Artworks by Ai Weiwei, Andrew Sabin and Jane and Louise Wilson have been unveiled in the City of London as part of the 14th edition of Sculpture in the City, the annual public art exhibition set in the heart of the Square Mile.
Stella Ioannou, Artistic Director of Sculpture in the City and Founding Director of Lacuna, said:
“What continues to excite me even in our 14th edition is how each iteration feels entirely new. Seeing these works come to life in the heart of The City is never just about placing sculpture on site, it’s about the conversations that unfold between people, buildings and ideas. It’s a joy to witness how The City becomes a backdrop, a stage, even a collaborator in the work.”
Offering a striking contrast to the surrounding urban landscape, Ai Weiwei’s cast-iron tree root sculpture Roots: Palace is at St Botolph without Bishopsgate. Part of a series created in collaboration with Brazilian artisans and communities by moulding sculptures from the roots and trunks of endangered Pequi Vinagreiro trees, the work explores uprootedness. It references the artist’s personal exile, as well as global refugee crises and the displacement of Brazil’s indigenous peoples. Crafted using ancient “lost wax” casting techniques, elements of these rare tree roots are transformed into evocative compositions that resemble both mythical creatures and fragmented natural forms.
A new work by artist duo Jane and Louise Wilson, Dendrophiles, highlights hidden stories beneath London’s modern architecture, exploring the fragile connection between The City’s high-rise skyline and its ancient past. Situated beneath the escalators of The Leadenhall Building, the work combines ink drawings based on images of DNA with 3D scans of ancient oak wooden samples estimated to be over 2,000 years old. The archaeological material was excavated on the site of Bloomberg’s European headquarters in 2012 and believed to have once supported a crossing over the River Walbrook. The microscopic imagery was developed with the Department of Biohybrid Architecture at the Royal Danish Academy, Copenhagen and MOLA, London. With this juxtaposition, the artists want to spotlight the loss of hands-on knowledge and remind us that the most important part of technology is often social: learning by transferring skills and techniques from one generation to the next. The sculpture is a continuation of the themes explored in the twins’ upcoming site specific commission, Performance of Entrapment, which will be presented at the nearby London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE.
Outside 70 St Mary Axe, a new large-scale sculpture by Andrew Sabin, Looping Loop, was created by first sculpting shapes in soft margarine, which were then used to create moulds. The combination of soft, textured mould surfaces with hard, colourful casting material gives the sculpture a lively, pulsating sensation. Its continuous, rising and falling form traces a gentle path around its circumference, punctuated by shifts in colour, texture, and mood.
The new sculptures join six works retained from previous editions of Sculpture in the City, along with two permanent acquisitions, highlighting the legacy of the programme in shaping The City of London’s relationship with public art.
“Sculpture in the City is a powerful example of how we bring culture to life in the Square Mile, opening up extraordinary contemporary art to all who live, work and visit here. The project continues to evolve with ambition and purpose, drawing on The City’s unique blend of heritage, innovation and global reach. We’re proud to support initiatives like this that animate our public spaces and reinforce The City’s position as a vibrant cultural destination.”
Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Culture, Heritage, and Libraries Committee, Brendan Barns,
Activations Programme
As in previous years, complementing the artworks on display, Sculpture in the City offers a diverse and free activation programme starting this summer and finishing in Spring 2026. Events include a silent disco in partnership with MSCTY, a Cocktail & Create workshop, curated exhibition tours, a BSL guided tour, as well as offering again the popular Little Art Critics TV workshops for children.
To mark International World Mental Health Day, Sculpture in the City will host a long table discussion exploring the power of art for our wellbeing, Sculpting Perspectives: The Art of Connection.
A multimedia guide on the free arts and culture app Bloomberg Connects will allow visitors to explore the artworks with exclusive artwork information. In addition, MSCTY x Sculpture in the City will allow visitors to experience site-specific architecture-inspired music and sound art.
Sculpture in the City 16th July 2025 — Spring 2026 on display in the City of London’s financial district
Completely free and accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Project Partners: Aviva, Bloomberg, Brookfield Properties, CC Land, the City of London Corporation, Hiscox, Nuveen Real Estate, Tower 42. The Eastern City BID is the Activations Partner for the 14th Edition
Sculpture in the City is a Founding Partner of London Sculpture Week, a collaboration with Frieze Sculpture, The Line and the Mayor of London’s Fourth Plinth Programme. This year’s edition will run from 20th to 28th September, with plans underway for an expanded programme including a symposium.
The City of London Corporation is one of the largest funders of heritage and cultural activities in the UK and invests over £130m every year. The organisation manages a range of world-class cultural and heritage institutions, including the Barbican Centre, Tower Bridge, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Guildhall Art Gallery, The London Archives, and Keats House. It also supports the London Symphony Orchestra, which is based at the Barbican Centre, and the new London Museum.
About
Sculpture in the City is an annual sculpture park that uses the urban realm as a rotating gallery space. Every summer, the City of London, in partnership with local businesses, unveils a new selection of artworks by internationally acclaimed and emerging artists. World-class contemporary sculpture complements the unique architectural quality of the area and engages the passers-by, who range from local workers to architectural tourists and other visitors, animating one of the most dynamic parts of the City of London. Started in 2010 as a public realm activation project for the area of St Helen’s and Undershaft which resulted in an exhibition of just four artworks in June 2011, Sculpture in the City is celebrating its 14th Edition in 2025, having shown a total of 137 artists and 162 artworks to date. @sculptureinthecity
