News release

Peninsula Square, one of London’s newest public squares, will become home to a fascinating new installation by artist Julian Walker from 4 February. 

Entitled Births, Chimneys and Lightermen - Collecting Greenwich Peninsula, Walker’s artwork is a meticulously displayed collection of over 1,500 found artefacts and texts.  Historical objects and everyday items are brought to light as he explores the physical, natural, historical and social landscape of Greenwich Peninsula.  The installation, which will form part of the Story Wall in front of The O2, investigates the peninsula’s unique demographics, geology, archaeology and natural history, and invites viewers to create their own stories for the area.

Local people were encouraged to get involved in the creation of the installation by providing details and descriptions of themselves to be incorporated into the work, such as, ‘child aged 10, beachcomber, swimmer, pub manager.’ In the coming months there will also be ongoing workshops and events held with residents and schools.

Julian Walker said, “I see the peninsula as a field of half-lost information, a location for the invention of stories, contrived networks of information and identity. It’s a place where an eel-trapper’s jacket button, a Victorian laundress’s name, a sliver of glass from an industrialist's house, the wing of a moth, a dried willow leaf, and the price of a bus fare can all be authentic, appropriate, and a total fabrication.”

The work has been commissioned by English Partnerships, the national regeneration agency, on behalf of the Art in the Public Realm Greenwich Peninsula client group and in conjunction with AEG Europe.  

Philip Dibsdale, Area Director for South London at English Partnerships said, “We want to establish a reputation for high quality art at Greenwich Peninsula.  This commission is an important first step towards ensuring art makes a positive contribution to the regeneration process.  I believe it will engage and inspire a diverse audience from London and beyond who are encouraged to visit the peninsula and see it for themselves.”

Meridian Delta Limited, a member of the client group, is helping to facilitate the installation. Design Manager, Lawrence Robertson, said, “"The rich history of Greenwich Peninsula has a vital role to play in its future as a vibrant new district for London. This installation places art and history firmly at the centre of the green spaces, buildings and facilities that are being created at the peninsula and underlines the strength of our commitment to creating a strong sense of place from the start."

David Campbell, President and CEO of AEG Europe, said, “With thousands of people visiting The O2 every day it plays a key role in the life of the peninsula. This project is a great way to demonstrate the bigger picture of the regeneration of the area to The O2’s visitors who come from not just all over the UK, but the world as well.”

This commission is the first of a ‘collection’ under Art in the Public Realm Greenwich Peninsula. This programme has been established to develop a cohesive approach to programming art in relation to one of London’s most important regeneration projects. It brings the public, private and voluntary sectors together and engages artists’ creative ideas in the regeneration process. The collection will include temporary interventions, built places and spaces, events and performances, debate and education, and artists on the design team.

The Art in the Public realm Greenwich Peninsula client group is headed up by national regeneration agency, English Partnerships, and includes representatives of Arts Council England, Greenwich Council and the peninsula’s two principle developers, Meridian Delta Ltd (a joint venture between Lend Lease and Quintain Developments Plc) and Greenwich Millennium Village Ltd (a joint venture between Countryside Properties Plc and Taylor Wimpey Developments Ltd).  It was set up by English Partnerships to ensure that a collaborative, inclusive approach is adopted to the provision of art in the public realm across the peninsula in support of the area’s ongoing transformation into a well-connected, sustainable community.
This work will continue Walker’s collection-based installations shown over the past 12 years in the UK and abroad, many of which have involved local residents.   His work can currently be seen at the Wellcome Collection and at Norwich Castle Museum. Website – http://walkerjulian.tripod.com

Births, Chimneys and Lightermen – Collecting Greenwich Peninsula, an art installation by Julian Walker
 
Walker’s installation responds to the historical, physical and social aspects of the Greenwich Peninsula by referring to its past, present and possible future.   Linking texts based on historical and personal records, geology, archaeology and natural history to a collection of found artefacts, objects and images, it proposes a landscape of continuous reinvention, and invites viewers to create their own Peninsula stories.

What is art in the public realm?

