ART OF LONDON TRANSFORMS PICCADILLY CIRCUS WITH FLOWER GARDEN AND DIGITAL SUNSET

Heart of London Business Alliance’s award-winning cultural initiative, Art of London, today celebrates the return of Art After Dark with a new, illuminated public art attraction transforming Piccadilly Circus for two days. The Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain has been decorated with thousands of flowers and meditative video art will be projected as over 40 art galleries stay open late on Thursday 29th and Friday 30th June for the two-day culture programme.

Set to transform Piccadilly Circus as night falls, Amelia Kosminsky’s video artwork, titled ‘Sparks of Nature’, will screen on the Piccadilly Lights and feature a striking sunset with hues of lilac, orange and yellow, to give the public a moment of tranquillity in one of London’s busiest areas.

Amelia Kosminsky’s stunning visual art has inspired world-renowned florist Philip Corps’ (Bridgerton) to decorate the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain with vibrant flower beds, accompanied by an illuminated terrarium to make the perfect Instagram picture.

Members of the public will experience a mesmerising display, with Amelia Kosminsky’s art evoking the beauty of natural life through ripples on lakes, fireflies and sunsets. Amelia Kosminsky was previously longlisted for the Aesthetica Art Prize 2021, an international award for contemporary art, which champions her as one of the most exciting artists from around the world.

In partnership with Westminster City Council and Landsec, Art of London’s new public art attraction aims to inspire West End visitors to discover the world-class art inside the galleries. As the curtain falls on this summer’s two-day art spectacle, which will showcase over 6,000 flowers and plants, Art of London will donate the floral display to the charity Thrive and for reuse in local communities.

Art After Dark, Art of London’s latest late-night cultural initiative, returns following a successful launch in March of this year. Art After Dark is a free and seasonal arts programme uniting world-class institutions and the finest independent galleries across the West End to keep exhibition doors open late into the night.

Art After Dark, created in partnership with Mayfair Art Weekend, will feature London’s most acclaimed independent galleries shaking up the art scene on Thursday, including Cristea Roberts, 3812 Gallery and Stern Pissarro, while on Friday members of the public can absorb the culture at the Royal Academy of Arts, National Gallery and, finally open to the public after its three-year closure, the National Portrait Gallery. Throughout the late-night art programme, culture seekers can visit world-class restaurants and bars with many establishments offering special offers.

Amelia Kosminsky, artist and co-creator, said: “‘There is so much action and life in our great city but sometimes the pace can be overwhelming. I wanted to create work that gives the public a moment of calm, a pocket of peace where they can stop, take a breath and observe something quietly beautiful within an urban environment. Bringing summer and nature to Piccadilly Circus has been a wonderful experience and I can’t wait for people to enjoy it.”

Philip Corps, florist and co-creator, said: “I’m delighted to unveil this incredible public art installation in the heart of London and offer members of the public, hopping between galleries during Art After Dark, a tranquil space to reflect on the world-class art they saw inside the galleries.”