'Sculpture in the Garden': Pangolin London shows works in King's Cross

From the glistening monoliths beloved by business parks to the humble gnome of a suburban cul de sac, outdoor sculpture has myriad incarnations.
Public sculpture walks and gardens are having a moment: Frieze Sculpture Park outlived the October art fair for the first time, remaining installed in London’s Regent’s Park until January; and, in May, The Line sculpture trail was launched through East London.
Yet buying sculpture for one’s own garden seems daunting to most, perhaps a little grandiose. That is the perception Pangolin London is trying to change with its 'Sculpture in the Garden' exhibition (on view from 13 May to 9 July), 25 sculptures by modern British and contemporary artists placed within the Kings Place gallery and on the banks of Regent's Canal outside.
With the aid of a garden designer, the gallery has been divided into a wooded area, a walled garden and a formal garden, inhabited by both figurative and abstract works of all scales by Lynn Chadwick, Peter Randall-Page, William Pye, Jeff Lowe and Ann Christopher, among others.
The brainchild of director Polly Bielecka, this is the sequel to Pangolin’s 2014 show, 'Sculpture in the Home', inspired by the Arts Council England’s series of touring exhibitions in the 1940s and 50s, marrying post-war sculpture with midcentury furniture. 'Sculpture in the Garden' is a typically ambitious scheme for this exacting curator.
'The more I researched about garden history the more I wanted to include, so I had to be strict and edit down to the three themes,' says Bielecka. 'I also had to consider what it is possible to keep alive through the duration of the show.'
The garden has been installed and is maintained by Global Generation, the organisation behind the Skip Garden, also in the King's Cross area.
Away from London’s established commercial gallery hubs, Pangolin’s Kings Place location lends itself to this sort of show: part commercial, part sculpture trail, with Guardian staff on their lunch break and concert goers wandering in.
While the £10,000 to £1m price range precludes many, the aim is to inspire all comers to consider investing in sculpture for whatever outside space they have, be it an urban roof terrace or a rambling rural idyll.
Outdoors, sculpture can both transform and be transformed by its surroundings. As Bielecka says, 'One of the pleasures of sculpture is being able to enjoy it outdoors where it can be a focal point, begin a dialogue with its natural or manmade surroundings and change with differing weather conditions.'
But installation needs consideration: 'Think carefully about placement, the atmosphere of the garden and scale; plinths are important for smaller pieces.' Then, make sure you bolt it down.
With the aid of a garden designer, the gallery has been divided into a wooded area, a walled garden and a formal garden, inhabited by both figurative and abstract works of all scales.
Triple Spout, by William Pye.
The brainchild of director Polly Bielecka, this is the sequel to Pangolin’s 2014 show, 'Sculpture in the Home'. Pictured: Snail, by Michael Cooper.
Cormorant I by Terence Coventry
The garden has been installed and is maintained by Global Generation, the organisation behind the Skip Garden, also in the King's Cross area. Pictured: What There Is, by Jeff Lowe.
Tree, by Almuth Tebbenhoff.
Away from London’s established commercial gallery hubs, Pangolin’s Kings Place location lends itself to this sort of show: part commercial, part sculpture trail, with Guardian staff on their lunch break and concert goers wandering in. Pictured: Ally, by Bruce Beasley
INFORMATION
’Sculpture in the Garden’ is on view until 9 July. For more details, visit the Pangolin London website
Photography courtesy Pangolin London
ADDRESS
Pangolin London
Kings Place
90 York Way
London, N1 9AG
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
William Kentridge's fluid sculptures are a vivid addition to the Yorkshire landscape
William Kentridge has opened the first major exhibition to focus on his sculptures outside of South Africa at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
-
David Cronenberg’s ‘The Shrouds’ is the film for our post-truth digital age
The film director draws on his own experience of grief for this techno conspiracy thriller
-
Cambridge Audio's new earbuds offer premium performance without denting your pocket
The Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 earbuds demonstrate just how far affordable audio tech has come in the last decade
-
What is recycling good for, asks Mika Rottenberg at Hauser & Wirth Menorca
US-based artist Mika Rottenberg rethinks the possibilities of rubbish in a colourful exhibition, spanning films, drawings and eerily anthropomorphic lamps
-
San Francisco’s controversial monument, the Vaillancourt Fountain, could be facing demolition
The brutalist fountain is conspicuously absent from renders showing a redeveloped Embarcadero Plaza and people are unhappy about it, including the structure’s 95-year-old designer
-
See the fruits of Niki de Saint Phalle and Jean Tinguely's creative and romantic union at Hauser & Wirth Somerset
An intimate exhibition at Hauser & Wirth Somerset explores three decades of a creative partnership
-
Technology, art and sculptures of fog: LUMA Arles kicks off the 2025/26 season
Three different exhibitions at LUMA Arles, in France, delve into history in a celebration of all mediums; Amy Serafin went to explore
-
Inside Yinka Shonibare's first major show in Africa
British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare is showing 15 years of work, from quilts to sculptures, at Fondation H in Madagascar
-
Inside Jack Whitten’s contribution to American contemporary art
As Jack Whitten exhibition ‘Speedchaser’ opens at Hauser & Wirth, London, and before a major retrospective at MoMA opens next year, we explore the American artist's impact
-
Frieze Sculpture takes over Regent’s Park
Twenty-two international artists turn the English gardens into a dream-like landscape and remind us of our inextricable connection to the natural world
-
Harlem-born artist Tschabalala Self’s colourful ode to the landscape of her childhood
Tschabalala Self’s new show at Finland's Espoo Museum of Modern Art evokes memories of her upbringing, in vibrant multi-dimensional vignettes