The Line (art trail)

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The Line is a public art trail in London's East End, opened in 2015, that very roughly follows the path of the Greenwich meridian as it crosses the River Thames.[1][2] It consists of a set of artworks positioned on a 7.7-kilometre (4.8 mi) walking route starting at the London Stadium, passing down the Lea Valley, crossing the Thames via the London Cable Car, and ending at The O2 in Greenwich.[3] The trail includes works by Anthony Gormley and Tracey Emin.[4]

List of artworks[edit]

Image Title Artist Year Location Notes
ArcelorMittal Orbit Anish Kapoor 2012 Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
51°32′18″N 0°00′47″W / 51.53826°N 0.01294°W / 51.53826; -0.01294 (ArcelorMittal Orbit)
Created for the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, this is the tallest sculpture in the United Kingdom at 115 metres (377 ft) and features two observation decks.[5][6]
The Slide Carsten Höller 2016 Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
51°32′18″N 0°00′47″W / 51.53826°N 0.01294°W / 51.53826; -0.01294 (The Slide)
The Slide was added to the ArcelorMittal Orbit in 2016. It is the world's longest tunnel slide at 178 m (584 ft) and riders can reach speeds of up to 24 km/h (15 mph).[7]
Nature in Mind / Untitled Madge Gill 51°32′08″N 0°00′42″W / 51.53542°N 0.01171°W / 51.53542; -0.01171 (Nature in Mind / Untitled) 10 large-scale reproductions of works by local artist Madge Gill, part of a series curated by Sophie Dutton.[8]
The Living Line Somang Lee 2022 51°32′08″N 0°00′29″W / 51.53555°N 0.00803°W / 51.53555; -0.00803 (The Living Line) Watercolour illustrations of plants and wildlife found along the trail. Some of the illustrations were created by local school children.[9]
Diver Ron Haselden 2012 51°31′57″N 0°00′31″W / 51.53244°N 0.00850°W / 51.53244; -0.00850 (Diver) Animated light installation showing a person diving into water[10]
Nature in Mind / Untitled Madge Gill Three Mills
51°31′39″N 0°00′27″W / 51.52745°N 0.00750°W / 51.52745; -0.00750 (Nature in Mind / Untitled)
A series of large-scale reproductions of works by local artist Madge Gill, curated by Sophie Dutton.[11]
Untitled (Juniper) Virginia Overton 2014 Three Mills
51°31′39″N 0°00′27″W / 51.52737°N 0.00750°W / 51.52737; -0.00750 (Untitled (Juniper))
A weather vane in steel and gold leaf featuring a juniper tree, referencing both the artist's origins and a former gin distillery at Three Mills.[12]
A Moment Without You Tracey Emin 2017 51°31′36″N 0°00′27″W / 51.52659°N 0.00751°W / 51.52659; -0.00751 (A Moment Without You) Five bronze sculptures of birds mounted on tall poles.[13]
Living Spring Eva Rothschild 2011 51°31′23″N 0°00′26″W / 51.52311°N 0.00711°W / 51.52311; -0.00711 (Living Spring) 4 m (13 ft) tall sculpture of striped steel tubes.[14]
0°00 Navigation Part II: A Journey Across Europe and Africa Simon Faithfull 2023 51°31′16″N 0°00′30″W / 51.52124°N 0.00825°W / 51.52124; -0.00825 (0°00 Navigation Part II: A Journey Across Europe and Africa) Engravings of drawings that Faithfull made during an international journey following the Greenwich Meridian[15]
DNA DL90 Abigail Fallis 2003 Bow Creek
51°31′13″N 0°00′31″W / 51.52037°N 0.00860°W / 51.52037; -0.00860 (DNA DL90)
This 9.3 m (31 ft) tall sculpture is a double helix made up of 22 shopping trolleys. It marks the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the structure of DNA, and the artist considers the trolleys a symbol of modern consumer culture.[16]
