NOW OPEN: Call for Submissions – Outdoor Public Art. 14th Edition, Sculpture in the City, City of London, 2025–2026. Deadline for submissions: 12.00pm (GMT), Tuesday 18th March 2025. The City of London Corporation, in partnership with Lacuna (the curatorial team) and the Sculpture in the City Arts Advisory Board, are pleased to extend a call for submissions to the 14th edition of Sculpture in the City, taking place from July 2025 to Summer 2026.

WHAT IS SCULPTURE IN THE CITY

Sculpture in the City (SITC) is an award-winning annual urban sculpture park, launching with a new edition in the summer. It is a cultural initiative delivered by the City of London Corporation in partnership with 10 local businesses using the Square Mile as an outdoor urban gallery space to show the best of contemporary art by established and emerging artists nationally and internationally. Open 24/7 with no admission charge.

Each year the Arts Advisory Board selects artworks from an open call to realise a unique display of contemporary art in an urban setting.

EXHIBITION

To date, SITC has presented 162 contemporary artworks in the City of London’s public spaces over 13 editions (2011–2025).

The 13th edition (on view until spring 2025) showcases 17 contemporary artworks by established and emerging British and international artists, including Vanessa da Silva, Richard Mackness, Victor Lim Seaward, Julian Opie, Oliver Bragg, Ida Ekblad, Hilary Jack, Arturo Herrera, Seph Li, Daniel Silver, Jesse Pollock, Maya Rose Edwards, Samuel Ross, Clare Burnett and Elisa Artesero. To view the full list of artists, exhibition plan, highlights video and for further information, visit https://www.sculptureinthecity.org.uk/artwork/13th-edition/

To access the free audio guide by Bloomberg Connects, download app here: https://www.bloombergconnects.org

ACTIVATIONS PROGRAMME

SITC has been activated during Nocturnal Creatures (2018-2022) in partnership with the Whitechapel Gallery, a contemporary arts festival which brought together artist performances, music, films, talks and culinary experiences.

In 2023 SITC was activated through a family-friendly festival called SculptureFest, including the festival highlight Little Art Critics TV.

For the 13th edition the activation programme has been spread out across the year, including movement workshops, cocktail & create workshops, student takeovers, BSL guided tours, guided tours, artist talks and a return of Little Art Critics TV. You can find out more on the programme here: www.sculptureinthecity.org.uk/activation-programme/

The project is committed to extending the activation programme. Confirmed artists will be invited to submit proposals for this.

Sculpture in the City offers exciting opportunities for young people to engage with the City of London through our extensive award-winning educational programme delivered by Urban Learners. The programme reaches 200 students from local schools each year.

You can find out more about the programme here: www.sculptureinthecity.org.uk/education/

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR 

The 14th edition of Sculpture in the City offers a unique opportunity for sculptors, artists, designers and illustrators to submit artworks in two categories.

Submission categories: 3D Sculpture and 2D Art

This page is dedicated to submitting to 3D Sculpture and 2D Art.

The call for submissions for the 14th edition of Sculpture in the City is now open for pre-existing artworks suitable for outdoor display from July 2025 to Summer 2026. Selected artworks will be on view for a year in one of London’s most iconic urban environments.

This year SITC will select 4 new artworks for the 14th Edition. One of these works will be from an up-and-coming emerging UK artist.

Artwork criteria:

• Contemporary work
• Work that is immersive and interactive
• Large-scale and high impact works
• Work that creates a dialogue between the art and architecture/urban realm
• Works suitable for outdoor display in a busy urban environment for a minimum of 12 months (from July 2025 to summer 2026). Artworks exhibited are made from a variety of materials (marble, stone and metal) and/or mixed media (fabric, ceramic and other composite materials).
• Works which do not exceed 10 tons in weight. Weight and installation requirements of certain artworks, in line with weight-loading capacity of specific locations, are important considerations for the selection and positioning of selected artworks.
• Works that do not require an electrical supply.
• Works which are free standing and do not require fixing into the ground. But with the flexibility to be presented on a plinth if required.
• Works that can be displayed in an inclusive and accessible way

The exhibition does not have a specific theme. Selection is based on each work’s artistic merit and its suitability to the urban context (e.g. materiality, scale and style) and the criteria above.

