Art / News
‘Landmark’ new artwork being painted on Centre
What is today the Centre was the diverted course of the River Frome for centuries before becoming the trams hub which still gives the area its name.
It was covered in grass and flowerbeds before the arrival of the fountains at the turn of the millennium that were once described as “a load of dead men peeing”.
The latest reinvention of the Centre is now underway with a “landmark public artwork” being painted on the newly resurfaced tarmac throughout September.
is needed now More than ever
Measuring more than 700sq m, Our Common Ground designed by multidisciplinary artist Oisín Davis-Lyons, better known as Oshii, is said to “bring African heritage, unity and creativity to life”.
The artwork was commissioned and funded by Bristol City Council and Bristol City Centre Business Improvement District (BID), and curated by Bristol Legacy Foundation with production support from Upfest.
“Our Common Ground is about honesty and imagination, facing the past and dreaming of a shared future,” said Oshii.
“I wanted to create something that belongs to Bristol and reflects its heart: a place where voices, cultures and histories meet on common ground.”
Oshii’s new artwork aims to “bring African heritage, unity and creativity to life” – photo: Plaster
Bristol BID’s interim head of place, Anna Farthing, said: “Our Common Ground will be a powerful focal point for the Centre Promenade, transforming the area into a more welcoming destination and place to meet and spend time with others.
“For the businesses based in the centre, that means greater footfall; a stronger sense of place; and a more vibrant atmosphere that encourages people to stay, shop and connect.
“Public art of this scale not only enhances our cultural identity, but also brings lasting benefits to everyone who shares this space.”
The Centre has had multiple different guises over the years; here it is in 1978 – photo: Colin Park / Know Your Place
Andrew Brown, chair of the economy & skills committee at Bristol City Council, said the new artwork on the Centre will bring “colour, reflection and meaning to the heart of Bristol”.
“Where once ships involved in the trade of sugar, spices, and enslaved people would have docked, we now celebrate the contribution of the city’s diverse communities.
“The completed promenade will be a space where we can pause and reflect on the past, enjoy the present, and look forward together.”
Former deputy mayor Asher Craig, now chair of the Bristol Legacy Foundation, added: “We want this artwork to be both a landmark and a meeting place.
“Our Common Ground honours Bristol’s history, celebrates the present and invites all who pass through to take part in imagining a more inclusive future.”
Due to be painted throughout September, the new artwork will be “anchored by a heart inscribed with the word ‘Bristol’, symbolising that it belongs to everyone in the city”, with masks, hands, eyes and rhythmic patterns around the central heart – photo: Plaster
Main photo: Martin Booth
Read next:
- Centre resurfacing work starts again after bodged first attempt
- New artwork on Centre to ‘celebrate diverse heritage and vibrant communities’
- Fountains and five trees to be removed in major remodelling of Centre
- Bristol could get museum ‘chronicling history, lives and futures of those affected by enslavement’
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