Nature in Mind / Untitled Madge Gill Cody Dock
51°31′04″N 0°00′08″W / 51.51789°N 0.00209°W / 51.51789; -0.00209 (Nature in Mind / Untitled)
Large-scale reproduction of a work by local artist Madge Gill, spanning the River Lea. One of a series curated by Sophie Dutton.[17]
Nature in Mind / Red Women Madge Gill Star Lane DLR station
51°31′14″N 0°00′13″E / 51.52048°N 0.00372°E / 51.52048; 0.00372 (Nature in Mind / Red Women)
One in a series of reproductions of works by local artist Madge Gill, curated by Sophie Dutton.[18]
Nature in Mind / Untitled Madge Gill Royal Docks
51°30′28″N 0°01′03″E / 51.50789°N 0.01740°E / 51.50789; 0.01740 (Nature in Mind / Untitled)
6 large-scale reproductions of works by local artist Madge Gill, part of a series curated by Sophie Dutton.[19]
Bird Boy (without a tail) Laura Ford 2011 Royal Docks
51°30′27″N 0°01′03″E / 51.50761°N 0.01745°E / 51.50761; 0.01745 (Bird Boy (without a tail))
A sculpture of a child wearing a bird costume, standing on a pontoon.[20]
Types of Happiness Yinka Ilori 2019 (created), 2023 (installed) Royal Docks
51°30′28″N 0°01′08″E / 51.50774°N 0.01896°E / 51.50774; 0.01896 (Types of Happiness)
Two 10 feet (3.0 m) tall chairs decorated in the style of African wax prints, representing happiness and pride.[21][22]
Sanko-time Larry Achiampong 2020 London Cable Car
51°30′09″N 0°00′42″E / 51.50250°N 0.01165°E / 51.50250; 0.01165 (Sanko-time)
Two audio works designed to be listened to during a journey on the London Cable Car, reflecting on the history of the area and the impacts of colonialism.[23]
Quantum Cloud Anthony Gormley 2000 Greenwich Peninsula
51°30′07″N 0°00′33″E / 51.50181°N 0.00920°E / 51.50181; 0.00920 (Quantum Cloud)
29 m (95 ft) tall sculpture, inspired by Gormley's conversations with the physicist Basil Hiley. Originally commissioned for the millennium North Meadow Sculpture Project.[24]
Liberty Grip Gary Hume 2008 Greenwich Peninsula
51°30′16″N 0°00′18″E / 51.50437°N 0.00509°E / 51.50437; 0.00509 (Liberty Grip)
A bronze sculpture with three sections, each modelled on a mannequin's arm.[25]
Tribe and Tribulation Serge Attukwei Clottey 2022 Greenwich Peninsula
51°30′17″N 0°00′07″E / 51.50482°N 0.00198°E / 51.50482; 0.00198 (Tribe and Tribulation)
A 5.5m tall totemic sculpture made of 1.4m cubes of reclaimed wood, including timber from Ghanaian fishing boats, and an embedded sound installation.[26]
A Slice of Reality Richard Wilson 2000 Greenwich Peninsula
51°30′15″N 0°00′01″W / 51.50414°N 0.00024°W / 51.50414; -0.00024 (A Slice of Reality)
A sliced section through the former sand dredger Arco Trent. Originally commissioned for the millennium North Meadow Sculpture Project.[27]
Here Thomson & Craighead 2013 Greenwich Peninsula
51°30′11″N 0°00′05″W / 51.50316°N 0.00146°W / 51.50316; -0.00146 (Here)
This sculpture is located on the Greenwich meridian and is a UK road sign displaying the 24,859-mile (40,007 km) distance around the Earth back to its position.[28]
A Bullet from a Shooting Star Alex Chinneck 2015 Greenwich Peninsula
51°30′04″N 0°00′02″W / 51.50124°N 0.00057°W / 51.50124; -0.00057 (A Bullet from a Shooting Star)
A sculpture of an electricity pylon balanced at an angle on its tip. It is 35 metres (115 ft) tall and weighs 15 tonnes. Originally commissioned for the 2015 London Design Festival.[29]

Former works[edit]

Several works were previously part of The Line, but have since been removed.