ARTWORK LOCATIONS

SITC takes place in the EC3 area around the City of London’s historic buildings and iconic contemporary architecture. The project’s character is inspired by the dialogue between the contemporary artworks and their old and new architectural settings. 

There are many sites of varying sizes and conditions. The scale of the surrounding tall buildings calls for large-scale works. The prevalence of shiny monochrome buildings that make up the City Cluster, provide an ideal setting for bold and colourful artworks.

Potential sites include:

3D SCULPTURE

• Aldgate Square, EC3N 1AF (Next to St Botolph without Aldgate Church)
• Mitre Square, pavement, EC3A 5DH
• Mitre Square, green space, EC3A 5DH
• Undershaft, EC2N 4AJ, in front of Crosby Square
• Undershaft, EC3A 8AH, beside St Helen’s Church
• Corner of Bishopsgate & Wormwood Street, EC2M 3XD
• St Botolph-without- Bishopsgate Churchyard, EC2M 3TL
• 70 St Mary Axe, EC3A 8BE
• The Leadenhall Building EC3V 4AB

2D ART

• The Leadenhall Building, Escalators, EC3V 4AB
• The Leadenhall Building, Glass Wall, EC3V 4AB

Please note, sites are subject to confirmation in Spring 2025. Preferred locations may be specified in your submission however we cannot guarantee this site will be available. Artists will be informed of their potential location at shortlisting.

Examples for 3D Sculpture and 2D Art Categories from previous exhibitions can be found here:

3D SCULPTURE

• Aldgate Square, EC3N 1AF (Next to St Botolph without Aldgate Church)
• Mitre Square, pavement, EC3A 5DH
• Mitre Square, green space, EC3A 5DH
• Undershaft, EC2N 4AJ, in front of Crosby Square
• Undershaft, EC3A 8AH, beside St Helen’s Church
• Corner of Bishopsgate & Wormwood Street, EC2M 3XD
• St Botolph-without- Bishopsgate Churchyard, EC2M 3TL
• 70 St Mary Axe, EC3A 8BE
• The Leadenhall Building EC3V 4AB

2D ART

• The Leadenhall Building, Escalators, EC3V 4AB
• The Leadenhall Building, Glass Wall, EC3V 4AB

 
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Only entries with the following requirements will be considered:

1. Artworks relevant to the specified categories
2. Artworks that meet the criteria 
3. Fully completed submission forms
4. We only accept a maximum of three applications per artist. Any artist exceeding the limit will be automatically disqualified.

We encourage all artists, whose work meets the above criteria, to apply. SITC is an inclusive and diverse community; artists of all races, genders, disabilities and identities are invited to apply.

PREPARING AN APPLICATION

To support the application process, prospective applicants are invited to a webinar with Lacuna. The webinar will include a Q & A section.

Thursday 6 March 2025, 11.00am-12.30pm (GMT) Or Wednesday 12 March 2025 1.00pm-2.30pm (GMT)

Led by Alice Sandon, Arts Producer, Lacuna. Meeting link will be shared with registered participants. To register for the webinar, please email: alice@lacuna-projects.com

Deadline for registering for each webinar: Thursday 6 March 2025, 9.00am (GMT) Or Wednesday 12 March 2025, 9.00am (GMT)

We strongly recommend applicants visit the 13th edition of Sculpture in the City. You can access the free guided map here: www.sculptureinthecity.org.uk/visit

CONTACT

For questions please contact: Alice Sandon, Arts Producer, Lacuna: alice@lacuna-projects.com

Applications must be submitted via curatorspace.com

For more information: www.sculptureinthecity.org.uk/call-for-submissions/

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 12.00pm (GMT), Tuesday 18th March 2025

SELECTION PROCESS

Submitted artworks are presented for shortlisting to the Art Advisory Board. Shortlisted artists and/or their gallerists are invited to a site visit with Stella Ioannou, Artistic Director and Alice Sandon, Arts Producer to select the most suitable site for the artwork.

Following the site visits, the project team liaises with the landowners to obtain approval and negotiates with the local authority legislative teams, as well as engineering and installation team. When this process is complete, meeting the conditions of the budget, the final artwork selection will be confirmed.

