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The Guardian
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Jeremy Deller's fake Roman mosaic review – is that a smiley face on the ancient ship's flag?
It would be too simple to say that Jeremy Deller is interested in history. It would be more accurate to say he's interested in things that aren't there; or things that were once there; or perhaps things that could have been there. Protesting miners, deceased soldiers, inflatable sites of pagan worship have all been created or re-created by the Turner prize-winning artist, who has now turned his hand to a 'speculative [Roman] mosaic' for Scarborough's Wild Eye coastal art and nature trail. Created with sculptor Coralie Turpin, Deller's mosaic is a 'semi-trick' – a suggestion of a Roman masterpiece that has been uncovered on the shores of the seaside town with genuine Roman history. On the cliffs above the work sits the remains of a Roman signal station, and the mosaic is fragmented and inaccurate as if made from memory rather than a photograph, generating a sense of authenticity. 'In 100 years' time – or whenever – when this is all underwater and it is rediscovered, someone will think 'Fuck, there was a Roman villa here,'' says Deller. What is actually there is a sea-watching station. With free-to-use telescopes, it's one of England's best places for viewing cetaceans – a group of aquatic mammals that includes porpoises, dolphins and whales. So, when Deller was asked if he could develop a work for the location, he had the difficult task of creating something that didn't conflict with the view. A floor-based piece was the natural solution and it depicts many of the creatures we might spot with enough patience. Roman Mosaic c2025 is at once joyful and violent; a large whale swoops under a ship, a seal snaps at a fish, an octopus tussles with a crab. There are specific Scarborough references, such as the walrus who made headlines when he stopped in the town in 2022, and a tiny Arctic auk spotted during a research trip out to sea. Deller's signature playfulness is found in the smiley face flag on the ship, and the Roman god in the top corner who is doing his best to blow the whole scene away. The tiny tiles are expertly placed by Turpin to generate movement, putting the piece in motion – as if the creatures might dive back into the North Sea at any moment. The sea is not always a comfortable companion for art displays. Even when the tide is low and the breeze is gentle, the hiss of the waves and the vast blue constantly draws the gaze upwards and out. But all the pieces on the Wild Eye trail understand this and instead of trying to compete with the sea, or nature more broadly, they embrace it. Invisible Dust – the non-profit organisation which initiated the Wild Eye project with the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust – works to unite artists and scientists to produce climate-conscious art. For them, the sea – or what's in it – is as important as the pieces commissioned by their impressive roster of British artists. Along with Deller, Ryan Gander, Paul Morrison, Shezad Dawood with Daisy Hildyard, and Emma Smith have created site-specific works to connect the people of Scarborough with the natural world around them. The most successful ones do this overtly. Deller's mosaic teaming with local creatures is immediately accessible, as is Paul Morrison's marine grade stainless steel sculpture of seaweed. Sea Oak is a shimmering slice of bladderwrack seaweed with a reflective surface that absorbs the blue above and below. Seaweed is an efficient carbon sink and valuable habitat for marine wildlife, and yet it is very often an overlooked element of the British seaside. Morrison restores its value by putting it on a plinth. Nearby, Dawood – in collaboration with writer Hildyard – presents one of a series of augmented reality works found along Scarborough seafront that explore an imagined future for costal environments and their inhabitants. This involves scanning a QR code and pointing my phone at the sea to see various hybrid creatures emerging to Hildyard's storytelling. It is interesting enough but there is something disconnecting about looking at the sea through my iPhone, and without much of a physical presence I wonder how many passersby will engage with this. Sign up to Art Weekly Your weekly art world round-up, sketching out all the biggest stories, scandals and exhibitions after newsletter promotion In the grounds of Scarborough Castle is Gander's We Are Only Human (Incomplete Sculpture for Scarborough to Be Finished By Snow). The large sculpture, cast in low-carbon concrete with limestone formed of shells and skeletons from prehistoric sea creatures, is based on a dolos, the hefty forms that line the seafront to prevent erosion. Up on the edge of a cliff, surrounded by greenery and wildflowers, its hardness and bright whiteness feels out of place, as if it has arrived from another place. Its jarring presence highlights the discomfort we will feel in a future world where rising sea levels have deposited a dolos on the top of a cliff. A slow stroll or cycle between the works, absorbing the local fauna and wildlife, would be the ideal way to take in all the art. Emma Smith assists us in this leisurely approach by installing several resting points along the Cinder Track – a 21-mile coastal trail linking Scarborough and Whitby. Her sculptural 'seats' – made from exquisite 'Swaledale fossil' limestone – place the viewer inside nature, initiating curiosity and calm, and a total appreciation of the surrounding greenery that – should we not change our ways – might not last as long as Deller's mosaic. Wild Eye is a series of art works influenced by and set in the coastal environment of North Yorkshire
BBC News
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Roman-style mosaic unveiled at Scarborough sea life watching spot
