In this episode, Lucy Branch speaks with Lowri Harris, Associate Curator for Public Art at Canary Wharf, for an insider's look at one of London's most ambitious public sculpture collections. Lowri shares how the collection has grown and evolved over 30 years, what she looks for when acquiring new work, and the fascinating behind-the-scenes logistics of managing art in a busy public estate.
Key Topics Covered
How the collection is acquired — a genuinely mixed process: unsolicited pitches, open calls, research trips, and word of mouth. Gallery representation is not required; what matters is a strong presentation, good photography, and evidence of practical thinking about installation.
What makes a successful pitch — understanding the collection, proposing a specific location, and demonstrating awareness of logistics: weight, dimensions, durability, and public interaction.
The shift towards place-making — newer acquisitions increasingly consider how a work shapes and activates a space, not just occupies it. Colour, murals, and light works are playing a growing role.
The Whale by Studio KCA — 11 metres tall, made from five tonnes of reclaimed plastic pulled from the oceans around Hawaii. Originally shown in Bruges, it now sits in the Canary Wharf dock. Its concrete ballast uses a coffee-concrete mix made from grounds collected from the estate's cafes — a sustainability story that runs through every layer of the project.
Lowri's wish list — monumental works with softness and tactility; the push-pull of scale. She mentions Hélène Blumenfeld's Metamorphosis as a favourite, and expresses admiration for Yinka Shonibare's wind sculptures.
Sean Henry's standing figures — beloved (and slightly unnerving) for their near-human scale; visitors instinctively try to make them part of the scene.
Moving works around — Returning to Embrace and It Takes Two, both acquired in 1999, were recently relocated to Montgomery Square, bringing them new audiences and what feels like a fresh life.
Safety and public interaction — a candid conversation about the realities of managing sculpture in a space with 50,000 visitors on a single Winter Lights evening.
Winter Lights Festival — now in its tenth year, drawing an estimated 350,000 visitors over 12 evenings.
Insider Tip: Where to Visit
Lowri recommends: Wood Wharf, home to around 12 works, with a coffee stop at 640 East opposite The Whale
Lucy recommends: Sky Station by Peter Newman at Adams Plaza — recline on the sculpture and look up at the sky
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