April 14, 2026World Art Day Quiz
Six Questions to Challenge Your Knowledge of Art in London’s Public Spaces
London’s streets are an open-air gallery like no other. From ancient bronze sculptures to provocative Fourth Plinth commissions, the city wears its artistic soul in public. But how well do you really know it?
Whether you’re a seasoned Londoner or a curious visitor keen to look beyond the tourist trail, we’ve rounded up 6 quiz questions about London’s public art scene for you to test your knowledge, brush up on your art history, and prepare to see the capital in a new light.
-
How many years did it take to plan The Sultan’s Elephant?
- Royal de Luxe with The Sultan’s Elephant outside Battersea Power Station, London. Photo by Matthew Andrews.
Answer: Seven years
Artichoke’s very first project of a giant mechanical elephant and a 5.5-metre-tall girl roaming central London for four days in 2006 was seven years in the making.
Artichoke worked in secret, convincing public authorities to close streets normally reserved only for state occasions and sporting events.
-
What year is the oldest piece of London public art from?
- John Thomas Smith, 1791, courtesy of The British Museum.
Answer: 1100 AD
Popular as a landmark in the Middle Ages, The London Stone is a mysterious, irregular piece of limestone with unknown origins. Referenced in the writings of Shakespeare and William Blake, it is London’s oldest public monument.
-
Who was the first Black British artist to have an artwork commissioned for the Fourth Plinth?
- Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle by Yinka Shonibare, Trafalgar Square, London. Photo by Prioryman, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Answer: Yinka Shonibare
Enclosed in a glass bottle and made from West African-inspired textiles, Yinka made history with his 1:30 scale replica of the HMS Victory back in 2010. The artwork now has a permanent home outside the National Maritime Museum.
Fun Fact: Yinka participated in the latest season of Artichoke’s public art project, The Gallery.
-
Where is London’s only legal graffiti space located?
-
- Leake Street Arches. Photo by Dmitry Djouce, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Answer: Leake Street Arches, Waterloo
The 300-metre-long road tunnel is a spot where graffiti is not only legal but actively encouraged, making it a magnet for street art fans and artists alike.
-
-
True or False? The majority of London’s public sculptures have been installed in the last two centuries.
Answer: True
Of the sculptures recorded across London, 73% were erected in the 20th and 21st centuries, with the former seeing the biggest increase.
-
True or False? The statue at Picadilly Circus is of Eros, the Greek god of Love.
- Eros by Amanda B. H. Slater, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Answer: False
The first sculpture in the world to be cast of aluminium, this famous piece is actually of Eros’ brother, Anteros, avenger of unrequited love. An illustration of the sculpture also appears as the masthead for the Evening Standard.
-
True or False? One & Other coined a new word
- One & Other, Antony Gormley, 2009. Produced by Artichoke. Photo by Matthew Andrews.
Answer: True
Every hour for 100 days and nights in 2009, people from across the UK each took turns on Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth as part of One & Other.
Performing anything they wanted, Antony Gormley’s commission drew global attention and inspired a storyline in BBC Radio 4’s The Archers – who coined the term “plinther” after the event.