Breaking in, Breaking out, Breaking up, Breaking down

The magnificent main hall of Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum was the site of a new commission by celebrated Preston-based artist Lubaina Himid MBE, winner of the Turner Prize 2017.

Himid, who has a long association with Glasgow, created a giant train carriage suspended in mid-air in the centre of the atrium, adorned with mythical creatures taken from motifs in the architecture of the space. The wagon, after appearing to hurtle through the building, is wedged, held in the moment, uncertain in its fury whether safety or danger lies ahead.

Himid’s work seeks to probe overlooked histories within art and culture, in particular those of people of colour. Her career began as a theatre set designer in the 1970s and this work, raised high above the ground, might be an inserted and pointed prop, exciting both wonder and critique amidst the mise-en-scene of everyday civic life.

Presented in collaboration with The Hunterian, University of Glasgow

Commissioned by Glasgow International
Supported by The Henry Moore Foundation