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Temporary Public Art

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Temporary Public Art in Plymouth

Plymouth’s most prominent artworks range from sculptures inspired by Plymouth’s history, sculptures with a functional or playful purpose and a range of socially engaged commissions and a number of trails.

Hydrosapien

A collaborative performance piece that brought together Plymouth’s D/deaf and hearing communities with vocal artists to form a choir, ‘Hydrosapien’ was performed as part of the 2018 Plymouth Art Weekender.

Miss Lido, Show Us Your Guns

At the 2016 Plymouth Art Weekender, the bizarre and the spectacular collided in a performance featuring drummers and alternative beauty queens at Pebblestone Beach.

New Plymouth Rock

‘New Plymouth Rock’ was a concrete sculpture shown as part of The Atlantic Project in 2018. Located outside the Civic Centre it paid homage to ‘Plymouth Rock’ in Massachusetts, USA, a geological object claimed to be the first thing the passengers of the Mayflower set foot on when they arrived in America in 1620. Alongside this structure, a mobile app allowed users to manipulate the rock and share their unique versions of this historic item.

Plymphony No.1

A live performance of two parts created by Shannon Watson and produced in collaboration with Imperfect Orchestra, this piece was performed during the 2018 Plymouth Art Weekender and was shaped by the movement of the swimmers in the water.

Synapsid

Artist Karen Tang drew on inspiration from science fiction – spanning botany, biology and extra-terrestrial landscapes – for Synapsid: a globular form that represented constant change and metamorphosis; referencing the Golden Age of Sci-Fi movies relevant to the artworks site specific locations.

The Gold Ones

This artwork was commissioned by Visual Arts Plymouth as part of the 2016 Plymouth Art Weekender.

The Long Way

A travelling audio installation circumnavigating Armada Way, ‘The Long Way’ carried biographical stories of adventures and departures, inspired by sailor Bernard Moitessier.

The Salty Singing Spectacle of Shiny Sozzled Sailors

A series of immersive performance pieces with a playful and humorous take on the city’s naval history; moving throughout the city, stopping at various locations to entertain passers-by.

What Comes To Matter

An audio and soft sculpture installation that explored LGBTQ+ narratives of Plymouth, supported by archive material and conversations with local people.

What is it that sets us apart

A series of 18 flags were commissioned and installed along the Hoe Promenade flag poles as part of the ‘We The People Are The Work’ visual arts programme.

Worth’s Folly

Bridgette Ashton’s work was inspired by the discovery of the Cattedown Caves in the 1880’s and their connection to the destruction and further reconstruction of Plymouth. A range of pieces were created for the 2018 Plymouth Art Weekender spanning sculpture, interpretation and charcoal ink drawings.