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A new 700sq m street-level artwork on the Centre is “a bold celebration of heritage, identity and unity”.
Our Common Ground is by Bristol artist Oshii who has been helped by the team at Upfest to paint the area previously occupied by the fountains.
The piece now hopes to “place African heritage and community voices at the heart of civic life”.
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Oshii (centre) and some of the Uptest team who painted Our Common Ground – photo: Plaster
Our Common Ground was commissioned and funded by Bristol City Council and Bristol City Centre Business Improvement District, and curated by Bristol Legacy Foundation.
“This artwork is an offering to Bristol and to the people who shape it every day,” said Oshii.
“I wanted it to feel unapologetically visible, joyful and grounded in truth.
“It is a place to honour the past, stand in the present and imagine the future together.”
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Read more: What did Bristol’s Centre used to look like?
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Bristol Legacy Foundation chair Asher Craig, formerly one of Bristol’s deputy mayors, called the piece “a landmark in every sense: physical, cultural and emotional”.
“It reflects the lived experiences of communities who have historically been underrepresented in public spaces.
“Now, their stories are quite literally at the centre of the city.”
Our Common Ground “reimagines the promenade through bold colour, layered symbolism and stories drawn directly from community voices” – photo: Martin Booth
Anna Farthing, interim head of place at Bristol City Centre BID, said that Our Common Ground “transforms how we experience this space”.
“It invites people to stop, gather and take pride in what this city represents,” said Farthing.
“We hope it becomes a defining point of connection in the heart of Bristol.”
Andrew Brown, chair of the economy & skills committee at Bristol City Council, said the artwork “is exactly the kind of public realm we need in Bristol: open, inclusive and thought-provoking”.
The colours currently pop but street food vans will soon be driving over the artwork when they trade at the Harbourside Market – photo: Martin Booth
Main photo: Martin Booth
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