Damien Hirst’s Demon comes to Greenwich Peninsula

This April, Greenwich Peninsula welcomes Damien Hirst’s monumental Demon with Bowl, to its iconic free public art trail that weaves across the neighbourhood. The 60ft sculpture joins an exciting programme of cultural activities on offer at the riverside destination this Spring, including the NOW Gallery’s 2023 Young Artist Commission, filmmaker Darryl Daley, a talks series hosted by Bureau, and a celebration of springtime wildlife on the Peninsula.

Greenwich Peninsula has long had art, culture, and creativity at its core. Hirst joins a rollcall of international names whose works are freely accessible to enjoy along the Tide – London’s first elevated, linear park – including Richard Wilson, Morag Myerscough, Alex Chinneck, and Allen Jones. The collection reflects Greenwich Peninsula’s ambition to democratise art and culture, making it accessible to enthusiasts, visitors and residents, as well as celebrating emerging artists and established names. The Peninsula attracts millions of visitors a year through an engaging and inclusive programme of events and workshops. It nurtures hundreds of creative businesses at the Design District, London’s first purpose-built hub for the creative industries, who join the 5,000+ people already living there.
Demon with Bowl is the sixth of Hirst’s sculptures to be sited at the Peninsula (others include The Mermaid, The Diver, and Hydra and Kali) and the 17th permanent public artwork at the site – making Greenwich Peninsula the home of the largest freely accessible public collection of Hirst’s work in the world and one of the largest free-to-view collections of permanent public art in London. Demon with Bowl can be seen in full view from the cable car, one of the many ways to travel to and from the Peninsula, and is now fully accessible for visitors to experience up close.
Art and nature collide for Spring
In celebration of its unique biodiversity and access to nature, Greenwich Peninsula has also launched a birdwatching initiative in partnership with the local Ecology Park. Harnessing the power of art to shine a light on environmental issues, author and artist Jennifer Moore has illustrated a bespoke birdwatching logbook encouraging people to enjoy the 26 species of bird at this fantastic riverside location. The logbook, entitled Birds of Greenwich Peninsula, is available to purchase at the Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park and from NOW Gallery, with all profits contributing to the evolution of the Ecology Park and its inhabitants.
Illustration workshops will also be held on the Peninsula throughout the summer, with the first being held at Urban Village Fete on 14 May.
Greenwich Peninsula’s innovative co-working space, Bureau, located in the Design District hosts a series of talks for its creative community, covering topics like how AI is impacting the Creative Industries and with experts such as Magnum Photos, CLOD Ensemble and TPF Labs. More information at Bureau.club/events.
Arts and culture come to life at every turn at Greenwich Peninsula, from the widely acclaimed Design District, voted by Time magazine as one of the World’s Greatest Places, to the world’s first Seafood Disco (a sixty-seater curved picnic bench by Studio Morison) nestled by the river. The 5,000-strong community is constantly growing, and with more than 160 creative enterprises choosing to grow their business at Design District, the next chapter of the Peninsula is set to be its most exciting yet. Some of London’s best cultural events can also be found here, including Turning Tides and Urban Village Fete – both of which help contribute to the four million visitors who come to the Peninsula each year.

Damien Hirst said:
“It’s uplifting to see this work come home to the UK where it was made, to Greenwich Peninsula. It’s a place that has strong resonance for me: I lived here in the late 80s when it was a wasteland. I’d collect things that were washed up on the Thames riverbank: old bottles and bits of plastic, which I’d make into collages. That process later led to my series, Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable, which is where Demon with Bowl, and my other Peninsula artworks come from.
I’m so happy to play a small role in helping this part of London as it becomes a huge cultural hub – it’s been amazing to see how it’s transformed over the years. London needs more spaces for creativity and people should be able to enjoy art in all its forms for free so it’s great to see investment like this that helps in the democratisation of art.”
Laura Flanagan, Director of Knight Dragon, the developers behind Greenwich Peninsula said:
“We have the unique opportunity to shape a new piece of London here at Greenwich Peninsula, and with three of our seven neighbourhoods already complete we are well on our way. London is the cultural capital of the world, and with the O2 on our doorstep, art, culture and creativity is woven through the DNA of the place.
“For the thousands that already live here, art and culture is part of their daily experience, and by growing our free public art trail and celebrating a diverse programme of exhibitions at NOW Gallery, we can ensure that art and culture is freely accessible to all. Our investment into Design District and Bureau is a permanent expression of our intention to support the creative industries, and often cited as a reason people choose to make Greenwich Peninsula their home.
“We are delighted to welcome another Hirst piece to the Peninsula, and we look forward to welcoming many visitors who now have the opportunity to see it for themselves.”
For more information about Greenwich Peninsula, its upcoming art and culture events or to enquire about living on the Peninsula, visit www.greenwichpeninsula.co.uk and its social media pages