LEGO fans young and old will love visiting The Art of the Brick exhibition in London to marvel at some of the most impressive LEGO models in the world.
The models are stunning because of their size and intricacy: among others, you’ll spot a giant T-Rex (made out of 80,000 bricks), life-sized animals, super heroes and outstanding re-creations of famous works of art. Last shown in London in 2017, this extensive and awe-inspiring display of LEGO is back in the UK capital after delighting audiences all over the globe. A great day out for all the family, Citizen Enfants visited to see the world-renowned exhibition first-hand.
What is The Art of the Brick exhibition?
Having criss-crossed the globe for over 10 years, the truly amazing The Art of the Brick exhibition is now back in residence in London. The most famous display of LEGO art in the world, it has been seen by over 10 million visitors and features works by lead artist Nathan Sawaya, among others – all made from the iconic toy bricks. Carefully designed and constructed by the artist, each model is glued together to keep it intact as it travels around to different cities.
You’ll find this super-cool exhibition in London’s East End at The Boiler House on Brick Lane – which seems an apt location! Here you’ll discover everything from dinosaurs and superheroes, to animals, famous art works and so much more – all made from LEGO. The exhibition is divided into many different galleries: in the wildlife area you’re met by a life-sized gorilla and giraffe, and in the Human Condition gallery by sculptures of people, some going about everyday tasks, others chatting or embracing. Don’t miss the innovative multimedia collection of what looks like photographs – look closely and you’ll see they’re made from brick. There are also screens showcasing some of the pieces in situ, like the very realistic looking tiger seen wandering a real-life jungle, for example.
Who is it for?
If there is one toy that transcends all ages, it’s LEGO: meaning this exhibition is truly for everyone. Young children who are just discovering the fun of building with it will love the sheer scale of the displays, while seasoned LEGO fans will appreciate the detail and mastery that goes into creating such complex and sizeable structures from (quite literally!) millions of bricks.
Next to each display you’ll find a description from the artist detailing what the piece is and how many bricks it took to build it. The Gotham and Batcave areas are particularly impressive and include an eye catching Batmobile that consists of 489,000 bricks. Take their word for it – don’t even begin to try to count them! A visit to the exhibition will be a true delight for anyone interested in LEGO and will inspire all – young or old – to create more interesting and intricate models with their own brick collection.
The Highlights
The huge models are the most exciting, especially for children, but the latest editions to the collection are some of the most impressive. New versions of great masterpieces are on display here, such as Michelangelo’s David, Van Gogh’s The Starry Night and Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Kids will love the play area at the end – it has a huge pit of LEGO that they can quite literally climb into and start to build. There’s also an art station to colour in pictures of the objects seen throughout the exhibition, and these can be put into scanners to appear in a virtual art gallery on a big screen.
Need to know
This is a family-friendly exhibition that is welcoming of all ages. Buggies and prams are not allowed inside, but there are changing facilities and a café onsite to grab snacks or lunch. As with so many of these exhibitions, you exit through the gift shop; so there’s an opportunity to pick up some LEGO to take home should you wish. When booking you can choose a time slot, and it’s a good idea to arrive a few minutes early at busy times. Once inside the whole experience should take roughly an hour, but visitors are free to take as long as they like to marvel at all the models.
Where is it?
The exhibition is located at The Boiler House, 152 Brick Lane, E1 6RU. The closest tube stations to Brick Lane are Aldgate East (District Line and Hammersmith and City Line), Shoreditch High Street Station (London Overground), and Whitechapel Station (Elizabeth Line, District Line, Hammersmith Line and London Overground).
Lead Image: Art of the Brick Exhibition
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