Art on the Peninsula

Encircled by the Thames, Greenwich Peninsula thrives as a bustling district in the capital – soon to be filled with 15,000 new homes, 48 acres of green space, and pioneering art, design and architecture.

‘The truth is, there has been a lot going on. For visitors and residents of London, it’s worth spending some time rediscovering the area. Many people are surprised how much the Peninsula has transformed since 1999,’ says Kaia Charles, the Cultural Projects Manager at Greenwich Peninsula's NOW Gallery. ‘In the last five years we’ve introduced new works fusing art and architecture and playing with scale. They form a trail through the Peninsula – from its green spaces to the riverside.’

Artworks weave into the fabric of the emerging hub, which includes the burgeoning Design District set to open architectural marvels and workspaces. You can find many works peppered along The Tide designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro – a landscaped pathway that will eventually wrap 5km around the Peninsula. The innovative destination also features mainstay exhibition space, NOW Gallery that hosts captivating shows from the contemporary creative sphere, urban gardening haven The Jetty and plenty of spots to refuel and relax.

The free-to-view public masterpieces connect to the district’s rich history as an epicentre of industrialism, and also embrace the surrounding winding waterways, offering multiple perspectives to enjoy along the trail. Here, take a journey through the works by rising stars to renowned talents, and discover how they were bought to life.

Hydra & Khali

Damien Hirst

English contemporary artist Damien Hirst once lived on the Peninsula. So this could be described as a special homecoming of sorts. Two of his fantastical monuments have landed here, from his collection Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable. First off is a pair of seven-foot bronze figures that are full of ancient references from Greek mythology to Hinduism. ‘[Hydra + Kali] is a battle between the sexes, male and female, swords against serpents,’ says Hirst. The visual feast was first seen on the Venice lagoon in 2017 – ‘I think all the works are at home beside water; it’s so nice that that carries on.’ Say hello to Hydra and Kali on their podium as you walk along The Tide.

Mermaid

Damien Hirst

Hirst had a clear narrative for this intricate creature that has her gaze fixed out to the water, arm rising up in the air: ‘I imagined the collector had fallen in love with a woman and commissioned a sculpture of her. Under one of the sculpture’s waves is a blue-ringed octopus, one of the most poisonous animals in the sea. There’s also a parrot fish, and crabs in her hair.’ Detailed and playful, the mythical character is also intended to speak to ‘everyone’s successes and failures’ according to Hirst, but we will leave the interpretation up to you.

Head in the Wind

Allen Jones

This site-specific installation by pop artist Allen Jones has contrasting viewpoints. Soaring in the sky, the red sculpture’s sweeping tips of hair and silhouette can be appreciated when viewed from above, while from ground level, the experience is more abstract. Made from an aluminium sheet, Head in the Wind’s namesake alludes to an earlier work by Jones, created when he was at Hornsey Art College in 1959. ‘It’s remarkable to see how it’s bookending my career, but it confirms something I’ve always believed: that is within everybody there is a notion of completeness, which is unconsciously operating.’ Fun fact: Jones knew Stanley Kubrick, after the director was keen include one of his works in A Clockwork Orange.

Siblings

Morag Myerscough

‘My days are consumed by thinking about colour,’ muses Morag Myerscough when discussing her bright and energetic addition to the Peninsula. The London-based artist wraps a family of functional structures located in the archways of The Tide with her palette – a healthy dose of blue, yellow, pink, green, and graphic patterns bring vigour to these concrete canvases.

A Bullet from a Shooting Star

Alex Chinneck

Offering a slice of surrealism on the Peninsula, the 35-metre-high latticed steel ‘A Bullet from a Shooting Star’ is an architectural feat, appearing as an upturned electricity pylon, fallen from our skies. As a starting point for the work, London-based sculptor Alex Chinneck dug into the district’s archives – ‘I looked at the history of the area. I discovered gas works and power generation—this site was home to the largest gas works in Europe.’ Commissioned for London Design Festival in 2015, the colossal structure lights up at night to theatrical effect, while creating intriguing shadows during the day.

Want to keep exploring? Carry on along the Peninsula and visit works on The Line – an art walk that hosts Thomson & Craighead’s sign marking the distance around the globe, Richard Wilson’s sliced vertical section of a sand dredger, Quantum Cloud by Antony Gormley, Gary Hume’s bronze limbs and more…