This is an opportunity to see brand new sculpture, created by current Turner Prize winner, Jasleen Kaur, and meet those involved in the project – including one of Thamesmead’s horses! The event will take place on Saturday 29 November at Cygnet Square from 1.30 - 3pm.
About the artwork
The artwork consists of a poem etched into the ground, which leads to a weathervane by the lake edge. The words of the poem pay tribute to some key moments and places in Thamesmead’s rich history. The weathervane displays the words ‘Horses are Here’, the final line of the poem and a tribute to the Travelling community’s horses that have grazed in Thamesmead for decades.
How it was created
Jasleen was commissioned to create the artwork by a group of five Thamesmead residents, Shalini Panchal, Comfort Adeneye, Gonzalo Fuentes, Qozeem Lawal, and Whitney Manassian. Working as a creative studio and collaborating with local people, they have helped shape an artwork that honours Thamesmead’s past, present and future.
Speaking at the beginning of the project, the creative studio said: “This opportunity to commission new artworks as a team is really ambitious, and it gives us the unique chance to make sure the work produced represents where we’re from, who we are, and what we’re about.”
The project was conceived by creative agency Studio Danmole, public art consultant Company, Place and youth culture specialist Joseph Gray. The partnership provided a paid learning programme in which the Thamesmead team gained practical expertise – from researching and brief writing to artist selection – helping prepare them for a future in the creative industry.
You can find out more about the artwork here.