Sum Place

Last weekend we visited the in Oslo and were reminded how change begins with conversation.

So many Nobel Peace Prize laureates have shown that listening and dialogue can shift even the most entrenched situations.

The Center sets out eight principles for dialogue. Each one resonated with us - in our lives and in the work we do in the public realm. Dialogue isn’t only for global conflicts; it’s for neighbourhoods, work places, within families, and shared spaces. It’s not about winning. It’s about understanding.

Our projects are shaped through conversation, care, and the belief that community voices matter. We don’t start with the answers. We always start by listening.

We’re carrying these principles with us, and hope you find meaning in them too.

1. Dialogue should be a basic attitude
2. Create safe spaces
3. Include all relevant parties
4. In dialogue, you must listen
5. Let everyone share their experiences
6. Ask questions
7. Talk about the difficult things
8. Contribute to forgiveness and reconciliation

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Joy lives in the simplicity of the ordinary.

Modernists understood the ordinary. They found meaning in what was already there - the repetition, routine, and the familiar.

As artists working in the public realm, we have a lot in common with them. Our work continues to find beauty in the overlooked corners and routines of public space.

We think that art in civic life isn’t decoration; it’s infrastructure for the imagination. It’s the pause in a place designed for passing through and taking a moment of quiet recognition. It belongs to everyone.

Public space is not neutral. It shapes how we feel, how we move, and how we connect. Everyone deserves to feel safe and inspired in the places they live and know.

At Sum Place, we believe the ordinary and the routine aren’t boring; they’re what hold our lives together.

Read our full essay ‘Infrastructure for the Imagination: Art in the Public Realm’ in Issue 51: Ordinary.

Big love and gratitude to guest editor and all-around wonderful woman .

Thank you to for the beautiful images of our series of work in North Shields.

Studio stillness/shadows.

Feels like that time of year ☕️

Full team energy as we count down to installation time. The studio’s buzzing - just how we like it.

Drilling, threading, hanging, and packing up. Everything’s coming together.

Gorgeous shot by Kat 💚

From little acorns, mighty oaks grow 🌱✨

Hand-cast pewter acorns will anchor the 750 strands of oak leaves in our suspended sculpture for the new National Rehabilitation Centre.

Small but mighty, they symbolise renewal, resilience and growth. And, they’re also very cute.

Rope wrapped around a bowling ball. This is how we made our Monkey’s Fist knot sculpture.

We find so much joy in simple materials and familiar textures.

Some rare shots of our incredible team who’ve been helping us make our suspended sculpture commissions.

From plastic pressing to casting and assembly, they’ve given so much skill, energy, and life to the studio. We’re grateful every day for their dedication, talent, and excellent company ✨

The door that’s alway open ✨

Our studio is next to where the local MP’s office used to be. With the door always open while the machines are running, we often get people coming in looking for him. Sometimes it leads to the best conversations.

One day, Dennis wandered in. We ended up talking about life, family, the state of things, and what we can do as individuals. It was one of those conversations that leaves you both thinking differently afterwards. A few weeks later, he returned with this little piece of history from his days as a deep-sea diver. The gift of a cannonball.

Proper lovely man 💚

Kilkenny Black Fossil granite, carved into a monkey’s fist knot.

Ordinary materials and everyday textures shape our work and our public spaces. These knots were hand carved in the final stages of manufacture - they actually felt like rope.

Extraordinary craftsmanship involved.