Illuminating the Eastern City

Hive Curates co-produced a captivating light installation with Eastern City BID as part of Illuminating the Eastern City, a key highlight of London’s Festival of Light winter programme. From 2nd to 15th December, the façade of 55 Old Broad Street was transformed after dark by a striking projection created by acclaimed artistic duo Graphic Rewilding, whose practice explores the restorative power of nature within urban environments.

Working together, Lee Baker and Catherine Borowski transformed the architecture into a living, breathing artwork. Their nature-inspired projection unfolded slowly across the building’s surface, depicting luminous flora and fauna in motion. In contrast to the high tempo of city life, the work invited passersby to pause, breathe, and reconnect — offering a moment of calm in the heart of London’s financial district.

Explaining the concept behind the piece, Catherine Borowski described how the work deliberately challenged expectations of light art:

“We automatically think that projected art should be fast and flashy, but we decided to slow it right down to the beat of a butterfly wing. The work gives people the time and space to watch in stillness, helping to calm the brain during what can be an extremely busy time of year. We wanted to create a visual meditation, a slow-paced animation to contrast with the high-speed industries associated with the City.”

Rooted in research showing that exposure to images of nature can elevate mood and reduce stress, the projection functioned as both public art and an act of quiet wellbeing. The gentle rhythm of the imagery, paired with its glowing colour palette, transformed the urban streetscape into a site of reflection and renewal.

By illuminating the Eastern City with art that combined beauty, mindfulness, and imagination, Hive Curates and Eastern City BID invited Londoners to see their surroundings anew, finding stillness, joy, and connection through the transformative power of light.