Public art in the city
Learn about public art in Brighton & Hove. Visit artwork that has been commissioned across the city and take part in public art trails.
A new Public Art Strategy for the city
Read our new Public Art Strategy: One Landscape, Many Views Public Art Strategy 2022 to 2032.
In 2018, the Arts and Creative Industries Commission supported by the council identified the need for a long-term public art strategy.
The purpose of the Strategy is to provide a framework for public art in Brighton & Hove over the next 10 years. It has been developed as a shared vision to embed public art into the fabric of the city to reflect Brighton & Hove’s unique history, diverse communities, creativity, innovation and energy.
This strategy has been prepared during a time when the purpose and value of public space is being re-evaluated and re-discovered. This has provided a unique opportunity to reconsider how art in the public realm might evolve. It considers what is most relevant to Brighton & Hove residents, and how their voices can be represented and involved in creating public art.
Further documents have been developed to support the strategy including the Public Art Planning Advice Note and Public Art Commissioning Toolkit. They provide guidance for those commissioning public art, to promote excellence and established protocols in this field.
Join the launch of One Landscape, Many Views Public Art Strategy 2022 to 2032 at the Structures of Community Symposium
Structures of Community is a 3 day public art symposium and associated programme examining the role of social engaged art practice in public art including the launch of One Landscape, Many Views Public Art Strategy 2022 to 2032.
The programme is produced by Brighton CCA in partnership with Brighton & Hove City Council and in collaboration with Towner Eastbourne and University of Brighton.
Visit the Culture In Our City website
You can find the most up to date information for Public Art Commission opportunities on the Culture In Our City website.
Current Public Art Projects
The Brighton Station Public Art Commission
The Brighton Station Public Art Commission is a new large-scale public artwork for the city, commissioned by Brighton & Hove City Council in partnership with Brighton CCA.
The aim is for the artwork to speak to both locals and visitors; to commuters and to families and to become synonymous with the region and an iconic part of Brighton & Hove’s identity. The artwork is due to be installed in Autumn 2022.
Black Rock Public Art Commissions
Black Rock and the Sea Kale: Friends with Benefits has invited artists and creative practitioners to interrogate this unique site and make proposals for innovative ways to celebrate and reimagine what Black Rock is and might be. The reinvigorated public realm will become a canvas for artists to respond creatively, celebrating and reimagining the site.
Enliven Brighton Art Trail
The trail features colourful artwork from a variety of talented professional artists.
As part of the ABCD Cultural Recovery Plan, Brighton based artists and creatives teamed up with city centre businesses within Brilliant Brighton’s business improvement area, to showcase Brighton’s vibrant art scene, with a colourful art trail.
The trail encompasses walls, bus stops, lampposts and street furniture throughout the Brilliant Brighton BID area. Curated by Richard Wolfstrome, Brighton local and award-winning identity and wayfaring designer.
Find out more about the project and view a map of the Enliven Brighton Art Trail.
About our public art commissions
The term ‘public art’ is used to define a broad range of art. This includes permanent and temporary installations and artworks that reflect the life of the city, its communities, and visitors. Public art is for everyone and can be found across the city.
Using innovation and experimentation these works celebrate Brighton & Hove's communities and landscapes. They increase the use of open spaces and create important environments for residents and visitors, which helps ensure a cultural legacy for the future.
Public art trails
Sculpture
Click on the links of each sculpture for more information.
| Title | Artist | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Afloat | Hamish Black | Groyne on seafront |
| AIDS Memorial Sculpture | Romany Bruce | New Steine |
| 'Cut' and 'Sediment' | Ekkehard Altenburger | Connaught Road |
| Kiss Wall | Bruce Williams | Brighton Seafront |
| Passacaglia | Charles Haddock | Brighton Beach |
| Pollen Grain | Steve Geliot | University of Brighton |
| Rocket | Kevin Freeman and Lisa Ducie | Glass Pavilion (opposite Royal Pavilion) |
| Series of carved oak sculptures | Walter Bailey | Hove Park |
| Sylvana sculptures | Simon Moss and Peter Layton with Jeremy Lord | Wellend Villas, Springfield Road |
| Twins | Charlie Hooker | Churchill Square |
Gates and railings
| Title | Artist | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Airfix Gate | Christian Funnel | Pelham Terrace, Coombe Road |
| Aldi Sculptural Railings | Ben Prothero | Boundary Road |
| Avalon Gate | Christian Funnel | Avalon Development, West Street |
| Black Lion Street Railings | Ricky Delaney, Stanmer Park Forge and Ironworks | Black Lion Street |
| Patching Lodge-Gates and Railings | Chris Campbell at Campbell Designs | Patching Lodge, Eastern Road |
| Taj Gates | Christian Funnel | Montpelier Road |
| Zipgates | Stig Evans | Palmeira Mansions, Palmeira Avenue |
Light
| Title | Artist | Location |
|---|---|---|
| The Cones | Raphael Daden | Central reservation, West Street |
| Drift | New Road | |
| Hove Station Footbridge | DO-Architecture | Hove Station Footbridge, next to Hove Station |
| The Kidney Unit | Christian Funnel and Eric Bates | Royal Sussex County Hospital |
| Viaduct Lighting | DO-Architecture | Preston Road and Beaconsfield Road Arches |
| The Wave | Adrian Stewart, DO-Architecture | Entrance Tunnel, Brighton Marina |
Participatory
| Title | Artist | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Pankhurst Photography Project | Helen Cammock | Pankhurst Avenue |
| Phoenix Rise | Stig Evans | Phoenix Rise |
| Rest Awhile on Your Journey | Millimetre | Ashton Rise, Tarner |
| Urban Wall Art | Various | New England Quarter, New England Road |
| White Horses and Gates | Stig Evans and Noah Taylor | Wiston Way, Whitehawk |
| Write Around Air Street | Standard 8 | Air Street |