Second hand clothes transformed into giant piece of art at Canary Wharf

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY: CANARY WHARF UNVEILS NEW ARTWORK MADE FROM SECOND-HAND CLOTHES
– The piece was installed for World Environment Day and will sit in Jubilee Place mall until end of July –
– Urban Refuge was created by artist Ian Berry with denim donated in April’s Swap Station initiative –
– Over 400kg of clothes was collected for Love Not Landfill charity –

Canary Wharf has unveiled Urban Refuge, a striking new artwork for World Environment Day (5thJune), created with second-hand denim donated to the Estate’s first Swap Station.

Launched on Earth Day, the Swap Station clothes donation bank allowed shoppers to give in their old clothes in return for shopping vouchers from a range of retailers at Canary Wharf. Denim items such as jeans, jackets and accessories were selected by Berry who spent the last six weeks transforming them into a piece of exclusive art, which will sit in the centre of Jubilee Place mall for six weeks.

The artwork was designed as a pergola-style installation that shoppers can walk through or simply stand in for a few peaceful moments. Pieces of denim of different sizes were cut into the shapes of flowers and plants using a lasering technique and then meticulously attached, one by one, to the base structure of the pergola.

Any clothes not used for the art was donated to Love Not Landfill, a non-profit campaign to encourage fast fashion fans to buy second-hand, swap, recycle and give to charity. They collected more than 400kg of clothes.

The Swap Station campaign forms part of Canary Wharf’s ongoing investment in public art and sustainability. Urban Refuge joins over 110 works by over 50 international artists currently in place around the Estate, with new installations and exhibitions launching throughout the year.

Poplar-based artist Berry is world-renowned for his work turning old denim into striking visualisations, notably creating celebrity portraits including Debbie Harry and Giorgio Armani. He is known for intricate works depicting real life in collections including Behind Closed Doors and My Beautiful Launderette in 2016 and Hotel California in 2019.

Artist Ian Berry said: “It’s been incredible to be part of this project that’s all about helping the environment while providing a unique piece of art for people to enjoy. The donations by Canary Wharf’s community exceeded every expectation – no one thought it was going to be anywhere near 400kg! I can’t wait for the Wharf’s shoppers, workers and visitors to come and see my unique piece, I’m confident they’re going to love it.”

Leanne Peters, Director of Marketing from Canary Wharf Group, said: “The Swap Station partnership with Ian Berry highlights how Canary Wharf’s community, sustainability and culture values can come together to create something beautiful. We’re proud to promote both sustainability and art in innovative and impactful ways, most recently through our partnership with the Eden Project and further additions to our public art collection which Urban Refuge will join. It’s brilliant that so many items of clothing were donated by our community to contribute to this special project. Working with Ian has been a pleasure and we look forward to welcoming visitors to view the final piece.”

Canary Wharf is the UK’s leading sustainable developer and the Swap Station campaign forms part of Canary Wharf’s wider Conscious Consumer initiative, which encourages visitors to live, eat and shop locally through sustainable retail choices, refillable water stations, transport links, extensive green spaces and plastic-free lunch spots.

Home to its extensive art collection and with sustainability at its core, Canary Wharf is a 24/7 city where people can work, live and thrive and enjoy all the benefits; great transport links, access to green spaces and waterside living; and a huge range of activities and amenities.