Steve McQueen's 600 billboards of year 3 pupils are on display now


(which one is Steve?* see below)

A massive photo/art project from award winning film director Steve McQueen, inspired by his Little Ealing primary school days, has been unveiled across London.

More than 600 billboards of year 3 pupils ( age 7) can be found throughout the 33 boroughs and will be on display for two weeks before becoming part of a major exhibition at Tate Britain.

James Lingwood, co-director of Artangel which specialises in staging art shows in unusual locations, co-curated the outdoor exhibition. He said: “Year 3 is a resounding expression of Artangel’s belief that art can be anywhere. “It’s a celebration of children and a question to the rest of us — what kind of future are we making for them?”

The photos of the youngsters are beside main roads and at railway and Underground stations, and can be located on this map.

McQueen, an ex Drayton Manor pupil turned film director, went on to win Oscars for 'Twelve Years A Slave', is also a former Turner Prize recipient. He said he'd been partly inspired by looking at his old class photograph from Little Ealing primary school.

“The seeds of this project started 21 years ago with the birth of my first child, a milestone that put my own journey in perspective. My hope is that through the billboards millions of Londoners can reflect on the past, the present and the future not only of themselves but of their city.”

All the photographs taken as part of the project will go on show in a free exhibition at Tate Britain from November 12. 

(*Steve McQueen is no12 - seated fifth from the left in the middle row).

5th November 2019