If public art is a cool way to start conversations, Central London is becoming a big conversation. From Ian Davenport Empty Lines (the UK’s largest outdoor painting) under the bridge in Southwark to the exciting artwork on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square and the giant digital art screens on Tottenham Court Road, the area is becoming a vibrant, bustling art scene. . New to the discussion is the Artists’ Garden. Opened in 2021 in the empty space above Temple tube station, The Garden is a real estate staircase that fits naturally into the pedestrian zone next to the River Thames. Entry is free and, most importantly, the Artist’s Garden is the only public art garden in the world dedicated to the work of women.
The garden was opened by London-based artist Lakwena with stunning colours Back in the Aira mosaic that covered an entire area of 1,400 square meters. For Cosmic Assignment followed by 2022, Tony Heywood and Alison Condie’s collection of greenhouses containing psychedelic sculptural forms. The following year, installation artist Holly Hendry created SlackwaterA lot of metal pipes were blown up when the water in the river turned. This year’s “MARY MARY” is the first group exhibition at The Artist’s Garden and features three-dimensional work by Rong Bao, Olivia Bax, Lucy Gregory, Virginia Overton, Candida Powell-Williams, Frances Richardson, Holly Stevenson, LR Vandy and Alice Wilson . The show’s title comes from the catchy nursery rhyme, “Mary, Mary, very contrary.” How Your Garden Grows,” rejects entrenched stereotypes of misogyny while showing what can happen when women take control of traditionally male-dominated artistic spaces.
The work of London-based artist LR Vandy speaks to the inequality of women, in life and in art. You have two pieces on display here. Dancing in Time: The Ties That Bind Us a smaller version of the artwork that forms part of the MLK pop-up series for the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool in 2023. Made of braided cords and woven reeds, the piece speaks of slavery and the origins of spiritual dances from the African diaspora. Cog-Woman superhero it’s a candy-colored cluster of industrial attractions that pay homage to the nearby Waterloo Bridge (known as the Ladies’ Bridge), said to have been built by women printers during the Second World War.
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At first glance, Rong Bao’s The Yellow Path it looks like a set of domino pieces or Lego bricks placed on end. Closer inspection reveals that the elevated flat circles are Braille characters, and Bao has created a square, endless trail of tactile carpets that depict the Braille paving stones used in Beijing to assist visually impaired pedestrians. Braille describes a poem by Alex Donnelly assigned specifically to the piece.
Olivia Bax’s Cartouche it consists of a box with metal bars attached, as well as tea and a bowl. It seems like a small thing at home, but maybe that’s the point. Virginia Overton’s Untitled (chime for Caro) is a large set of airframes made from scraps of metal discarded by sculptor Anthony Caro from his work at Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Caro has left the pieces for other artists, and the Artist’s Garden echoes with a wonderful squeal as visitors hit and push the pieces. Frances Richardson added tires and a pile of discarded fabric to an existing bench to draw attention to the homeless. Something Doneand Holly Stevenson’s Another Mother replaces one of the original parts of the space, the lost wall with his surreal ceramic version. It takes its name from the nearby hotel, Alice Wilson’s Savoy they are two bundles of tall, brightly painted wood blowing sweetly in the Autumn breeze. Candida Powell-Williams Auguries through fog it’s a hodgepodge. There is a pink orb (or possibly an egg) covered in Jesmonite flowers and human limbs. The four blue feet that support the cage rest on top of the egg/orb. There’s also a sort of blue chain and other full bits and bobs, and the whole caboodle is piled on a bowl-shaped four-wheeled cart. Oh, again
Leading the discussion stakes, however, is Lucy Gregory’s Everything is Kicking. Imagine a long vertical pole with flat images of female legs attached and handles at either end. Turn the handles, pole and legs to twist and spin in a crazy, free-wheeling version of the can. The artwork is a commentary on Victorian values, particularly how women were not welcome to show ankles under long crinolines and petticoats. Everything is Kicking chaos.
It’s amazing and sad that the Artist’s Garden exists. It’s noteworthy because, of course, it’s important to break new ground and give female artists the place they deserve. It’s sad because why aren’t there more places like this? In any case, although “MARY MARY” may not be one of the group’s most important shows, it is the perfect family-friendly introduction to public art, inclusive collaboration, socio-political messages and fun entertainment.
“MARIA MARIA” runs until September 3, 2025, in the Artists’ Garden above Temple tube station, London. Entry is free.
