Heads! Look To The Workers, Laura Wilson

V&A East Museum, Carpenters Road 107, E20 2AR, London

August 19, 2026 – October 18, 2026

'The lumper, the lurker, the baker, the weaver, the spinner, the sampler, the spark…' opens artist Laura Wilson's poem, inscribed into three sculptures honouring east London's workers and makers. The work is activated by the V&A East team with the call "Heads!" Raised and lowered by a fly system, like those used in docks and theatres, the movement reflects shift patterns and the nearby tidal flows of the River Thames. Wilson's artwork is informed by research into east London theatres, factories, docks and women's workwear, with related objects displayed at V&A East Storehouse on Level 2. The sculpture is lowered at different times daily, allowing visitors to read the poem on the Upper Ground floor.