The entrance to the redeveloped area around the old Spitalfields Market is marked by the sculpture I Goat by Scottish sculptor Kenny Hunter, the winner of the Spitalfields Sculpture Prize 2010, which stands on top of a mound of packing crates and was inspired by Spitalfields’ social history. “Goats are associated with non-conformity and being independently-minded. That is also true of London, its people and never more so than in Spitalfields.” (Kenny Hunter).

Connecting with neighbouring areas in the City of London and at Broadgate, who both have public art programmes, Spitalfields Estate has worked with four sculptors from the Royal British Society of Sculptors to display a work in the Spitalfields E1 public art programme (2014 -2015).

The works respond to the history of Spitalfields with three located on the busy public Bishops Square and one in the Charnel House below.  Graham Guy-Robinson’s Intermediate Object looks as if it has been left temporarily by a building contractor: “It is an object of paradox, both permanent and temporary, absent and present.” Clare Burnett’s Paper Economy is inspired by the A4 rectangle used in huge volumes of paper by office workers who work in the area, while Marigold Hodkinson’s Water- lily/ Nymphaea floats in the reflective pool, with symbolism of rebirth, resurrection and enlightenment, perhaps reflecting on the rebirth of this area itself.  Diane MacLean’s Unknown Man, is located in the Charnel House which originally held bodies of people who had died but for various reasons could not be buried in the cemetery and were therefore placed here as one of many unmarked and unknown bodies, which this sculpture reflects with a modern figure.

This is public art at its best, where it reinforces the history of the place and directly links to the people who currently live or work there.