KEY DATES

Thursday 6 March 2025, 11.00am-12.30pm (GMT)- SITC Webinar with Lacuna Arts Producer, Alice Sandon.

Wednesday 12 March 2025, 1.00pm-2.30pm (GMT)- SITC Webinar with Lacuna Arts Producer, Alice Sandon.

Tuesday 18 March 2025, 12.00pm (GMT) – deadline for submissions

March 2025 – selection process 

April 2025 – notification of successful applicants

July 2025 – installation of artworks

July 2025 – exhibition opening and press launch

CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION

Artworks are on loan for up to 12 months (July 2025 – Summer 2026).

They must be suitable for outdoor display in the public realm for the entire period and subject to a loan agreement with the City of London Corporation.

SITC covers shipping within the UK, installation, insurance and maintenance costs.

Please note that shipping from outside the UK will be considered but not guaranteed.

SITC works with professional art handlers providing bespoke solutions for art handling, installation, transport and insurance.

Participating artists and galleries receive full credit on all marketing and press materials and are invited to attend the press preview.

For the 14th edition, exhibiting artists will receive an artist fee of £750 each.

HOW TO SUBMIT

Applications must be submitted via curatorspace.com.

We strongly encourage artists to review earlier editions online and to visit the current exhibition where possible. www.sculptureinthecity.org.uk, @sculptureinthecity/ @lacunaprojects  / Linkedin / lacuna-projects.com

For questions please contact: Alice Sandon, Art Producer, Lacuna: alice@lacuna-projects.com

Please review this document and the FAQs before contacting the Art Producer.

SITC BACKGROUND INFORMATION

ABOUT LACUNA

Lacuna is a leading cultural studio realising contemporary art and events in urban spaces and local communities. Led by Founding Director, Stella Ioannou, it works with a core team of project associates, including Arts Producer, Alice Sandon and Studio Coordinator, Rachel Ball. @lacunaprojects  / Linkedin / lacuna-projects.com 

THE ART ADVISORY BOARD

An esteemed Arts Advisory Board, in tune with contemporary cultural discourse and familiar with the practical requirements of the setting, is responsible for the selection of artworks.

The Arts Advisory Board wishes to address contemporary issues, including gender and equality, freedom, democracy and representation, belonging and climate concerns.

Members of 14th edition Arts Advisory Board:
Sepake Angiama, Artistic Director, Iniva
Iwona Blazwick OBE, Former Director, Whitechapel Gallery
Whitney Hintz, Curator, Hiscox
Shanay Jhaveri, Head of Visual Arts, Barbican Art Centre
Vanessa da Silva, Artist & Sculpture in the City Artist 12th & 13th edition
Andrea Schlieker, Director of Collections and Displays, Tate Britain

PRESS COVERAGE FOR SITC

“None of the works in Sculpture in the City are here to stay, none are iconic statements; the pleasure is rather the unexpected interactions between works, places, people. [...] It is wholly different from the experience of rural sculpture parks, where monumental pieces stand proud and bold against open skies, yet nature always wins and remains the chief attraction. Here in the beleaguered post-pandemic city, sculpture transforms, cheers and heals.”

– Jackie Wullschläger, The Financial Times, FT Weekend (Life & Arts), 19–20 June 2021

“London has a lot of sculpture trails and temporary public displays, but Sculpture in the City has maybe the highest calibre of artists of them all. The works selected for this year’s exhibition are by some of the best young artists around, and some of the biggest established names too. If this was in a museum, you’d be impressed.”

-Eddy Frankel, Time Out London,6 July 2023

SITC ARTISTS SHOWN TO DATE

1st Edition (2011–2012): Kenneth Armitage, Anish Kapoor, Julian Opie, Franz West.

2nd Edition (2012–2013): Michael Craig-Martin, Tracey Emin, Angus Fairhurst, Dan Graham, Thomas Houseago, Yayoi Kusama.

3rd Edition (2013–2014): Jake and Dinos Chapman, Keith Coventry, Ryan Gander, Nigel Hall, Shirazeh Housiary, Robert Indian, Richard Wentworth.

