Brent Cross Town, one of Europe’s largest mixed-use urban regeneration projects being delivered in partnership by Related Argent and Barnet Council, has unveiled a new maze art installation as the core feature of its popular events and enlivenment summer programme.
The Maze, which measures 16.5m x 8.5m and has been developed with specialist agency, marble, uses dramatic and vibrant colours that pay homage to the New London Fabulous art movement. Coined by designer Adam Nathaniel Furman, New London Fabulous is an architecture and design movement characterised by bold and joyful use of colour, pattern and form. The Maze invites visitors to explore and involve themselves within its colourful panels.
The Maze will constantly evolve during its three-month lifecycle, with three celebrated female mural artists from the UK and Sweden each commissioned to create a unique piece of art over different days, enabling visitors to watch the emergence of their artworks as they unfold.
Opened officially on Thursday 27 June and available to view daily from 10am – 6pm until 29 September, the Maze is located in Claremont Park, the beautifully landscaped public green space in the heart of Brent Cross Town which is dedicated to exploratory play, outdoor games and relaxation for adults and children alike.
The Maze brings additional vibrancy and artistic flair to London’s new flourishing town. In its final month, it will join up with the London Mural Festival (5-29 September), the capital’s largest street art celebration in which visitors can participate in the creation of a large-scale mural during weekend workshops.
The first of the artistic panels was created live over the course of two days by Swedish artist Amara Por Dios, whose large-scale works can be seen in urban settings through Sweden, in London, Blackpool, New York and San Francisco.
The creation of the second panel takes place from 27 – 28 July. Brighton-based mural painter and art and design director, Lois O’Hara, embraces the energies and positive effects of colour on people and places, and uses movement in design as an effective way to encourage emotional or physical movement or transformation in its viewers.
Between 10-11 August, east London’s Josephine Hicks, known as Hixxy, brings her ‘Left Field Tutti-Fruity’ style and practice that is grounded in collage and printmaking to life during the final live commission.
Morwenna Hall, Executive Director at Related Argent, commented: “The Maze’s bold, bright design captures the essence of Brent Cross Town as a burgeoning destination full of possibility, which is becoming increasingly embedded within London’s cultural environment. Constantly evolving over the summer and celebrating brilliant female artists, we are delighted the Maze is part of the London Mural Festival which attracts visitors from right across the capital and beyond.”
The Maze at Brent Cross Town embraces the breaking of tradition with the energy of vivid colours and joyful spontaneity to create a summer centrepiece. Contributing to the creation of inclusive, shared experiences is a core pillar of Brent Cross Town’s pledge to create a London town where all can flourish.
The Maze’s design uses a modular screwed timber frame system, allowing for 95% of the material to be repurposed at the installation’s conclusion. The artworks, painted on fabric, will eventually be repositioned on Brent Cross Town’s extensive hoardings.
The Maze adds to a series of permanent artworks already in place in Brent Cross Town and contributes to a continually evolving Arts Trail through the neighbourhood. Other artworks already in the town include Here We Come, Here We Rise, by London-based artist Lakwena and architects IF_DO, which ‘wraps’ around the new electrical substation for the area; Time passes & still I think of you, by Giles Round; a community mural by Annu Kilpeläinen; Rainbow of Ribbons by Hanna Benihoud; and Yesterday, Tomorrow by Steven Wilson.
The Maze’s contributing artists commented:
Jo Hicks: “I am thrilled to be included in the summer pop-up Maze at Brent Cross Town, celebrating the area and inviting local communities to an interactive, fun, dynamic public art installation.”
Lois O’Hara: “I am very excited to be launching a new artwork for an innovative and creative new town. I really like the idea that the public can watch me paint my mural live because it emphasises my idea that art should be accessible to everyone. By having colour in public spaces, I think this is a powerful way of bringing joy to the community and bringing everyone together again.”
Amara Por Dios: “I love painting murals because it allows me to transform spaces and connect with people through art. Being back in London, the city that gave me the opportunity to grow and establish myself as an artist, fills me with joy and gratitude. My art showcases vibrant colours and intricate patterns and faces inspired by nature, dreams and folk art from around the world. Each piece weaves together diverse cultural elements and imaginative visions, creating a vivid and dynamic expression of creativity.”
The unveiling of the new installation adds to the growing momentum at Brent Cross Town, the £8bn net zero park town for London which, when complete, will comprise 6,700 new homes, workspace for 25,000 people, a new high street, leisure spaces and 50 acres of parks and playing fields. Seven buildings are now under construction, with the first residents moving into the town later this year. In total, over 930 homes, including affordable, market sale, and rental homes are on-site, along with 662 student rooms in partnership with Fusion Students. The first permanent public park, Claremont Park, opened in June 2022 and Brent Cross West mainline station, which opened in December 2023, connects with St Pancras International in as little as 12 minutes. Brent Cross Town already boasts a selection of local retail and leisure offerings, and Sheffield Hallam University will open its first campus outside Sheffield at Brent Cross Town.
