The punk poet laureate’s CIRCA 2021 commission marked the 50th anniversary of her first poetry recital at St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery on 10 February 1971. Each evening, she recited a set of new poems on the iconic Piccadilly Lights with words of “Thanksgiving”, says Smith, as well as a personal poem dedicated to Greta Thunberg on her 18th Birthday, 3 January 2021. Smith’s month-long programme conveyed a story of optimism along with calls for radical action, in the face of social and environmental breakdown, coinciding with the end of the Donald Trump’s presidency and ‘A New Year’ after the catastrophes witnessed in 2020.

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PATTI SMITH I

£100

PATTI SMITH II

£100

PATTI SMITH III

£100

PATTI SMITH IV

£100

SCREEN LOCATIONS

For 365 days since, 50 artists (and counting) have presented new and immediate responses to the NOW across a growing network of screens in London, Tokyo, Times Square, Milan, Melbourne, Dublin and Seoul – sparking a dialogue both online and in the public space.
Over the course of several journeys around the sun, CIRCA is now far from where it departed. From one screen in Piccadilly Circus, we have grown into a global gallery without walls.

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London, Piccadilly Lights

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Patti Smith: A New Year

Written by Charlie Colville

With the opening of the new year comes the announcement of better things and events to look forward to – including the extension of CIRCA for another twelve months! CIRCA 2021 is set to continue their mission to democratise art for the public on a global scale into the new year.

Created last year as a means of reconnecting the public with art and exhibitions during the pandemic, CIRCA allows for artists to showcase their work and ideas in the form of a two-minute video on the Piccadilly Lights, one of London’s most famous landmarks. Every month will see a different artist take to the screen, showcasing a two-minute video that expands on their practice and the messages they want to convey to the public.

Discover More on YouTube

Patti Smith Launches CIRCA 2021

Us 3: A Poem For Patti Smith Written by Kai-Isaiah Jamal & Rene Matić

Patti Smith: A Poem by Wilson Oryema

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Biography

Patti Smith

Patti Smith (born 1946) lives and works in New York City. She is a singer-songwriter, poet, and visual artist, known for her revolutionary merging of poetry and rock. In 1971, her first poetry reading at St Mark’s Church would go on to influence her debut album, Horses, which has since been hailed as one of the top one hundred albums of all time by Rolling Stone. Her books include Just Kids, winner of the National Book Award in 2010, Wītt, Babel, Woolgathering, The Coral Sea, and Auguries of Innocence. In 2005, the French Ministry of Culture awarded Smith the title of Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.