Following in the footsteps of previous Tate Britain Commission artists including Heather Phillipson, Anthea Hamilton, Cerith Wyn Evans and Pablo Bronstein, this year British sculptor Hew Locke has taken over Tate Britain’s Duveen Gallery with an ambitious new project, ‘The Procession.’

Comprised of figures who travel through time and space, Locke’s installation expands on his interest in exploring the languages of colonial and post-colonial power, the development of cultural identities and how they are shaped by the powers of authority, as well as the passing of time. In ‘The Procession,’ Locke invites visitors to walk alongside characters who carry physical representation of culture and history, with evidence of global financial and violent colonial control embellished on their clothes and banners. Through colour and pattern, Locke also makes reference to various cultural traditions, presented alongside powerful images of some of the disappearing colonial architecture of Locke’s childhood in Guyana.

The 150 life-sized figures journeying through the centre of Tate Britain also offer a comment on the museum’s own colonialist ties — the founder, Henry Tate, was both an art lover and a sugar refining magnate. In this way, the installation combines the joy and colourful exuberance of a carnival-like procession, with the sombre mood of a funereal one with its references to a dark, colonial context.

Contact us for more information
Visit website