‘Old Flo’ still set to be sold, Tower Hamlets councillors confirm
Henry Moore's 'Old Flo' erected in Stepney in 1962 - Credit: Henry Moore Trust
No further challenges to Tower Hamlets Council’s ownership of Henry Moore’s ‘Draped Seated Woman’ sculpture have been made, it has been claimed.
At a council meeting last night, Mayor Lutfur Rahman was asked what is happening to ‘Old Flo’, months he confirmed his intention to sell the sculpture.
Cabinet member for culture Cllr Rania Khan said no formal legal challenges to the borough’s ownership had been received, and the proposed sale will go ahead.
“We own it”, she said. “Anything to the contrary was nothing more than a publicity stunt.
“The plan remains the same – that we will well the asset and reinvest it back into the community.
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“The public outcry has only come from the cultural elite”, she added.
In November last year Mayor Rahman confirmed his intention to sell the artwork, which has been in a sculpture park in Yorkshire since 1997.
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The decision prompted outcry, with Bromley Council and the Arts Fund both disputing Tower Hamlets Council’s ownership of the piece. Labour and Tory councillors in the borough called for the piece to be returned to the East End.
The sculpture is yet to be listed for auction.
