Museum of London today unveils a new mural from artist Willkay to celebrate key moments from its 45-year history at London Wall and items from its collection.
From Romans to punks, Suffragettes to Olympians, Vikings to The Beatles, the 13-meter wide mural, titled Greatest Hits, captures iconic moments from the capital’s history through items in the museum’s collection. It features illustrations of items from the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 1977, the Donald Trump baby blimp, jewellery from the Cheapside Hoard, the world’s largest Elizabethan and Jacobean collection, an underground station shelter during the Blitz, scenes from Notting Hill Carnival, and a section of a fatberg from London’s sewers, among others.
Willkay, said: “I am very honoured to have been selected to create an original mural for Museum of London, celebrating the city I love. I wanted to offer something to visitors that would make them smile, engage and share an emotional connection to London’s evolution. The mural presents change, freedom and creativity in our great city. Not all memories are great, but I believe it is important to celebrate every part of life and history. I hope it inspires artists all over London and the world.”
Willkay’s previous work includes artwork for #stormzybirthdaybash, a celebration of the artist’s 23rd birthday and brand collaborations with Adidas and G-Star Raw among others. In 2020, he published his first book of poetry, titled Cloned Hallucinations: Thrive, with Oddkingdom.
In addition to the mural, the artist created a panoramic illustration for Grime Stories: from the corner to the mainstream, one of the museum’s headline displays that will close the site. Co-curated by Rooney ‘RiskyRoadz’ Keefe and featuring Grime pioneer Jammer, the exhibition explores grime’s roots in east London and the community at its heart.
Located at the museum’s entrance, the artwork is inspired by objects and photographs from the 7-million-strong collection, showcasing some of the historic and contemporary highlights that visitors can see one last time at London Wall, the museum’s home for over four decades.
The museum’s shop will have a mural-themed offer from today, including a tea towel, a tote bag, and a magnet.
The museum will close at London Wall on Sunday 4 December 2022, in preparation for its move to West Smithfield, where it will open under a new name: The London Museum. The Museum of London Docklands will remain open to visitors with a major exhibition Executions opening on 14 October 2022.
This October, the museum is celebrating Black History Month with a programme of readings, talks, tours, and activities for the entire family.
The programme will spotlight Black British Female history in collaboration with The Heritage & Honour Collection, a creative social enterprise documenting and collecting content on Black British Female History from 1500-1999. Producer and Founder Winnie Imara will be running adult and family workshops on Saturday 15th and Saturday 22nd October about inspiring London-based Black women in history, linked with creative writing and arts and crafts.
A series of short talks, tours and poetry readings will be held at the museum throughout the month, highlighting fascinating individuals and histories, including Dido Belle, Mary Seacole, Windrush stories, the Brixton riots, Punk and more.
The month-long programme will also include a family trail as well as an interactive session on London’s Black sporting history, Follow the Flame!, part of the museum’s October half-term events line-up. Young visitors will be able to follow an Olympic torch bearer as she tells tales of sporting heroes, including Walter Tull, Alice Coachman and Mo Farah.
The museum is also hosting an after-hours curator talks programme, exploring different eras in the city’s history, from Prehistoric times to the present day.
Senior Curator Francis Marshall will explore the work of Black artists in London from 1980 to the present day, looking at prints, drawings and photographs from the museum’s collections, which respond to events such as the 1981 Brixton riots.
Senior Curator Rebecca Redfern will investigate how Black people’s presence in Roman London can be made visible, looking at what stories are revealed by studying an object’s creation, origin and use.
On November 2, the museum will host award-winning writer Yomi Sode and poet and director and inaugural young people’s laureate for London Caleb Femi for an evening of poetry readings, a screening and a discussion connecting poetry and grime. The cross-genre conversation will explore how the two art forms inform one another and the communities behind their respective scenes.
The museum’s ongoing programme leading to closure also includes a range of immersive activities for the entire family during the October half-term, a month of school visits in November framed around different themes corresponding to the museum’s collection, and two closing weekend celebration festivals on 26 & 27 November and 2, 3 & 4 December.
