Sixteen powerful artworks were exhibited across the UK and Brazil for the fifth season of The Gallery, Artichoke’s pioneering public art initiative, delivered as part of The British Council’s UK/Brazil Season of Culture with Instituto Guimarães Rosa.

Presented in the leadup to COP30 in Belém this November, the artworks appeared on thousands of outdoor digital screens and billboards across the UK and Brazil, in collaboration with the outdoor advertising industry.

The Gallery was conceived by Artichoke in collaboration with public artist and Creative Director, Martin Firrell, as a new kind of cultural institution bringing art that addresses the important questions of our times to the places where people live, work and travel across outdoor advertising space nationally and internationally. Martin adds: “Billboards enable The Gallery to bring socially important art to everyone, everywhere. Billboards include everyone
in the conversation.”

Featuring six direct commissions, one open-source artwork, and nine works selected from around 750 open call entries, the artworks ranged from photography to performance, sculpture to land art, and a striking data visualisation.

It’s Not Easy Being Green was exhibited on outdoor advertising billboards and screens across the UK between 7 October-4 November and Brazil from 14 October-12 November, and the artworks will become part of The Gallery’s continually expanding permanent archive.