As we draw closer to the end of 2021, there is much to reflect and celebrate. At Futurecity, we are reflecting particularly on how culture sustained us in another challenging year of a global pandemic. Throughout the month of December, we will be sharing some of the key projects we have delivered on behalf of culture in our cities during a period of global recovery across city sites and our digital channels.

Join us as we look back at our highlights of 2021.

As people fluctuated between periods of restriction and access to one another and indoor spaces, public art had a resurgence of importance. Whether revisiting permanent artworks, or the visiting the temporary Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square or Frieze Sculpture Park, people appreciated the ability to safely engage with cultural activity.

This year was a banner year of ambitious commissions, led by an international curatorial team. From a brilliant takeover of a building at the heart of the heart of the Arts Precinct of Melbourne, our Australian associate Sophie Forbat, with the support of Sherry Dobbin and Rachael McNabb, curated the Melbournian multi-media artist and writer, Atong Atem, who creatively put forth Australian identity through references of botanic and design representations. In our hometown of London, our team of Sherry Dobbin, Vicki Young, Rachael McNabb, Chloe Stagaman installed Jaume Plensa’s WE – two figures in dialogue across the Shard Quarter, one sitting, one floating from the Shard itself. For the Dubai Expo 2020, Rachel McNabb, Alessandra Grinasschi, Ying Tan and George Kekatos helped deliver Mat Collishaw’s Equinox, a zoetrope shaped as a lotus flower that rises and opens at the centre of the permanent Sustainability Pavilion.

We also were proud to partner with the 4-month, multi-country, 8000km performance work of The Walk of Little Amal and assist in local London partnerships and the global UNICEF HQ. Stepping forward to support ambitious, temporary works in the public realm that unite individuals and communities in a common act of welcoming refugees with the best of what we can culturally perform. It is an honour to support the ambitions of bringing the ‘gallery Without Walls’ to a wide public across the globe. We are thankful for the power of culture, and finding ways, even during the greatest restrictions, to allow for creative expression to give our lives more meaning.

Read on for a snapshot of the artworks in detail.

AUSTRALIA Outdoor Living by Atong Atem Hanover House, Melbourne Commissioned by Beulah for STH BNK

Melbourne’s Hanover House – and future site for STH BNK by developer Beulah – has been brought to life by the city’s rising star artist Atong Atem, who was commissioned to animate two facades of the building. Futurecity was appointed by Beulah to curate an artwork to transform the building through June 2022, with the brief to creatively showcase Beulah’s commitment to sustainability, wellness and technology by incorporating low-VOC and low-energy consumption materials.

ASIA Outdoor Living by Atong Atem Terra Sustainability Pavilion, Dubai Expo 2020, Dubai Commissioned by EMAAR for Dubai Expo 2020

Equinox, an animated sculpture by celebrated artist Mat Collishaw, curated by Futurecity and commissioned by Expo 2020 Dubai has taken centre stage at Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion. The Terra Sustainability Pavilion provides a stunning showcase for the 3D artwork that harnesses zoetrope technology, an early form of animation, to create a captivating optical illusion. Futurecity is honoured to be the curators for such a high-profile arts commission bringing arts, science and technology together on such a global and influential stage.

EUROPE WE by Jaume Plensa Shard Quarter, London Commissioned by The Shard London

Jaume Plensa, the world-renowned Spanish sculptor, unveiled his latest work, WE, in Shard Quarter, London Bridge in September. WE comprises two parts – one installed in The Shard’s piazza, one suspended above the escalator outside the building – facing each other as if in dialogue. The Shard’s owners commissioned the piece, curated by Futurecity, to be experienced by those visiting, living and working in Shard Quarter, connecting the two areas of the development’s public realm. By establishing a link between the two, they will be inspired to consider the notion of self, alongside the people around them.

THE WALK WITH LITTLE AMAL 8,000 km from Turkey to UK Produced by Good Chance Theatre

‘The Walk’ with Little Amal was a moving arts festival of music, dance and theatre celebrating the refugee experience. At the heart of the walk was ‘Little Amal’, a 3.5 metre-tall living artwork of a young Syrian refugee child. Produced by Good Chance Theatre, The Walk travelled from Turkey to the UK, crossing 8000 kilometres, 65 cities, towns and villages, creating 120 cultural events along the way. The Walk transcended borders, politics and language to share a new way of thinking about what it means to be a refugee in today’s world through the power of art and storytelling. Futurecity is proud to have been a partner for Little Amal and her visit to London, and will continue to support the role of the arts to influence transformational change.