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Ringing in the New Year with Patti Smith

London

Patti Smith needs no introduction. The punk poet laureate has been making her unmistakable mark on our culture since the ‘70s, inspiring artists as iconic in their own right as Shirley Manson, Courtney Love and Madonna. Her unique fusion of poetry and awe-inspiring rock makes her a voice for our times, as epitomised by her collab with CIRCA Art. CIRCA is an art and culture platform with a purpose, collaborating with vision-driven artists like Ai Wei Wei, David Hockney and Jenny Holzer to stop the clock and spread important messaging every single day at 20:21. Their billboards and projections are seen across the world, and they seemed a natural partner for Patti Smith’s impactful words.

CIRCA commissioned a series of curated poems, imagery and texts to celebrate Greta Thunberg’s 18th birthday, featuring this handwritten poem by Smith calling Thunberg a herald of “wonderful tomorrows”. In an effort to bring attention to the dire effects of climate change that Thunberg herself has been so adept at raising awareness of, the posters celebrate a tomorrow that can only happen if we join together. As well as the posters and imagery, “A NEW YEAR” by Patti Smith streamed online every evening throughout January at 20:21.