Premier League football club Arsenal has unveiled eight new pieces of art for the exterior of Emirates Stadium as part of plans to redefine the venue as a “cultural landmark”.
Arsenal has worked with artists Jeremy Deller and Reuben Dangoor, as well as graphic designer David Rudnick, on the design process, with consultations beginning in April 2022.
The art has been designed to reflect Arsenal’s heritage, culture and community values, with each piece focusing on a different theme. More than 100 supporters, Arsenal legends and their families, as well as club staff, contributed to the project.
The designs include ‘Victoria Concordia Crescit’, which draws inspiration from the neoclassical style of French revolutionary paintings and celebrates club legends “readying for battle” alongside Arsenal’s famous cannons.
‘Remember Who You Are’ pays tribute to Arsenal’s former home, Highbury, with a representation of the stadium’s East Stand. The name of the piece references a quote from former player David Rocastle.
Other designs include ‘Invincible’, which pays homage to the men’s Premier League-winning season in 2003-04 and the women’s Champions League-winning squad of 2006-07; and ‘Come To See The Arsenal’, which celebrates the club’s community roots and will be seen by passengers on southbound trains passing Emirates Stadium as they head into London.
‘Eighteen Eighty-Six’ highlights Arsenal’s founding year, while ‘We All Follow The Arsenal’ features banners and flags from over 150 official supporter groups around the world. ‘Future Brilliance’ reflects Arsenal’s commitment to youth development, while the work-in-progress ‘Found a Place Where We Belong’ will bring together 721 supporters who have contributed to the club’s success.
Arsenal chief executive Vinai Venkatesham said: “This has been a fantastic project enabled by so many of the Arsenal family here in Islington and across the world. We genuinely couldn’t have brought this project to life without everyone working together and giving their passion and dedication to this work.
“The project has brought together our supporters, community, legends and staff as one. It’s a real celebration of the Arsenal community, designed for and by the Arsenal family.”
Rudnick added: “Across the eight pieces of art we hope we’ve created something for everyone. The type-based designs implement typefaces from a project we’ve been undertaking with the club and the supporters’ workshops, to craft a set of voices incorporating both patterns and symbols synonymous with Arsenal.
“A clean typographic system shows how our values are present not just in the future we are building, but all the way to the club’s origins. That aspect of Arsenal resonates so much with every supporter; the perspective of always moving forward whilst celebrating and never forgetting our heritage.”
The installation of the artwork will take place over the coming weeks, starting from today (Thursday). The designs will replace the original artwork that has adorned the stadium since it opened in 2006.
