The Lovelock Hostage Bridge ■

The Lovelock Hostage Bridge project began shortly after the events of 7 October, when JW3 and community partners sought a public, visible way to highlight the ongoing plight of the hostages in Gaza.

The concept was straightforward: invite people to attach padlocks bearing the names of hostages or messages of support. International artists were commissioned to customise a series of locks, and members of the public added their own. Over time, more than 5,000 padlocks were fixed to the bridge, creating a large-scale installation that documented both the scale of public engagement and the duration of the crisis.

The site became a point of reference for visitors wishing to track developments, express solidarity, or learn more about the individuals still held in captivity. Families of hostages contributed signed locks, and several well-known public figures added theirs as well, including Uri Geller, Alan Yentob, Alastair Campbell, Dame Maureen Lipman, Howard Jacobson, Lily Ebert MBE BEM, Manor Solomon, Rachel Riley MBE, Sir Simon Schama, Simon Sebag Montefiore, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Vanessa Feltz and David Walliams.

Artist-created padlocks were later allocated through a donation-based draw in support of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum charity.

Following the release of the remaining living hostages on 13 October 2025, the installation was formally concluded.

The Lovelock Hostage Bridge was conceived by Marcel Knobil.

With thanks to Acrylicize for assistance with signage and Allan Bailey for design services.