The Wick List

Viewing Louise Giovanelli: Decades at St Mary Le Strand

The Wick Culture - The installation ‘Decades' by artist Louise Giovanelli illuminated at St Mary-le-Strand Church in London, courtesy Westminster City Council and Create London, photo Damian Griffiths

Above The installation ‘Decades’ by artist Louise Giovanelli illuminated at St Mary-le-Strand Church in London, courtesy Westminster City Council and Create London, photo Damian Griffiths

The Wick Culture - Portrait of artist Louise Giovanelli at the installation ‘Decades' illuminated at St Mary-le-Strand Church in London, courtesy Westminster City Council and Create London, photo Damian Griffiths

Above Portrait of artist Louise Giovanelli at the installation ‘Decades’ illuminated at St Mary-le-Strand Church in London, courtesy Westminster City Council and Create London, photo Damian Griffiths

Above The installation ‘Decades’ by artist Louise Giovanelli illuminated at St Mary-le-Strand Church in London, courtesy Westminster City Council and Create London, photo courtesy Westminster City Council

Above The installation ‘Decades’ by artist Louise Giovanelli illuminated at St Mary-le-Strand Church in London, courtesy Westminster City Council and Create London, photo Damian Griffiths

Louise Giovanelli: Decades

St Mary Le Strand
19 November, 2025 – 18 January, 2025

Get a dose of shimmering festive magic – Louise Giovanelli has wrapped the historic façade of St Mary Le Strand in a spectacular, temporary artwork titled Decades. From 19 November 2025 until 18 January 2026, the south-facing side of the 300-year-old baroque church will be transformed by Giovanelli’s signature blend of illusion, light, and historical resonance, a special commission for Create London and Westminster City Council.

Giovanelli – one of the most dynamic painters of her generation – has created an installation that drapes the church in a gigantic, shimmering curtain, a long-time subject of the artist who usually works in paint. The trompe-l’œil piece conceals and reveals a composite image of soft drapery, based on a silver curtain she saw in a working-men’s club – the Joy Division song Decades was playing when Giovanelli encountered it, hence the title.

Giovanelli is drawn to the way these drapes can “make people feel like celebrities”, she has said. More than just a visual spectacle, the work calls attention to heritage, memory, and transformation. By night, the curtain will glow softly. It re-animates a once-hidden architectural gem, inviting the public to pause, reflect – and perhaps see the familiar cityscape in a new light.