Iconic artist Linder to create landmark public artwork for ZSL’s 200th anniversary

ZSL (Zoological Society of London) and Contemporary Art Society *Consultancy are pleased to announce that the celebrated British artist Linder (Linder Sterling, b. 1954) has been commissioned to create a new permanent artwork marking ZSL’s 200th anniversary in 2026. 

Due to be unveiled at London Zoo in April 2026, the work will be realised as an outdoor mosaic, representing Linder’s first exploration of the medium while building on her pioneering collage practice. Content for the commission will be developed through research-led workshops with students and community groups that foster public engagement with ZSL’s mission. Connecting artistic practice with real-world perspectives on animals, the sessions explore themes of perception, empathy, and conservation, providing valuable insights that inform the project’s wider context. 

Linder is a leading figure in British contemporary art, renowned for her radical photomontage, performance, and photography. A pivotal presence in the 1970s Manchester punk and post-punk scene and former frontwoman of the band Ludus, she has spent five decades exploring the intersection of creativity, social commentary, and visual culture. Her work is held in major collections including Tate, the V&A, and MoMA, New York, and she is widely regarded as one of the foremost feminist voices in British art.  

Founded in 1826, ZSL has shaped science, conservation and culture for nearly 200 years, influencing figures from Charles Darwin and herpetologist Joan Procter to David Attenborough, Sylvia Plath and Beatrix Potter. Today, its conservation work spans over 80 countries, supported by its two conservation zoos, London and Whipsnade.  

This landmark mosaic will stand as a permanent legacy for the next 200 years, celebrating ZSL’s historic impact and its continuing role at the forefront of global conservation. 

ZSL Bicentenary Project Manager Tina Campanella said: “For almost two centuries, ZSL has been a place where science, nature and culture have met - and where generations have come to explore their sense of wonder about wildlife. 

As we prepare to mark our 200th anniversary, we are thrilled to be collaborating with Linder on a landmark public artwork that will reflect this rich and varied history. 

Shaped with voices from the school and community groups we work with, Linder’s mosaic will be a bold and beautiful celebration of ZSL’s past and present. We can’t wait to see this artwork become a permanent part of ZSL’s future story.” 

Linder says: “This wonderful invitation from the Contemporary Arts Society *Consultancy to create a mosaic presents a rare opportunity to explore a new medium. I am already discovering strong parallels between mosaic design, particularly the placement of tesserae, and the cutting and positioning of motifs within my photomontage practice.

I am working with the archives at ZSL, focusing on the achievements of the extraordinary women who have contributed to our understanding and care of its diverse inhabitants.”

CAS *Consultancy Senior Art Producer Katharina Worf said: “We are thrilled to collaborate with the Zoological Society in London and Linder Sterling on a landmark artwork celebrating 200 years of world-leading conservation. This project will create a lasting public legacy that honours ZSL’s history and its people for posterity. 

Linder’s bold new direction for this permanent artwork draws on her renowned expertise in photomontage, performance, and photography. This approach has been rooted in her deep engagement with ZSL’s archive, staff and local communities and makes her an ideal collaborator. Linder's work will uncover untold stories that cast the institution’s remarkable legacy in a fresh light.” 

The completed artwork will be unveiled in April 2026 as a key moment in ZSL’s bicentenary celebrations. 

About Linder 

Linder was born in Liverpool in 1954 and lives and works in London. In February 2025, she opened a major retrospective called Linder: Danger Came Smiling at the Hayward Gallery, London which is now Inverleith House, Edinburgh; Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea and Grundy Art Gallery until September 2026. The touring show Linderism was mounted in 2020 at Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge, and later travelled to the Hatton Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne. The solo exhibition Femme/Objet, was organised in 2013 by the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris, later travelling to the Kestner Gesellschaft, Hanover. Linder has presented recent solo exhibitions at Charleston, Firle (2022); Modern Art, London (2019); Glasgow Women’s Library (2018); Nottingham Contemporary (2018); Chatsworth House, Derbyshire (2018); The Hepworth Wakefield (2013); and Tate St Ives (2013). She has participated in recent two-person and group exhibitions at dépendance, Brussels (2022); Tate Liverpool (2021); the Royal Academy, London (2020); Camden Art Centre, London (2020); the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh (2019); and Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen (2019). In 2017, she was awarded the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award. Linder’s works are held in collections including the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris; V & A Museum, London; Arts Council Collection, London; the DESTE Foundation for Contemporary Art, Athens; the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin; Museum of Modern Art, New York; and Tate, London. 

About ZSL 

Founded in 1826, ZSL is an international conservation charity, driven by science, working to restore wildlife in the UK and around the world; by protecting critical species, restoring ecosystems, helping people and wildlife live together and inspiring support for nature. Through our leading conservation zoos, London and Whipsnade, we bring people closer to nature and use our expertise to protect wildlife today, while inspiring a lifelong love of animals in the conservationists of tomorrow.  

Visit www.zsl.org for more information.   

About Contemporary Art Society *Consultancy 

CAS *Consultancy has been providing strategic art and cultural services for more than 30 years. Our knowledge of the field is unparalleled, with work ranging from cultural placemaking strategies to bespoke art opportunities.  

Curating and managing projects in a range of contexts and environments, we work with outstanding artists to produce collections, events, art strategies and public art commissions of the highest calibre. Our projects contribute to the cultural life of the UK.   

What differentiates us from other art advisors is that we are a charity. Our work enables Contemporary Art Society to support living artists and build critical knowledge around contemporary art. Consultancy fees support the organisation’s charitable mission: to develop public collections across the UK for the benefit of audiences everywhere.  

We make Great Art for Great Places.