A Roman-style mosaic has been unveiled at a sea life viewing station on the Scarborough coast. The artwork, by Turner Prize winner Jeremy Deller and mosaicist Coralie Turpin, measures 27.5ft (8.4m) long and 20ft (6m) wide and is a permanent installation. It spans the floor of a new sea watching station on Marine Drive, which is a renovated 1990s seaside shelter with free telescopes for viewing marine life. Deller said: "I wanted to make a piece of public art that didn't get in the way of the view because there's a great view here." "It's meant to be almost invisible until you stand on it and I like the idea of that," he said. Deller came up with the idea for a Roman mosaic reflecting the wildlife in Scarborough and Turpin helped bring it to life. It depicts a whale, a ship, dolphins and the various marine life on the Scarborough coast."Coralie is a mosaicist and she knew how to make an idea happen," Deller said."The idea is sometimes the easy bit, making something that is thousands of hours of work is the difficult part."Alongside her team, Turpin hand cut up to 300,000 pieces of tile to put the mosaic together, which took six months to complete. "It looks like it has been discovered during an archaeological dig," she said."It's fragmentary, so you would only have found little sections of it."Turpin said the colour scheme was based on Roman mosaics, which had originally been made using marble. The project was a collaboration between art and science organisation Invisible Dust and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. Jeanine Griffin, curator at Invisible Dust, said: "The aim is to really engage people with the amazing wildlife on their doorstep and draw in people who are interested in nature and culture to Scarborough, as a year-round tourist offer."It's a really beautiful spot elevated above the sea, you can see right over the seawall to look at pods of dolphins."Information panels on marine life have been installed inside the station. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Euronews
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Oulu2026 unveils vision and artists for Climate Clock art trail – reconnecting us with nature's time
The Finnish city of Oulu – set just below the Arctic Circle – is getting ready to be the 2026 European Capital of Culture (along with Trenčín in Slovakia). On Wednesday (12 February), Oulu2026 gave a taste of what's in store, announcing a cutting-edge art trail with a crucial message for our times. 'Art is a powerful universal language: the works in Oulu2026's Climate Clock transform scientific urgency into beautiful and accessible experiences, revealing the profound role of time in our environmental future in ways that science alone cannot,' the project's curator, Alice Sharp, told Euronews Culture ahead of the announcement. Climate Clock, set to launch in June 2026, will be a permanent public art trail spread across the municipality of Oulu, one of the world's northernmost cities. The trail will combine art, science, and nature, offering a powerful reflection on the changing environment, with a special focus on the alarming speed at which the region is warming – four times faster than the global average. The art trail will feature seven internationally renowned artists, each bringing their own unique perspective to the project. Including the likes of Rana Begum, SUPERFLEX and Antti Laitinen, the artists will collaborate with scientists and local communities to create site-specific works that engage with specific elements of Oulu's striking natural landscapes, including its frozen rivers, extensive woodlands, and the Bothnian Bay. Sharp, who is also founder of the UK-based environmental art organisation Invisible Dust, believes that art can provide a powerful space for reflection on climate change. 'For Oulu2026, Climate Clock brings together artists and scientists to explore how we, as humans, connect to nature's rhythms in the age of climate change – and how we grapple with its contradictions,' Sharp told Euronews Culture. 'While climate scientists like James Hansen warn of the hottest January on record, researchers in Oulu observe heavier snowfall due to the melting of Arctic ice. Through Climate Clock, I am fostering collaboration between artists and scientists to enhance public understanding of these complex changes.' The chosen artists have been selected not only for their global acclaim but also for their willingness to engage with the scientific research that informs their work. British-Nigerian artist Ranti Bam's large-scale ceramic vessels in Yli-Ii, for example, symbolise the fragile bond between humans and the environment, exploring the resilience and vulnerability that we share with clay. Antti Laitinen, who hails from Finland and whose work will take shape by the Koiteli river rapids, is also focused on such themes of fortitude and fragility. With the help of lichenologist experts, Laitinen's kinetic sculptures will incorporate moss and lichen – bioindicators of air quality – exploring how pollution impacts the delicate balance of local ecosystems. British-Bangladeshi artist Rana Begum's series of interactive sculptures will be displayed in Oulu's central square, where the interplay of light and sea ice will be a central theme. Working alongside glaciologist Alun Hubbard, Begum's sculptures will shine a spotlight on the alarming rate at which Arctic glaciers are melting, raising awareness of the urgent need for action in response to climate change. For Takahiro Iwasaki, a Japanese artist whose work will feature in Ylikiiminki, the focus will be on miniature forms inspired by local architecture and the region's annual Tar Festival. Iwasaki has worked closely with snow hydrologist Pertti Ala-aho to develop a delicate sculpture that reflects the beauty and fragility of nature in the face of warming temperatures. Meanwhile, Gabriel Kuri's thought-provoking work will be installed in Oulunsalo, using risk assessment charts to communicate the dangers of climate change. In collaboration with UK-based climate scientist Kevin Anderson, Kuri's piece will offer a stark visual representation of the urgent need to address environmental issues. SUPERFLEX, a Danish artist group, will focus on the impact of rising sea levels with a new marine landmark along the harbour of Haukipudas. Developed in consultation with local fishermen and marine biologists, the sculpture will highlight the importance of preserving marine biodiversity in a time of climate crisis. Finally, Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen will invite residents of Oulu to participate in creating 'The Most Valuable Clock in the World'. This participatory artwork will feature a clock that captures moments from Oulu's annual natural cycle, allowing local people to define what 'value'' truly means in a world obsessed with consumerism. In the spirit of Oulu2026's theme of 'cultural climate change', the Climate Clock will serve as a permanent fixture, inviting reflection and dialogue on environmental concerns while fostering a deeper connection to the natural world. The work will debut in June 2026 before touring throughout Oulu municipality and, together with all the other works along the trail, it will eventually be part of the Oulu City art collection. 'Climate Clock is one of the most significant productions of the Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture year, reflecting on the nature of time and how our fast pace of life has drifted out of nature's rhythms in Northern Finland, embodying our core theme of 'cultural climate change',' Samu Forsblom, Programme Director of Oulu2026, explained to Euronews Culture. 'This theme is about fostering a permanently richer cultural life, bringing people together across borders, and expanding the ways we think, understand, and engage with one another.'
