Glassed In Dreams: A Mesmerising Art Installation at 100 Bishopsgate
Launching to coincide with International Women’s Day, the entrance hall of 100 Bishopsgate in London’s Square Mile has been transformed into an immersive artistic experience with Glassed In Dreams. This striking site-specific installation, presented by Brookfield Properties in collaboration with The Association of Women in the Arts (AWITA), underscores their commitment to supporting and celebrating female creative talent.
The installation, curated by independent art historian Vassiliki Tzanakou, showcases a series of sculptural glassworks by internationally acclaimed conceptual artist Gabriele Beveridge. Selected from an open call that invited female artists and curators to respond to the space, Beveridge’s pieces—NEST (II), BODIES (I,II), and CORDS (VI, VII, VIII, IX)—bring an ethereal presence to the glass-fronted atrium, engaging in a poetic dialogue with the surrounding architecture.
The installation takes inspiration from George Oppen's seminal poem Of Being Numerous, which contemplates urban life’s intricate balance between individuality and collective identity. Beveridge’s work echoes these themes, blending architecture, poetry, and materiality through her distinctive use of glass and metal. The translucent sculptures interact dynamically with natural light, creating a sense of movement and fluidity that transforms the public space into a contemplative visual experience.
The selection process for Glassed In Dreams was rigorous, with forty submissions received from female artists and curators. A distinguished panel—including Deborah Smith (Curator and Founder of Deborah Smith Projects), Jo Baring (Director of the Ingram Collection), artist Rana Begum, AWITA Co-Founder Sigrid Kirk, and Saff Williams (Curatorial Director at Brookfield Properties Europe)—chose Beveridge’s work for its ability to engage with the geometric forms of 100 Bishopsgate while fostering dialogue and connection.
Alongside the installation, three shortlisted entries by sculptors Helen Barff, Helena Pritchard, and Alice Sheppard are on display at Brookfield Properties’ 30 Fenchurch Street as part of Inside the Studio: How Artists Do Work, further expanding the platform for female sculptors.
Brookfield Properties and AWITA’s initiative is a timely response to the gender imbalance in public sculpture. According to an ArtUK report, only 13% of public sculptures in London are created by women, with men accounting for 85%. The initiative seeks to address this disparity by providing female artists with commissioning opportunities and exhibition platforms, shifting the lens of public art towards a more inclusive and diverse perspective.
Through Glassed In Dreams, Beveridge and Tzanakou blur the boundaries between interior and exterior, material and immaterial, past and present. The glass sculptures offer a compelling meditation on existence and perception, transforming the corporate atrium into a space of contemplation and engagement. As visitors move through 100 Bishopsgate, they become part of the artwork’s evolving narrative—one that champions the voices of female creatives and redefines the role of sculpture in urban life.
For those who experience Glassed In Dreams, it is not just an installation—it is an invitation to see the city, its structures, and its art through a new lens.