Art in the public realm embraces a wide range of activities involving artists - from permanent site-specific sculpture and the shaping of our environment, to temporary installations or interventions that excite and challenge our perceptions of our environments. It can have a part to play in the regeneration of communities involving a process that encourages local people to embrace new ideas and skills, to develop a sense of ownership, and make decisions about their locality.

Artists working alongside other professionals and designers can contribute their conceptual and practical skills to the creation of buildings, structures and public spaces.  They bring an extra dimension of thought, research, sensibility and understanding to the design of public places and the way people experience them.

Art in the public realm can encompass sculpture, installation, painting, craft, applied arts, design, film and video, sound art, digital art, new media, urban design, architecture, street art, community arts, socially engaged arts practice, process based art and temporary arts events, including festivals and public screenings.

English Partnerships is the government’s national regeneration agency. Our aim is to deliver high quality, sustainable growth in England.

The agency is overseeing the regeneration of Greenwich peninsula and has invested over £225m in the last ten years.

English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation are working with the Department for Communities and Local Government to establish the new Homes and Communities Agency.

Arts Council England works to get more art to more people in more places.  They develop and promote the arts across England, acting as an independent body at arm’s length from government.  Between 2006 and 2008, they will invest £1.1 billion of public money from government and the National Lottery in supporting the arts.  This is the bedrock of support for the arts in England.  They believe that the arts have the power to change lives and communities, and to create opportunities for people throughout the country.  For 2006 to 2008, they have six priorities: taking part in the arts, children and young people, the creative economy, vibrant communities, internationalism and celebrating diversity.

Greenwich Council is the local authority responsible for providing a diverse range of public services to residents and businesses in the inner London borough including refuse collections, social housing and education services. It covers an area of more than 5,000 hectares stretching from Deptford in the west to Thamesmead in the east and Eltham in the South to Woolwich in the north and serves a population of approximately 226,600 people. There are currently more than 100 different languages spoken in the borough, and it’s estimated that about 25 per cent of the Borough’s population are from ethnic groups other than white. The Council's ongoing aim is to make Greenwich the place to live, work, learn and visit.
Greenwich Millennium Village Limited is a joint venture development by Countryside Properties plc and Taylor Wimpey Developments Ltd in association with English Partnerships.
Countryside Properties Plc is a leader in property development, the creation of sustainable communities and urban regeneration.  The Group is widely recognised as a responsible developer which is totally committed to sustainable development.  The Company, which was incorporated in 1958, is owned jointly by the Cherry family and Bank of Scotland which is providing the Group with significant funding. 

Taylor Wimpey Developments Ltd is a part of Taylor Wimpey plc, listed on the London Stock Exchange and the UK’s largest homebuilder.  Through its homebuilding brands George Wimpey, Bryant Homes and G2, Taylor Wimpey provides nationwide coverage in the UK, building one bedroom apartments and starter homes up to large detached family houses.  As well as operating in the UK, Taylor Wimpey plc builds homes in North America, Spain and Gibraltar.

Greenwich Peninsula

The £5 billion regeneration of 190 acres of Greenwich Peninsula led by Lend Lease and Quintain Estates and Development PLC working with English Partnerships, will create a thriving new riverside community for London over the next 15 years.

• 10,000 new homes in distinct residential neighbourhoods
• 24,000 permanent jobs
• Peninsula Central  - a new business district for London 
• 150 new shops and restaurants
• 1.6 miles of river frontage; the distance between Waterloo and London Bridge
•  48 acres of open spaces and parks; the size of Green Park
• Extensive new community and leisure facilities
• The O2 entertainment destination delivered and operated by AEG Europe
• Excellent transport links, situated in zone 2 on the jubilee line
•  Aspiration for the highest environmental standards for new buildings

Lend Lease, listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, is a leading real estate specialist which creates and manages real estates assets around the world.  In the UK its business is focussed primarily in the delivery of large scale mixed use schemes which lead to the regeneration of major urban sites.

Quintain Estates and Development PLC is a leading property investment and development company specialising in strategic property acquisition, redevelopment, asset management and regeneration across the UK.  Quintain operates through three business segments - fund management, property investment and urban regeneration.

Quintain is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a FTSE 250 company.