1 June 2016 - 1 June 2017
Now in its sixth year, the critically acclaimed Sculpture in the City returns to the Square Mile with contemporary works from internationally renowned artists.
Seventeen artworks in 20 locations ranging considerably in scale - from a seven-metre high cast iron head, to a series of delicate and playful lead paper chains - are thoughtfully placed between iconic architectural landmarks such as the Gherkin and the Cheesegrater. Wander the City's public spaces and stumble upon world-class public art, on an urban canvas recognised across the globe.
Gavin Turk's Ajar is installed in St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate Gardens. As a direct reference to the painting 'La Victoire' by Rene Magritte, 'Ajar' is a surreal gateway: a spiritual journey through the imagination, an interactive sculpture that children will enjoy as much as adults. It is a key to the imagination: unlocking ideas of the infinite as mused on by Aldous Huxley quoting Blake, "If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite."
It simultaneously references both Duchamp's work '11 Rue Larrey', a corner door that is always open and shut and a Bugs Bunny sketch, where a door in a frame freely stands on a cliff in a landscape. 'Ajar' is placed without walls and is permanently half open encouraging the choice to go around, or go through.
