Taking art out of the museum and firmly into the public realm, Forever in the Now brings together the work of 12 sculptors (from Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales) in a pop-up public art space in Victoria Place, a new multi-million pound residential and retail development, in the heart of Woking Town Centre.

Conceived during the pandemic by British sculptors Sean Henry and David Worthington, Forever in the Now at Victoria Place, in collaboration with The Lightbox Gallery, shows a selected group of artists whose work they admired and wanted to bring to a wider audience. The show is a unique opportunity to see sculptures that span the formal divide of figuration and abstraction and yet stand in close visual dialogue with each other and with the viewer.

Forever in the Now at Victoria Place will open to the public on Wednesday 23 March with free admission. Download an invitation to the launch here. 
Co-curated by artists Henry and Worthington. Forever in the Now features work from some of Britain’s most exciting sculptors including Nigel Hall RA; Nicola Hicks MBE; David Mach RA and Lucy Glendinning, as well as work by Laura Ford, Simon Hitchens, Kenny Hunter, Eilis O’Connell, James Capper, and Richard Perry.


Fledgling © Lucy Glendinning

Sean Henry grew up in Woking and over the years, his distinctive sculptures have been installed across the town centre as part of the council’s cultural renaissance to bring art out of galleries and museums and into the public realm. Permanent new sculptures by Henry and Worthington have been installed in Henry Plaza; Worthington has created a five-tiered structure made from different types of marble and Henry has created two figures standing apart from each other. The new artworks will be installed in the atrium space within Victoria Place.


John (Standing), 2009 © Sean Henry 

The Lightbox gallery and museum will also open a second pop-up space, The Lightbox at Victoria Place, featuring new work by four contemporary female artists. Opening on the 23 March 2022 with free admission.

The Lightbox presents an exhibition of four contemporary female artists based in Woking and the surrounding area, celebrating the diversity and range of professional artists working today. The show will demonstrate the breadth of contemporary art-making and features work by Sarah Evans, Nagihan Seymour, Hannah Bruce, and Emily Faludy. With distinct styles, the artists explore diverse themes of landscape art, seascapes, architecture, and sacred geometry.

Two of the artists featured – Hannah Bruce and Sarah Evans - will have work permanently on display in the Hilton Hotel and Marches apartments, selected from the Victoria Place Open Call competition by The Lightbox in 2020.

Autumn Trees and Reflections © Hannah Bruce

To find out what other exhibitions we have at The Lightbox, please click here.