Commissioned by Great Western Developments Ltd
Curated by Lacuna
Great Western Developments, owner of Paddington Square, have unveiled four internationally significant public works of art by artists Ugo Rondinone, Pae White, Catherine Yass and a temporary artwork up for a year by Kathrin Böhm.
This ambitious art initiative represents a major investment into the public realm by Great Western Developments, who commissioned the public art programme, and is curated by Lacuna.
The artworks are the first London-based outdooor public art commissions for all four artists.
Lacuna’s mission was to activate the site as a civic space and urban destination whilst presenting an engaging and exciting art programme. It represents the inclusivity and diversity of the local community and London at large. Lacuna’s curatorial approach was to be pro-active and invest in long-term community engagement with local initiatives which resulted in an ongoing partnership with The Showroom. The result is a fully engaged and engaging programme, which addresses the new building in the round and utilises art as a signifier (Ugo Rondinone), as murals on St Mary’s hospital buildings (Catherine Yass and Kathrin Böhm) and incorporated into the building above the new underground station entrance (Pae White).
Ugo Rondinone, yellow orange hermit & Kathrin Böhm, Why do we care about art?
Install view photograph by Oliver Dixon © Paddington Square
“Lacuna conducted extensive research into the neighbourhood, working with local communities and engaging with a diverse set of stakeholders, greatly enriching our curatorial approach and the development of these landmark commissions with leading contemporary artists. While lockdown presented us with new challenges, it also allowed us to develop novel methods for critical engagement with the evolving cultural conversation.”
Stella Ioannou, Director and Jade Niklai, Associate Curator, Lacuna
