture. It is the only programme in the capital dedicated to presenting sculpture across multiple districts, offering a rare opportunity to encounter worldclass works outside traditional gallery spaces and entirely accessible to the public. This scale and ambition mark it as one of the most significant events in the global calendar of contemporary public art.
Sculpture has long thrived in dialogue with its environment, from monumental commissions to experimental installations that inhabit public space. London Sculpture Week exemplifies this, transforming civic squares, parks, waterways, and streets into immersive art experiences. Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, captures the festival’s ethos: “London Sculpture Week breathes fresh life into our city, turning parks, public spaces and squares into art galleries for everyone to enjoy. There is an impressive line-up of leading sculptors showcasing their work, including at the world renowned Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, offering Londoners and visitors a unique opportunity to experience world-class art outdoors, as we build a better London for everyone.”
This year’s programme is particularly rich, beginning with the launch of Untitled The Line, a new commission by Rasheed Araeen, one of Britain’s foremost minimalist artists whose six-decade career spans activism, curatorial innovation, and experimental abstraction. Situated in Bromley-by-Bow along The Line’s waterways, Araeen’s work is accompanied by a Reading Room showcasing publications, catalogues, and journals, many of which document his curatorial projects and theoretical contributions. Guided by The Line’s Youth Guides, this initiative foregrounds accessibility and intergenerational engagement. Sarah Carrington, Director of The Line, emphasises: “London Sculpture Week is a chance for visitors and Londoners alike to explore the capital through art outdoors. The Line is delighted to be part of this growing annual programme… This new commission is a powerful example of the potential of public sculpture to increase access to art and connect people to place.”
The Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square continues to assert itself as a globally significant platform for public art. Mexican artist Teresa Margolles’ Mil Veces Un Instante (A Thousand Times in an Instant) honours trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming communities, casting hundreds of faces in plaster to confront viewers with questions of visibility, identity, and resilience. This commission underlines the Plinth’s enduring role in producing sculpture that engages both artistic and civic discourse. At Regent’s Park, Frieze Sculpture returns in its 13th edition, curated by Fatoş Üstek around the theme In the Shadows. Here, darkness is not absence but a generative force, an invitation to reflect on memory, resilience, imagination, and the hidden forces that shape human experience. Simon Hitchens’ durational performance, tracing the shadows of a solitary rock from dawn to dusk, exemplifies the festival’s focus on the interplay between sculpture, time, and environment. As Üstek observes, “Gradually, London Sculpture Week is evolving into a citywide celebration, offering both residents and visitors the opportunity to experience art outdoors in thought-provoking, immersive, and interactive ways. These growing collaborations not only enrich our cultural landscape but also reinforce London’s reputation as a vibrant hub for public art; fostering dialogue, creativity, and connection within the shared spaces of our city.”
East London’s The Line, now celebrating its 10th anniversary, presents 23 installations by international artists including Antony Gormley, Helen Cammock, and Yinka Ilori. The trail follows the waterways from Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to The O2, transforming previously overlooked urban spaces into cultural corridors and illustrating how art can actively reshape perception of place. East Bank, London’s newest culture and education quarter, contributes three commissions by Michael Landy, Lubna Chowdhary, and A.A. Murakami, activating the Olympic Park as a vibrant creative hub. Tamsin Ace, Director of East Bank, emphasises the impact: “London Sculpture Week is a powerful reminder of how art can transform the way we experience our city. The East Bank partners are proud to be part of this citywide celebration, opening up opportunities for people to encounter sculpture in London’s newest cultural quarter and beyond.”
Sculpture in the City, now in its 14th edition, integrates contemporary works into the financial district, including pieces by Ai Weiwei and Jane and Louise Wilson, inviting passers-by to encounter art in their daily routines. Artistic Director Stella Ioannou notes: “Public art has the power to inspire, transform urban spaces, and spark conversations, and London Sculpture Week brings this to life through a diverse mix of artworks and settings. From the heart of the Square Mile to parks and riverside trails, each project offers a unique opportunity to experience contemporary art in dialogue with the city.” Tours led by artists and curators, collaborative projects such as the Sculpture Switch with Frieze, and inclusive programming such as youth-led and BSL-guided tours ensure that engagement goes beyond observation.
The festival also foregrounds discussion and reflection. The London Sculpture Week Symposium at the Warburg Institute brings together artists, curators, and academics to consider the evolving role of public sculpture and its potential to activate shared urban spaces. These intellectual and civic dimensions are essential; sculpture in public space is not merely decorative – it addresses questions of memory, representation, and access, fostering civic engagement as much as aesthetic appreciation. What distinguishes London Sculpture Week is its combination of global reach and local resonance. Frieze brings leading international artists to London, connecting public audiences with globally significant practice, while The Line and Sculpture in the City emphasize site-specific dialogue and community engagement. Together, these initiatives form a cohesive network, demonstrating how urban public art can operate at scale without losing its local significance. London Sculpture Week is a model for how cities might conceive of cultural programming: collaborative, interconnected and embedded in everyday life.
Ultimately, London Sculpture Week transforms the city itself into a living, breathing gallery. Streets, parks, and waterways become spaces of encounter, reflection, and imagination. Visitors may follow thematic tours, witness durational performances, or explore archives and Reading Rooms, yet in every instance, the city itself participates in the experience. By foregrounding accessibility, intergenerational engagement, and interdisciplinary dialogue, London Sculpture Week builds on the pioneering work of institutions such as Yorkshire Sculpture Park, proving that sculpture is not confined to rural estates or museum grounds. In London, it thrives in the urban environment, revealing new possibilities for connection.
London Sculpture Week invites residents and visitors alike to experience the capital anew. From Trafalgar Square to Regent’s Park, from the waterways of East London to the Square Mile, sculpture animates the city, reminding us that public art is both a mirror and a lens: reflecting society and shaping the way we see, inhabit and engage with the world around us. London Sculpture Week demonstrates how contemporary public art reshapes the way we inhabit and experience our urban environment, revealing the city as both a canvas and a catalyst for connection, creativity and cultural exchange.
London Sculpture Week 2025 runs 20 to 28 September: londonsculptureweek.org
Words: Anna Müller
Image Credits:
1. The Line, Thomson And Craighead. Here, 2013. Photo: Luis Veloso.
2. A. A. Murikami, In Mountains Shadow. Photo: Thierry Bal.
3. Rasheed Araeen, Untitled. The Line installation. Photography by Angus Mill. Courtesy of The Line.
4. Rasheed Araeen, Untitled. The Line installation. Photography by Angus Mill. Courtesy of The Line.
5. Elmgreen & Dragset, Life Rings, 2023, stainless steel and lacquer, 4 m (13′ 1-1/2″) Image courtesy: Elmgreen & Dragset studio.
6. Mil Veces Une Instante, 2024. Teresa Margolles. Photo GLA James O Jenkins.
7. Mil Veces Une Instante, 2024. Teresa Margolles. Photo GLA James O Jenkins.
