Free art installations to see in London right now
London’s public art scene has never been more ambitious, and the best part is that some of the capital’s most talked-about installations are completely free to experience right now. From monumental earthworks at the Barbican to rooftop sculpture trails in Peckham and politically charged interventions in Westminster, the city is turning galleries, public squares and unexpected corners into open-air cultural destinations this summer. Here is our guide to the art installations not to miss.
Delcy Morelos: origo
Installation view, Delcy Morelos origo at the Barbican, London, 15 May – 31 July 2026. Photo Barbican Art Gallery Thomas Adank. © Delcy Morelos
#FLODown: Colombian artist Delcy Morelos brings the raw power of the earth to the Barbican this summer with origo, a monumental new installation in the centre’s Sculpture Court, filling the space with a vast landscape of soil, clay and spice. Opening the Court to the public for the first time in a decade, the work responds to the Barbican’s Brutalist architecture with winding tunnels and tactile earthen forms scented with cinnamon and clove, inviting visitors to wander, rest and reflect on humanity’s relationship with the natural world. Rooted in Andean cosmology and shaped by Morelos’s long exploration of land, memory and conflict, the installation continues her investigation into the connections between nature, humanity and history.
Date: 15 May – 31 July 2026. Location: Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS. Price: Free. barbican.org.uk
Bold Tendencies: EUPHORIA
EUPHORIA, Bold Tendencies. Image credit MTotoe. Courtesy of FLO London.
#FLODown: Celebrating 20 years of cultural programming, Bold Tendencies launches its 2026 season, EUPHORIA, featuring new commissions by Andreas Gursky, Emma Hart, Tarek Lakhrissi, and Louis Morlæ. Alongside visual art, the season includes orchestral performances, live events, The Listening Room, and a summer-long creative learning programme. The Peckham arts space is also home to permanent installations including Richard Wentworth’s Agora, Simon Whybray’s iconic pink staircase hi boo i love you, the Derek Jarman Garden designed by Dan Bristow.
Date: 15 May- 12 September 2026. Location: Bold Tendencies, Multi storey Car park, 7th-10th Floors, 95a Rye Ln, London SE15 4ST. Price: Free. boldtendencies.com
Banksy at Waterloo Place
Banksy at Waterloo Place. Image credit MTotoe. Courtesy of FLO London
#FLODown: Street artist Banksy has confirmed that a mysterious statue installed in Waterloo Place, central London, is his latest work. The sculpture shows a suited man walking forward while holding a flag that completely covers his face, appearing as though he is about to fall from the plinth. Placed among historic monuments celebrating British military and imperial history, many people have interpreted the piece as a criticism of blind patriotism, nationalism, and political power. Crowds quickly gathered to photograph the artwork, while experts praised both its symbolism and the daring way it was secretly installed in such a high-security location. Westminster City Council said the statue will remain accessible to the public for now, with safety barriers added around it.
Date: unknown. Location: Waterloo Place, London SW1Y. Instagram: @banksy
Gabriel Chaile: Archaeology of Memory
Installation view. Gabriel Chaile: Archaeology of Memory, Whitechapel Gallery
#FLODown: Archaeology of Memory at Whitechapel Gallery is a site-specific installation by Argentinian artist Gabriel Chaile. It presents his monumental adobe sculptures inspired by indigenous traditions from north-west Argentina, focusing on memory, ancestry, and cultural identity through anthropology and storytelling. Chaile incorporates found objects and ceramics sourced from East London, embedding them within sculptural forms that act as containers and guardians. The work transforms the gallery into an archaeological-like environment, linking different histories, communities, and cultural lineages.
Date: 1 April - 6 September 2026. Location: Whitechapel Gallery, 77-82 Whitechapel High Street, London, E1 7QX. Price: Free whitechapelgallery.org
Zineb Sedira: When Words Fall Silent, Cinema Speaks…
Image credit: Installation image, Tate Britain Commission: Zineb Sedira: When Words Fall Silent, Cinema Speaks... 2026 © TatePhotography (Joe Humphreys)
#FLODown: When Words Fall Silent, Cinema Speaks… by Zineb Sedira at Tate Britain explores the legacy of 1960s and 1970s African and Global South cinema, focusing on Algeria after its independence in 1962 as a hub for activist filmmakers. Commissioned by Tate, it reflects on cinema as a tool for political expression, collective memory, and international solidarity, drawing on “Third Cinema” and revolutionary film culture. The work features a recreated cinema showing Sedira’s four-part film, a 1960s Parisian café inspired by spaces of political discussion in exile, archival material, and reworked film technologies such as a Scopitone jukebox, highlighting how film was used to share anti-colonial ideas and preserve cultural and political histories.
Date: 13 May 2026 – 17 January 2027. Location: Tate Britain, Millbank, London, SW1P 4RG. Price: Free. tate.org.uk
Ain Bailey: The Jamaica Project
Installation view of Ain Bailey, 'The Jamaica Project' at Camden Art Centre, 2026. Photo Rob Harris
#FLODown: The Jamaica Project by Ain Bailey at Camden Art Centre reflects on identity, heritage, and connection to Jamaica through a trilogy of film, sound, and sculpture. It brings together three interconnected works: 5C Jacques Road: Part One (2026), which follows Bailey’s journey to Jamaica as she retraces her family roots; Untitled: Our Wedding (2022), which reflects on her parents’ marriage through photography, poetry, and reworked music; and Version (2021), which explores cultural memory through sound, food, and text alongside sculptural representations of Jamaica’s ackee fruit. Across the series, Bailey uses experimental composition and visual storytelling to engage with memory, grief, resistance, and belonging, creating a personal and layered reflection on Jamaican identity.
Date: 10 April – 14 June 2026. Location: Camden Art Centre, 51 Portland Rd, London W11 4LJ. Price: Free. camdenartcentre.org
