I'M STAYING, Neon, 550 x 20 x 80 cm
Leadenhall Market, London
June 2018 - March 2021

I'M STAYING will remain on show in Leadenhall Market, London, for Sculpture in the City Edition 9

I’M STAYING is a neon sculpture which was originally commissioned in 2014. The sculpture travelled around the city of Bristol, UK moving quarterly for two and a half years, with each location determined by the Bristol public voting online and suggesting new locations. The I’M STAYING project has since expanded and produced multiple artworks, including prints, screen-printed t-shirts, stamped currency, videos, photography, surveys and paintings. Each of these pieces attempts to explore the varying discourse generated from the neon and its movements. The artist has begun to develop new works in response to the Sculpture residing in Leadenhall Market.

Sculpture in the City Edition 9 includes: Kevin Francis Gray, Do Ho Suh, Michael Lyon, Leo Fitzmaurice, Nancy Rubins, Salvatore Arancio, Lawrence Weiner, Nina Saunders, Patrick Tuttofuoco, Shaun C Badham, Marisa Ferreira, Nathan Coley, Juliana Cerqueira Leite, Jyll Bradley, Clare Jarrett, Reza Aramesh and Elisa Artesero.

Sculpture in the City Edition 8 included: Marina Abramovic, David Annesley, Shaun C Badham, Miroslaw Balka, Jyll Bradley, Tracey Emin CBE RA, Clare Jarrett, Juliana Cerqueira Leite, Gabriel Lester, Sarah Lucas, Amanda Lwin, Jean-Luc Moulène, Michail Pirgelis, Thomas J Price, Richard Rome, Nancy Rubins, Sean Scully RA and Karen Tang

I'M STAYING T-shirts can be purchased here.

Links
ArtDaily: Highest ever number of artists take part in City of London's Sculpture in the City 2018
Art Industry News: July 2018
Leadenhall Market - Sculpture in the City
Londonist - The 2018 Sculpture In The City Is The Best Yet
City Matters - City sculptures accessorise the Eastern Cluster
ArtLyst - Sculpture in the city
Culture Whisper - Sculpture in the City





The Will to Proceed Tour as part of Nocturnal Creatures, WhiteChapel Art Gallery

Photo credit: Nick Turpin

As part of Nocturnal Creatures I presented The Will to Proceed, a tour which coincides with my on-going participatory project I’M STAYING. The I’M STAYING neon sculpture initially travelled around the city of Bristol for two and half years travelling via democratic vote. I'M STAYING arrived at Leadenhall Market in 2018 as part of the eighth edition of Sculpture in the City and will remain, for another year, for the ninth edition. In maintaining the democratic essence of the project, my tour required participants to vote repeatedly to determine the group’s movements throughout the tour. I started by describing two artworks to the group, while not revealing the artist's name, the artwork's title or the medium. I attempted to focus on the ideas behind the work and what feelings it instils, leaning more towards the poetic. The group then voted for which one of the two artworks they would like to visit. Once at the artwork, an informal group conversation was had about the sculpture's meaning, truths, and descriptive accuracy. This process repeated four times, throughout the tour.