Commissioned by M&G Real Estate
Curated by Lacuna
M&G Real Estate, the owner of state-of-the-art office complex, 40 Leadenhall, has commissioned a permanent site-specific artwork by Lothar Götz on Fenchurch Buildings and acquired two sculptures by Erwin Wurm in the atrium of their main building, as part of a public art programme curated by LACUNA.
LACUNA was appointed to integrate artworks into the fabric of the building at 40 Leadenhall to enhance its character and benefit the communities who use it. As part of their approach, Lacuna conducted a thorough scoping study to identify meaningful indoor and outdoor locations for art placement. The opportunity for artwork sites was tailored to the building’s unique context ranging from internal lobbies and staircases to corridors, escalators, and the exterior façade. One particularly engaging opportunity emerged with the wall location for 'May Day', which was explored fully alongside the client team to realise the final artwork.
Designed by Make Architects, 40 Leadenhall was the largest office development to complete in London’s Square Mile in 2024. It’s designed to be green in use and will be among the UK’s first buildings to achieve the NABERS certification. The building’s ‘vertical village’ includes a fitness studio, a 22,500 sq ft treatment and changing area, a wellness suite, library and a 30-seat cinemaroom. Employees will also benefit from the building being fully SMART enabled, allowing them touse touchless technology to book spaces at the 200-seat auditorium, two restaurants, 17 outdoorgreen spaces and terraces and the communal 11th floor rooftop clubhouse and providing multiple opportunities to work and relax.
Lothar Götz - May Day 2025
Installed by The London Mural Company
Courtesy domobaal
“May Day is an ancient festival celebrating the arrival of Spring, deeply rooted in the history of Europe – where people danced, and still dance, around May Poles. I‘ve always loved to dance. I love clubbing and once even thought of becoming a dancer myself. This love of movement and pleasure in many kinds of dance is often embedded in the titles and identity of many of my murals and paintings: Dance Diagonal (Towner Gallery, Eastbourne), Xanadu (Leeds Art Gallery), Pas de Trois (a solo show at domobaal paying homage to Oskar Schlemmer's 'Triadisches Ballett'), and Purple Rain, to name but a few. May Day is celebrated in many countries as a day to champion worker’s rights. It is a moment to mark something fresh we are looking forward to; joyful, new, bright and uplifting, a better world. May Day is a symbol of excitement, positivity, empathy and friendship. It has always been one of my most favourite days of the year. May Day, the mural - a new permanent commission at Fenchurch Buildings, part of the 40 Leadenhall development in the City of London- entrenches and honours all these human and societal references. It is where paint, colour, architecture and space meet. I hope the mural will awake similar feelings for passers-by, echoing my joyful memories of this special day. A title to celebrate the positive power of art."
Lothar Götz.
Lothar Götz, May Day 2025. Photo © LongStoryShort
May Day is the artist’s first public outdoor wall painting in London and the work forms an integral part of the wider public art programme at 40 Leadenhall, curated by LACUNA. Installed by The London Mural Company, the striking 12m tall mural is visible to pedestrians from Leadenhall Street and Fenchurch Buildings. The piece is viewable from various vantage points inside the building. The work enlivens the space and is designed to surprise, inspire and excite building occupiers and pedestrians alike.
“We are delighted to be working with Lothar in this unique corner of the City which has been made accessible by the beautiful new building at 40 Leadenhall. The City is full of nooks and crannies representative of the incredible breadth of history in the Square Mile and will now include a fantastic contemporary artwork which references May Day celebrations which took part in this historic part of London on Undershaft, literally a stone’s throw away’”.
Stella Ioannou, Director, Lacuna
Lothar Götz, May Day 2025. Photos © LongStoryShort
“What a privilege to have the opportunity to play a part in enriching the public realm with such an uplifting piece of art, congratulations Lothar.”
Geoff Harris Managing Director, Head of Development, Europe, at Nuveen Real Estate who developed the building on behalf of M&G
Erwin Wurm - Hurry (Bag Sculptures) 2023 & Trip (Bag Sculptures) 2021
Courtesy the artist and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Seoul, and London
Left to right: Erwin Wurm, Hurry (Bag Sculptures), aluminium & paint, 2023.
Erwin Wurm, Trip (Bag Sculptures), aluminium & paint, 2021. Install view photographs © Lacuna
Early 2025 saw the installation of two sculptures by Austrian artist, Erwin Wurm, in the Central Hall of 40 Leadenhall: Hurry (Bag Sculptures) and Trip (Bag Sculptures). Both sculptures are from his ‘Bags’ series and provide a subtle social critique of contemporary culture. Taking highly coveted handbags as his inspiration, Wurm bases his work on luxury goods, often acquired to serve as symbols of sophistication, wealth and social prowess. These bags are often seen as extensions of their owners and Wurm, ironically, anthropomorphizes them by giving them a set of sleek long legs to further suggest this association.
Left to right:
Erwin Wurm, Hurry (Bag Sculptures), 2023 & Trip (Bag Sculptures) 2021
aluminium & paint. Install view photographs © Lacuna
