Piccadilly Art Takeover
Free public art display in the West End
21 July - 6 September 2021
Piccadilly, London
Free
Friends of the RA go free
We're bringing more art to Londoners with a free outdoor exhibition in the heart of Piccadilly. Discover hanging canvases, zebra crossings, and a 780-metre film, brought to you by some of the UK's leading artists.
The Royal Academy of Arts, in partnership with Art of London, is welcoming people back to the capital by turning Piccadilly into an outdoor exhibition space.
From colourful zebra crossings, to floating artworks and weekly videos, Piccadilly comes alive with art and imagination from a range of Royal Academy artists.
Free
Friends of the RA go free
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Look down at Vanessa Jackson RA’s Piccadilly zebra crossings
Vanessa Jackson RA has created 13 unique zebra crossings aptly named UpTownDancing. The works invite you to feel the rhythm created by Jackson’s vibrant colours as you cross the street.
Look up at 30 hanging canvases by Michael Armitage, Farshid Moussavi RA and Yinka Shonibare RA
Make your way down Piccadilly where hanging canvases create a floating gallery overhead.
Michael Armitage’s works combine rich colours and dreamlike images to create visions of history, myth and contemporary life. More of his works can be seen in the exhibition Michael Armitage: Paradise Edict at the RA.
Ewaso Niro (detail), 2016–2017
Dream and Refuge, 2020
John Barry, O Kelly, Sonny and Richard Moore, 2020
Architect Farshid Moussavi OBE RA’s works demonstrate the beauty of structural design as she plays with shades of pinks and yellows in these two-dimensional representations of her mesmerising, curvilinear creation, La Folie Divine, in Montpellier, France.
La Folie Divine 1/4,
La Folie Divine 2/4,
La Folie Divine 3/4,
La Folie Divine 4/4 ,
Yinka Shonibare CBE RA combines geometric shapes with bright batik fabric designs, creating a bold background for his version of the Piccadilly Eros sculpture, seen firing roses toward the pavement and passers-by.
Shonibare will also showcase his creativity and expertise as coordinator of the RA’s annual Summer Exhibition later this year.
Eros and the Rose I,
Eros and the Rose II,
Eros and the Rose III,
Eros and the Rose IV ,
Watch a 780-metre film by artist Isaac Julien RA in the heart of Piccadilly
As Isaac Julien CBE RA prepares for the UK premiere of his 10-screen film installation, Lessons of the Hour, a highlight of the Edinburgh Art Festival 2021 (29 July to 29 August), London audiences will enjoy a single-screen adaptation of the film. Video shorts will be shown regularly, culminating in a 30-minute presentation.
Top tip: enhance your experience by scanning the QR code and unlocking the audio component; you can also turn your surroundings into a virtual 10-screen exhibition space.