LONDON.- Progress is now underway for London’s new star attraction, ‘The Line’, which is set to showcase art from the likes of Damien Hirst and Martin Creed. The sculpture walk will link two of the iconic sites of East London: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the O2. World-class artworks will be placed on the paths around the River Lea, the Royal Docks and the O2. Visitors will be able to join The Line at any point along the route and explore the three miles of waterways. The Royal Docks and the O2 are linked by the Emirates Air Line, which offers extraordinary views of the city.

The works selected for The Line's inaugural year were part of an open submission whereby artists, galleries and collections were invited to propose works for consideration by an independent panel.

The launch of The Line will include the following sculptures:

• Work No.700 by Martin Creed
• DNA DL90 by Abigail Fallis
• Sensation by Damien Hirst
• Liberty Grip by Gary Hume
• Vulcan by Sir Eduardo Paolozzi
• Network by Tom Price
• Consolidator #654321 by Sterling Ruby
• Here by Thomson & Craighead
• Untitled (The Thing) by Piotr Uklanski

Participating galleries include Hauser & Wirth, Gagosian, White Cube, Carroll / Fletcher and Pangolin London. All works will be on loan to the project for two years and The Line’s ambition is to create a permanent outdoor exhibition space, with additional works introduced every year.

This is an area that is developing at pace and The Line will evolve with it. This is the first stage of this exciting project.

The selection panel included Turner Prize-winning artist Mark Wallinger, Whitechapel Gallery curator Omar Kholeif, art collector and philanthropist Anita Zabludowicz, art critic Richard Cork, co-founder of The Line Megan Piper and local resident Simon Myers who founded Cody Dock - a community-led creative hub on the River Lea.

The Line is being led by urban regeneration expert Clive Dutton OBE and art dealer Megan Piper, with support from award-winning architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners.

Earlier this year, The Line successfully crowd-funded over £140,000 in less than eight weeks to initiate the project. Through The Line’s partnership with the Canal & River Trust, the Garfield Weston Foundation and Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners Charitable Foundation contributed generously to the project. The largest pledge from an individual came from R Todd Ruppert of Ruppert International, whose donation took The Line to its crowdfunding target.

Planning applications have been completed and generous support for the logistical elements of the project has come from AKT II, iFacility, Soiltechnics, iGuzzini, and Mtec, with lighting design advice from Mark Major of award-winning Speirs + Major. The Line has been endorsed by a number of high-profile supporters, including the Mayor of London, and fundraising for the project is ongoing.

Contributing to the expansive regeneration and redevelopment of the area, the project will bring modern and contemporary sculpture to the waterways. One of the key aims of The Line is to bring high quality artworks out of warehouses and into the public realm. The Line is enthusiastically supported by the Canal & River Trust through its Arts on the Waterways programme.
 
The Line has three charity partners: the Canal & River Trust, the House of Fairy Tales and Gasworks Dock Partnership who are establishing education and outreach programmes for the project to ensure it reaches and engages new audiences.
 
Megan Piper, Founder and Director of The Line, said: "One of the greatest things about London is its ability to surprise. The Line will bring together great works of art and a largely undiscovered area of the city. The installed works will create a unique walk that will offer a new perspective on these waterways.”