London is one of the best places in the UK to see art. Not only is it home to a wide range of galleries and museums, but the streets are full of permanent statues and art installations.
If you’re planning a trip to the capital, here are six works that you should check out on your next visit!
Crystal Palace Dinosaurs – Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins
Visit Jurassic Park without the fear of being eaten by one of the dinosaurs at Crystal Palace.
These dinosaur sculptures were unveiled to the public in 1854, and while by modern standards these dinosaurs are anatomically incorrect, the exhibition itself makes for an interesting piece of history… and a fun day out that even the kids can enjoy.
Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle – Yinka Shonibare
Still large by ship-in-a-bottle standards, Yinka Shonibare’s sculpture is a miniature replica of HMS Victory and represents the complex relationship between Africa and Britain.
Originally placed on Trafalgar Square’s fourth plinth, the ship in a bottle has since been moved to the more fitting home of London’s National Maritime Museum.
Bleigiessen – Thomas Heatherwick
Located at the Welcome Trust, close to Euston Station in London is Thomas Heatherwick’s magnificent masterpiece. This installation comprises of 142,000 glass spheres suspending from the ceiling by than 20,000 steel wires provided by the experts at Ormiston Wire.
The combination of glass and wire suspension gives a stunning effect when light hits the sphere’s making it really worth the visit!
A Bullet from a Shooting Star – Alex Chinneck
In homage to the industrial history of London, Alex Chinneck’s upside down electricity pylon is an incredible feat of engineering.
A Bullet From A Shooting Star makes for fascinating viewing during the day, but if you really want the full effect, then visit the sculpture at night to see it lit up in beautiful lattices of light.
Winged Figure – Barbara Hepworth
Sitting unobtrusively on the side of Oxford Street’s John Lewis, Barbara Hepworth’s Winged Figure has been a staple of the shopping street since 1963.
In fact, you may have seen this sculpture without even realising it if you’ve ever made a retail therapy trip to London. The Winged Figure was refurbished in 2013 for its 50th anniversary and looks set to remain in place for many more years to come.
Square the Block – Richard Wilson
In a similar side-of-building construction, Richard Wilson’s Square the Block sits on the corner of the LSE Law School building.
This nonsensical but brilliant piece of engineering art combines copies of two unconnected sections of building squashed together and then scrambled up for complex architectural addition to the corner of the building.
Do you have a favourite piece of public art in London? Tell us all about it in the comments below!
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