Places to Be is a series of distinctive cast iron figures by world-renowned sculptor Antony Gormley, positioned high on rooftops in Peterborough city centre. Each life-sized form stands motionless, gazing outwards over the streets below. The statues are part of a public art installation designed to change the way people experience and navigate the city, prompting moments of surprise, reflection, and curiosity. Their elevated positions mean they emerge unexpectedly into view – watching, and perhaps inviting us to look at our surroundings differently.
Antony Gormley is one of Britain’s most celebrated contemporary artists, internationally recognised for works that explore the human body in space. Born in London in 1950, Gormley studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, and Central School of Art, Goldsmiths College, and the Slade School of Fine Art. His sculptures often use casts of his own body, creating anonymous yet intimate human forms. His best-known works include Angel of the North in Gateshead and Another Place on Crosby Beach. Awarded the Turner Prize in 1994, Gormley’s work is exhibited worldwide and has become synonymous with ambitious, thought-provoking public art.