Tracey Emin, David Shrigley, David Hockney, Lucian Freud - some of art's biggest names are about to become part of a nationwide exhibition curated by none other than you. A charitable initiative entitled Art Everywhere has been conceived by Innocent Drinks co-founder Richard Reed, supported by the Art Fund, Tate, and the out of home advertising industry. From the 10th to 25th of August, the UK will be overtaken by culture as tens of thousands of billboard sites transform into part of the largest exhibition ever. The idea comes amidst friction caused by planned government cuts to the arts budget, with Reed facilitating the project for no purpose other than to "flood our streets with art and celebrate the creative talents and legacy of this amazing country".
Public donations and support from various partners will enable the project to thrive, with media owners such as Clear Channel, JC Decaux and CBS Outdoor will supplying sites for the display. The website encourages contributions of £3 - the amount needed to cover the cost of paper and printing for one poster site - and those offering larger amounts will be gifted with exclusive works by contemporary British slogan artist Patrick Brill, known by the moniker Bob and Roberta Smith.A shortlist of creations is currently published on the Art Everywhere website accompanied by a Facebook 'Like' button, inviting the public to vote for the top 50 to be distributed around the UK. Works include Francis Bacon's 1949 'Head', John Constable's 'Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows', Peter Blake's 1967 infamous record sleeve for The Beatles' 'Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band', Damian Hirst's 'Pardaxin' and Sarah Lucas' 'Self Portrait With Fried Eggs'.
Digital interactivity will also enhance the public experience through the Blippar app, which allows further engagement with the art by hovering over the image in order to access additional information about the piece, including the whereabouts of the original and how to order prints.