Image Title Artist Created Added Removed Location Notes
Inhibition Point James Balmforth 2015 April 2016 January 2017 [30]
Work No.700 Martin Creed 2007 May 2015 December 2016 Royal Docks
51°30′28″N 0°01′08″E / 51.5077°N 0.01887°E / 51.5077; 0.01887 (Work No.700)
[31]
Sensation Damien Hirst 2003 May 2015 November 2019 [32]
Vulcan Eduardo Paolozzi 1999 May 2015 June 2017 [33]
Network Thomas J. Price 2013 May 2015 November 2019 [34]
Reaching Out Thomas J. Price 2020 August 2022[35] Three Mills Green
51°31′46″N 0°00′24″W / 51.52942°N 0.00665°W / 51.52942; -0.00665 (Reaching Out)
The third sculpture of a black woman in the UK, and the first by a black artist, this is not based on a single person but is a fictional composite of various references. The statue is 9 feet (2.7 m) tall and weighs 420 kilograms.[36][37]
Consolidator #654321 Sterling Ruby May 2015 August 2019 The Crystal [38]
The Hatchling Joanna Rajkowska 2019 Large replica of a blackbird egg. This was a mixed media work and sound equipment played the noises made by chicks as they prepare to hatch.[39]
Transfiguration Series Bill Viola May 2015 August 2015 House Mill, Three Mills
51°31′39″N 0°00′28″W / 51.52742°N 0.00785°W / 51.52742; -0.00785 (Transfiguration Series)
[40]
No. 1104 Catching Colour Rana Begum 2022 London City Island
51°30′41″N 0°00′21″E / 51.51148°N 0.00577°E / 51.51148; 0.00577 (No. 1104 Catching Colour)
Clouds of coloured mesh, suspended above a path.[41]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "The Line". Time Out London. 2 August 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  2. ^ McCabe, Katie (28 April 2020). "London's first public art walk The Line goes online". Time Out London. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  3. ^ "Weekend Walks: The Line Sculptural Trail". Londonist. 3 June 2015. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  4. ^ "Walk The Line: East London's Sculpture Park". Culture Whisper. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  5. ^ "Anish Kapoor". The Line. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  6. ^ "Anish Kapoor's Olympic Orbit tower unveiled". The Independent. 11 May 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  7. ^ "Carsten Höller". The Line. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  8. ^ "Madge Gill". The Line. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  9. ^ "Somang Lee". The Line. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  10. ^ "Ron Haselden". The Line. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  11. ^ "Madge Gill". The Line. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  12. ^ "Virginia Overton". The Line. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  13. ^ "Tracey Emin". The Line. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  14. ^ "Eva Rothschild - The Line - London's first art walk". The Line. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  15. ^ "Simon Faithfull". The Line. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  16. ^ "Abigail Fallis". The Line. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  17. ^ "Madge Gill". The Line. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  18. ^ "Madge Gill - The Line". The Line. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  19. ^ "Madge Gill". The Line. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  20. ^ "Laura Ford". The Line. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  21. ^ "Yinka Ilori". The Line. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  22. ^ Carlson, Cajsa (20 June 2023). "Yinka Ilori places gigantic chairs in Royal Docks for Types of Happiness installation". Dezeen. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  23. ^ "Larry Achiampong". The Line. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  24. ^ "Antony Gormley". The Line. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  25. ^ "Gary Hume". The Line. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  26. ^ "Serge Attukwei Clottey: Tribe and Tribulation, 2022". The Line. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  27. ^ "Richard Wilson". The Line. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  28. ^ "Thomson & Craighead". The Line. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  29. ^ "Alex Chinneck". The Line. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  30. ^ "James Balmforth". The Line. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  31. ^ "Martin Creed". The Line. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  32. ^ "Damien Hirst". The Line. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  33. ^ "Eduardo Paolozzi". The Line. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  34. ^ "Thomas J Price". The Line. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  35. ^ @TheLineLondon (11 August 2022). "Reaching Out by Thomas J Price will be leaving The Line on 26th August" (Tweet). Retrieved 13 August 2023 – via Twitter.
  36. ^ "Thomas J Price". The Line. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  37. ^ Brown, Mark (5 August 2020). "Sculptor's black 'everywoman' erected on public art walk in London". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  38. ^ "Sterling Ruby". The Line. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  39. ^ "Joanna Rajkowska". The Line. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  40. ^ "Bill Viola". The Line. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  41. ^ "Rana Begum". The Line. Retrieved 17 February 2024.

External links[edit]