David Wojnarowicz

A black and white photograph of a person's face emerging from the ground as if they have been buried. They are partially covered in dirt, their eyes are closed and they are frowning slightly.

A black and white photograph of a naked person running across a room, away from the camera, towards a partially open door. They are in an abandoned building with debris on the floor and paint peeling from the walls.

A black and white photograph of a blindfolded naked person facing two large windows holding a stick above their head like a weapon. They are in a room in an abandoned building with debris on the floor and paint peeling from the walls.

Dates and Opening times: Fri 5 – Sun 21 Jun

Mon – Fri, 11am – 6pm

Sat & Sun, 12pm – 5pm

5 June - 28 August 2026

Opening times after the GI Festival:

Fri 11-6, or by appointment
Venue: The Modern Institute, 48 Carlton Place, G5 9TW
Participants: David Wojnarowicz
Presented by: The Modern Institute
Accessiblity: Please note that this project is in a historical building. For up-to-date access information, please see glasgowinternational.org

The Modern Institute presents a solo exhibition by artist, writer, and activist David Wojnarowicz (1954–1992). Curated with assistance from The David Wojnarowicz Foundation and P.P.O.W Gallery, New York, the exhibition comprises photography, writing, moving image, and paintings by Wojnarowicz made throughout the 1980s and early 1990s until his passing from AIDS-related illness in 1992. Wojnarowicz lived in New York City’s East Village, and many of the works illuminate his friendships and relationships with fellow downtown artists including Peter Hujar, Kiki Smith, and Marion Scemama.

The gallery will host works made by Wojnarowicz in and around the piers located on the Hudson River waterfront of lower Manhattan. In the 1970s and early 1980s, the piers became a popular cruising spot and meeting place for artists and the gay community in the ruins of the city’s industrial past. Wojnarowicz was attracted to the erotic charge of these spaces as a place for meaning to exist.

This presentation will mark the inaugural show at The Modern Institute’s Carlton Place gallery, set within a Georgian townhouse and warehouse in Laurieston, on the River Clyde’s south bank.