David Shrigley: Exhibition of Old Rope

14 November 2025 – 17 January 2026

Expanding his conceptual practice, David Shrigley showcases a 10-ton installation made entirely from discarded rope and a large-scale, four-part neon sculpture..

To create the installation, Shrigley spent months searching the UK for unwanted lengths of rope destined for landfill. Much of the discarded rope previously served maritime purposes, from thick cruise ship mooring lines, to slim cords on marker buoys, longlines and crab and lobster pots. Others have been salvaged from climbing schools, tree surgeons, offshore wind farms, scaffolders and window cleaning firms. Shrigley collected the shorter lengths himself from shorelines across the UK. All gathered rope was treated and cleaned to prepare it for the exhibition — a particularly important step for the rope rescued from the sea.