‘In Memoriam’ is a tribute to the melancholic beauty of the animal remains that we see around us every day.

When I was eleven, I saw some older kids messing around with a dead bird in a fountain. They didn’t want to touch it, so they were flicking it at each other with a shoe. I waited until they were gone, and then I picked it up in my hands, apologised to it, took it to a garden bed, and buried it. I was a weird, unhygienic child, but I still think my heart was in the right place.

‘In Memoriam’ is intended to present animal remains in a way that inspires the same devastating awe with which one might regard images of a human skeleton. It is my wish to banish disgust, or any desire to dispose of or look away from dead animals. Whether they are killed by other animals, humans or the elements, their bodies are still evidence of something beautiful. Sometimes that beauty persists in an obvious way after they have passed, sometimes the manner of their passing makes it difficult to see, but I hope to convince you that it is still there.

PLEASE NOTE our lift is currently undergoing maintenance and repairs. Wheelchair access to levels 2 and 3 of the arts centre is currently unavailable.