Must-see public art in London 2026

London’s public art is redefining the cityscape this spring, with new sculptures and large-scale installations appearing across museums, gardens, and historic courtyards. In 2026, major works are on display at key cultural sites, including Thomas J Price’s monumental bronze figure outside the V&A East Museum, Dana-Fiona Armour’s illuminated installation at Somerset House, and David Hockney’s large-scale mural at Serpentine North. Here is your guide to must-see sculptures and installations across the city, and where to find them.

A Place Beyond by Thomas J Price

Thomas J Price, A Place Beyond, V&A East Museum. Public Art in London. Image credit MTotoe/FLO London

#FLODown: A Place Beyond is an 18-foot bronze sculpture by London-based artist Thomas J Price, unveiled outside the V&A East Museum in Stratford ahead of the museum’s public opening on 18 April 2026. The work depicts a fictional young person dressed casually and holding a mobile phone while looking out towards the horizon, suggesting hope and future possibilities. Price created the figure using a combination of images, 3D scans and observations, combining digital technology with traditional bronze casting techniques. By presenting an everyday person at monumental scale, the sculpture challenges traditional ideas of classical public monuments and questions who is usually represented in them. The work encourages viewers to bring their own thoughts and experiences to the piece while celebrating the diversity of East London.

Location: V&A East Museum, 107 Carpenters Road, E20 2AR. Website: vam.ac.uk Artist Instagram: @thomasjprice__

A Century of Becoming by Pauline Loctin

#FLODown: To mark the centenary of The Royal Ballet School, Covent Garden has commissioned French sculptural artist Pauline Loctin to create A Century of Becoming, a large-scale aerial installation celebrating 100 years of ballet training, movement and artistic excellence. Suspended throughout Central Avenue in the historic Market Building, the installation features 25 hand-crafted paper sculptures spanning 50 metres, each created through intricate folding techniques inspired by origami, tessellation and the precision of ballet. Drawing on the fluidity of dance, the architecture of The Royal Ballet School and the geometric lines of the Bridge of Aspiration, Loctin’s work transforms paper into a suspended choreography of folds, colour and rhythm. Created from more than 200 sheets of paper and over 26,000 individual folds, the installation reflects the discipline, dedication and continuous passing of knowledge across generations that define both ballet and artistic practice.

Location: The Market Building's Central Avenue, Covent Garden. coventgarden.london

Pénétrable BBL Jaune by Jesús Rafael Soto

Jesús Rafael Soto, Pénétrable BBL Jaune (1999;2023 Edition). © Jesús Rafael Soto / ADAGP, Paris 2026. Courtesy Atelier Soto, Paris and Galerie Perrotin. Photo: George Darrell. Courtesy Serpentine

#FLODown: Serpentine has unveiled Jesús Rafael Soto’s Pénétrable BBL Jaune (1999; 2023 Edition), the Venezuelan artist’s first outdoor installation in the UK. Installed near Serpentine South in Kensington Gardens, the large-scale public sculpture enables visitors to physically enter and move through the work. Comprising 4,000 suspended yellow PVC strands held within a 10-metre steel framework, the installation creates a constantly shifting visual experience as the strands move with the presence of the audience. A pioneer in kinetic art, Soto explored the relationship between movement, space and perception, transforming viewers from observers into active participants.

Date: 16 June – 25 October 2026. Location: Serpentine South, Kensington Gardens, London W2 3XA. serpentinegalleries.org

Ugo Rondinone: The Song is You

Ugo Rondinone - The Song is You, 2026. © Ugo Rondinone. Courtesy the Artist. Photo: © Royal Academy of Arts, London. Photography by Thomas Adank.

#FLODown: Ugo Rondinone’s The Song Is You is a rainbow installation created for the Royal Academy courtyard. In his artist’s statement, Rondinone explains that rainbows have been a symbol in his work for 30 years, representing both hope and grief. Inspired by the AIDS crisis of the 1990s, he used the rainbow to express survival, remembrance, and the importance of visibility. The artwork continues his series of rainbow poems, with each phrase carrying emotional meaning. The Song Is You invites every person who walks through it to become part of the artwork, showing that identity, connection, and human presence give the rainbow its meaning. Installed in the courtyard as a space between the outside world and the institution, the work creates a moment of reflection, acceptance, and shared experience.

Location: The Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BD.royalacademy.org.uk

Reading the Label by Lubaina Himid

Lubaina Himid, ‘Reading the Label’, Cork Street Galleries Banners Commission 2026. Courtesy Cork Street Galleries and The Pollen Estate. Photo Luke Hayes

#FLODown: Lubaina Himid’s Reading the Label is a banner installation displayed on Cork Street in London, featuring painted portraits of men she has created over the past 12 years. The artwork explores ideas of identity, representation, memory, and the stories hidden behind how people are seen by others. By placing these portraits in a public space, Himid encourages viewers to look beyond first impressions and consider the experiences and histories of each individual. The installation is shown at the same time as her major solo presentation representing Great Britain at the 2026 Venice Biennale, continuing her exploration of culture, belonging, and overlooked voices.

Location: Cork Street Galleries, Cork Street, Mayfair, London.

Serpentine Currents: Fragments of a Changing Future by Dana-Fiona Armour

Close up of Serpentine Currents by Dana-Fiona-Armour. Somerset House. Image Credit MTotoe/FLO London

#FLODown: Serpentine Currents: Fragments of a Changing Future is a large-scale courtyard installation by artist Dana-Fiona Armour presented at Somerset House as part of its 2026 season. Suspended above the Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court, the three-part illuminated sculpture is based on a 3D scan of Aipysurus fuscus, an endangered sea snake species. The sculpture’s mesh LED surface responds to historical and predictive ocean data from the British coastline, with shifting patterns of light representing rising sea temperatures and changing salinity levels. By turning scientific data into a dynamic visual display, the installation draws attention to the fragility of marine ecosystems and shifting ocean conditions. Suspended above the courtyard fountains, it mirrors the motion of tidal waters while inviting reflection on the connections between science, nature, and the planet’s future.

Location: Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court, Strand, London, WC2R 1LA Website: somersethouse.org.uk Artist Instagram: @danafionaarmour

A Year in Normandie Garden Mural by David Hockney

David Hockney: A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts about Painting, installation view, Serpentine North, 2026 © David Hockney. Image credit George Darrell

#FLODown: A large-scale printed mural by David Hockney is displayed in the garden at Serpentine North, featuring a scene from the spring cycle of his monumental work A Year in Normandie (2020–2021) that depicts a tree house surrounded by lush greenery. The monumental digital print reflects Hockney’s observations of seasonal change in his garden in Normandy and echoes the environment in which the original work was created. The mural accompanies the wider exhibition of new and recent works by Hockney at Serpentine North, running from 12 March to 23 August 2026, which includes new paintings made for the show alongside the full A Year in Normandie frieze, presented in London for the first time as part of the artist’s first exhibition at the Serpentine galleries.

Location: Serpentine North Gallery, West Carriage Drive, Kensington Gardens, London, W2 2AR Website: serpentinegalleries.org