22nd January 2025: Art of London’s free late-night programme, Art After Dark, returns this March, transforming the West End into a cosmic playground with surrealist public art and space science by award-winning eco-feminist artist and experience designer Dr. Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian, founder of NASA’s International Space Orchestra.
‘Piccadilly Un:Plugged’ invites the public to look beyond the city’s skyline and into the vast cosmos ahead of the upcoming lunar eclipse. Iridescent asteroid-sized moon rocks will land in Piccadilly Circus, while two towering inflatable UV reactive sculptures inspired by Schrödinger’s famous quantum physics paradox – nicknamed the ‘Cats’ – will be positioned along the trail.
Harnessing cutting-edge interstellar technology, recordings from the West End and the heartbeats of the artist’s Armenian family will travel 768,800 km to the moon and back. Through Earth-Moon-Earth (EME) communication, audio signals received from the moon by the University of Manchester’s Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank Observatory – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – will be broadcast in Piccadilly Circus, creating a unique astronomical soundscape.
Throughout the three-night spectacle, London will become a portal to explore the wonders of the night sky during ‘galaxy season’, a time when distant galaxies are at their most visible. Guided by scientists, and representatives from the SETI Institute (Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence), the public will use UNISTELLAR’s advanced telescopes to experience breathtaking views of nebulae and planets like Jupiter, joining in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence from iconic West End locations.
Timed to coincide with International Women’s Day on 8th March 2025, the interstellar art programme will spotlight female and non binary musicians and innovators from leading astronomical organisations together. Ben Hayoun-Stépanian’s visionary project aims to celebrate creativity and groundbreaking achievements and contributions to both science and art on Earth and in space.
Eco-feminist artist and designer of experiences, Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian, said: “I am so thrilled to be able to develop this creative and participative work in my beloved open city of London and in the vibrant West End. Advocating for further support and attention on nightlife and nighttime workers and powered by an electric team with incredible scientists with a roster of avant-garde female and non-binary artists, Piccadilly Un:Plugged is a visual, experiential, and sonic experience with a good dose of alien aesthetics.
I cannot wait to share the audio bounced off the moon, featuring the heartbeats of my Armenian family, and further recordings made in the West End, together with mind-blowing soundtracks by incredible artists. Piccadilly Un:Plugged is a message of love, compassion, healing and peace, urging a reconsideration of our futures on Earth and in space through a lens that values inclusivity, sustainability, plurality, and transnational thinking.”
Culture enthusiasts will also discover space-themed ceramic artworks at the Cabinet of Curiosities in St James’s Market Pavilion, created through workshops with local youth groups*. While an animated short film by Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian, screened on the iconic Piccadilly Lights, will take audiences on an extraordinary journey from the ocean’s depths to the far reaches of outer space.
Bookable art tours hosted by Art of London, as well as late night gallery openings at London’s most celebrated cultural institutions, including the National Portrait Gallery, National Gallery and Royal Academy of Arts, will complement the cosmic spectacle.
Art of London returns with its seasonal art and culture programme, Art After Dark led by artist Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian from 6th March – 8th March 2025.