National Gallery festival brings art into open air in London
A member of the public visits an outdoor gallery in Trafalgar Square, London, as part of the Inside Out festival. (DPA Photo)


London offers a dose of art to residents and visitors around central London with a unique festival. The Inside Out Festival, organized by The National Gallery, is bringing art into the open air with an outdoor exhibition of over 20 life-sized replicas of some of the most famous and treasured paintings in its collection, according to the website of the British art museum.

The large-scale installation takes place in Trafalgar Square in the heart of London from August 10 to September 2. Visitors can walk among and examine the replicas, including "Venus and Mars" by Sandro Botticelli, Vincent van Gogh's "Sunflowers" and "The Fighting Temeraire" by Joseph Mallord William Turner.

For people who want more information about the art at the giant, open-air exhibition, there's also a free app available for download.

As part of the festival, the pop-up exhibition is accompanied by the "Sketch on the Square" program. Thirty easels have been set up to allow people to create their own masterpieces as part of the program. Artists and The National Gallery staff host creative painting and drawing sessions.

Guaranteeing access to art and culture that is as barrier-free as possible has a long-standing tradition in Britain. Most museums, for example, offer free admission to their permanent exhibitions.