4th Edition (2014-2015): Lynn Chadwick, Antony Gormley, Nigel Hall, Paul Hosking, Jim Lambie, Ben Long, João Onofre, Peter Randall-Page, Petroc Sesti, Cerith Wyn-Evans, Richard Wentworth, Julian Wild.

5th Edition (2015–2016):  Ekkehard Altenburger, Bruce Beasley, Adam Chodzko, Laura Ford, Damien Hirst, Shan Hur, Folkert de Jong, Sigalit Landau, Kris Martin, Keita Miyazaki, Tomoaki Suzuki, Xavier Vielhan, Ai Weiwei.

6th Edition (2016–2017): Huma Bhabha, Anthony Caro, Mat Collishaw, Enrico David, Shan Hur, William Kentridge & Gerhard Marx, Sarah Lucas, Michael Lyons, Jürgen Partenheimer, Benedetto Pietromarchi, Jaume Plensa, Recycle Group, Ugo Rondinone, Lizi Sánchez, Petroc Sesti, Giuseppe Penone, Gavin Turk.

7th Edition (2017–2018): Daniel Buren, Fernando Casasempere, Martin Creed, Ryan Gander, Damien Hirst, Kevin Killen, Paul McCarthy, Nathaniel Rackowe, Peter Randall-Page RA, Recycle Group, Bosco Sodi, Karen Tang, Gavin Turk, Mhairi Vari, Mark Wallinger, Gary Webb.

8th Edition (2018–2019): Marina Abramović, David Annesley, Shaun C. Badham, Mirosław Bałka, Jyll Bradley, Tracey Emin CBE RA, Clare Jarrett, Juliana Cerqueira Leite, Gabriel Lester, Sarah Lucas, Amanda Lwin, Jean-Luc Moulène, Michail Pirgelis, Thomas J. Price, Richard Rome, Nancy Rubins, Sean Scully RA, Do Ho Suh, Karen Tang.

9th Edition (2019–2020): Reza Aramesh, Salvatore Arancio, Elisa Artesero, Shaun C. Badham, Jyll Bradley, Nathan Coley, Marisa Ferreira, Leo Fitzmaurice, Kevin Francis Gray, Clare Jarrett, Juliana Cerqueira Leite, Michael Lyons, Nancy Rubins, Nina Saunders, Jennifer Steinkamp, Do Ho Suh, Jonathan Trayte, Patrick Tuttofuoco, Lawrence Weiner.

10th Edition (2021–2021): Elisa Artesero, Mike Ballard, Oliver Bragg, Alice Channer, Bram Ellens, Jake Elwes, Ruth Ewan, Mark Handforth, Regitze Engelsborg Karlsen, Laura Arminda Kingsley, Jun T. Lai, Isabella Martin, Laure Prouvost, Rosanne Robertson, Eva Rothschild, Almuth Tebbenhoff, Guillaume Vandame, Tatiana Wolska.

11th Edition (2021-2022): Elisa Artesero, Mike Ballard, Oliver Bragg, Alice Channer, Shezad Dawood, Bram Ellens, Jun T. Lai, Sarah Lucas, Jocelyn McGregor, Emma Louise Moore, Pedro Pires, Jesse Pollock, Ugo Rondinone, Eva Rothchild, Victor Lim Seaward, Emma Smith, Bosco Sodi, Guillaume Vandame, Claudia Wieser.

12th Edition (2023-2024): Arturo Herrera, Elisa Artesero, Emma Louise Moore, Emma Smith, Isamu Noguchi, Jesse Pollock, Joceyln McGregor, Larry Bell, Mika Rottenberg, Oliver Bragg, Pedro Pires, Phyllida Barlow, Rafael D’Aló, Simeon Barclay, Ugo Rondinone, Vanessa da Silva, Victor Lim Seaward.

13th Edition (2024-2025): Arturo Herrera, Clare Burnett, Daniel Silver, Hilary Jack, Ida Ekblad, Jesse Pollock, Julian Opie, Oliver Bragg, Richard Mackness, Maya Rose Edwards, Samuel Ross, Seph Li, Vanessa da Silva, Victor Lim Seaward.

Photo: Julian Opie, Charles. Jiwon. Nethaneel. Elena (2024). Courtsey the Artist and Lisson Gallery, London.