A Plethora Of Public Sculpture Pops Up Across UK, Spain And Monaco

As the traditional gallery-based art world–dominated by blue-chip names and male-centric rosters–continues to shift, a new wave of public sculpture is redefining how we experience art. This evolving landscape is more community-driven, multi-cultural and inclusive. Artists today are increasingly turning toward outdoor public art to explore urgent themes such as climate change, gender politics, and cultural identity. From Cambridge to Bradford, and as far as Santander and Monaco, a dynamic new era of public art is unfolding.

Below are some standout public sculpture commissions from the UK and Europe that exemplify this exciting development in the arts. These highlights include; a commission by Hayward Gallery of Spanish sculptor Teresa Solar Abboud; Macedonian artist Elpida Hadzi-Vasileva’s Gilded Elmsculpture in Brighton; sculptures created by British-Pakistani artists Saad Qureshi and Osman Yousefzada in Bradford; Claye Bowler at Yorkshire Sculpture Park; Lebanese artist Bushra Fakhoury’s monumental sculptures in Cambridge; and further afield–in Monaco and Santander–public sculptures by Spanish artist Manolo Valdes.

Saad Qureshi’s Tower of Now in Bradford

Pakistani-British artist Saad Qureshi has unveiled Tower of Now (2025), a flagship sculpture commissioned for Bradford City of Culture 2025. The towering installation explores themes of memory, migration, and multicultural identity, drawing inspiration from architectural elements across global traditions such as Gothic, Roman, Chinese, Islamic, and more.

Qureshi, who moved to Bradford at age eight, reflects on the ways in which built environments encode identity and cultural memory. Tower of Now acts as a visual lexicon of architectural motifs, inviting viewers to find both familiarity and otherness. The sculpture stands as a powerful symbol of Bradford’s rich cultural heritage and a bold vision for the city’s future.

Teresa Solar Abboud’s Mother Tongue at Hayward Gallery

Spanish artist Teresa Solar Abboud brings a bold splash of color and symbolism to Hayward Gallery with her outdoor commission Mother Tongue. Launching on 16th October, 2025, the bubblegum pink sculpture features two entwined tongues, forming a surreal, dancing figure at the entrance of the iconic Brutalist gallery. Abboud works with bronze for the first time for this sculptural commission.

Abboud returns to the Hayward Gallery for the first time since her articipation in group show When Forms Come Alive in 2024. Though her practice, she explores the complexities of communication, translation, and cultural hybridity. With Egyptian and Spanish heritage, her work reflects personal experiences of navigating multilingual, multicultural environments. Mother Tongue also reflects on motherhood, transformation, and embodied experience. This is the artist’s first major public sculpture commission in the UK.

Osman Yousefzada’s Possession I at Cartwright Hall, Bradford

Osman Yousefzada’s striking sculptural work Possession I is positioned magnificently outside Cartwright Hall in Bradford, the venue of the 2025 Turner Prize exhibition. Commissioned for Bradford City of Culture, the visceral sculpture temporarily wraps the existing Diana and the Stag statue–a bronze replica of a marble statue depicting Diana of Versailles by Pierre Louis Rouillard at the Louvre Museum in Paris–with fabric bundles reminiscent of those used by the artist’s mother.

This bold gesture is both an act of resistance to patriarchy and cultural reclamation. Yousefzada reinterprets traditional statuary through the lens of personal memory, migration, and patriarchy. The wrapping ritual echoes South Asian customs while questioning who controls public space and cultural narratives.

Claye Bowler’s Dig Me a Grave at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Claye Bowler’s solo exhibition Dig Me a Grave (from 4th October until 2nd November, 2025) at Yorkshire Sculpture Park delves into themes of trans-ness, queerness, disability, and mortality. Housed in a historic chapel, the sculptures invite reflection on waiting–for identity, healthcare and dignity.

Working with materials such as latex, metal, and plaster, Bowler creates a deeply personal and interactive installation. Visitors are encouraged to engage with the works physically and emotionally, fostering empathy and recognition of shared human fragility. It’s a powerful reminder that public art can be both a sanctuary and a space of activism.

Elpida Hadzi-Vasileva’s The Gilded Elm in Brighton

Elpida Hadzi-Vasileva’s The Gilded Elm is a deeply moving public artwork installed in Preston Park, Brighton. The sculpture is created from the remains of one of England’s oldest elm trees, which died from Dutch Elm disease. Instead of allowing the tree to decay or be destroyed, Hadzi-Vasileva transformed it into a gilded memorial, preserving its history and symbolism.

Using gold leaf to line the tree’s interior, she highlights the environmental, historical, and communal significance of the elm. The project also raises awareness about Brighton’s leadership in elm conservation and serves as a reminder of the fragility of our natural world.

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Bushra Fakhoury’s Monumental Sculptures in Cambridge

Bushra Fakhoury, the first Lebanese woman artist to exhibit permanent public sculpture in Cambridge, is transforming the city’s landscape with her monumental bronzes Dunamis and Danse Gwenedour. Standing 9 metres tall, Dunamis evokes transformation and upward motion, while Danse Gwenedour celebrates myth, movement, and cultural fluidity.

Both works are on permanent display outside the AstraZeneca building in Cambridge, making them accessible to thousands of passers by. Fakhoury’s expressive, human-centered forms are rich in symbolism and narrative. She continues to expand her influence with TRANSMUTE, a new exhibition at Mall Galleries, London, from October 7–11, 2025, where her son Mal Fostok will also exhibit.

Manolo Valdés’ Outdoor Sculptures in Monaco and Santander

Internationally acclaimed Spanish artist Manolo Valdés is currently exhibiting large-scale outdoor sculptures in Monaco and Santander, Spain. Known for blending art history with contemporary abstraction, Valdés’ works feature striking motifs such as butterflies, geometric headdresses, and reinterpretations of classic female forms.

In Santander, his works are displayed in the grounds of the Palace of La Magdalena through July 2026. Four of Valdés’s majestic Reina Mariana figures can be found in the historic Pier Calderón, and Clio White, Blue Circles and Mariposas are displayed in the Palace of La Magdalena gardens.

while his Larvotto Beach installation in Monaco runs until December 2025. A parallel solo show, Valdés in Monaco, is on view at Opera Gallery Monaco from September 20 to October 24, 2025. These exhibitions solidify his role as a leading figure in European public art.