Output details

The Lion and the Unicorn

This installation was commissioned by Wolverhampton Museum and Art Gallery and Arts Council England. It expands Cornford & Cross’ field of research within context-specific installation by making evident structural limits and legal obligations in the gallery, and connecting them to manifestations of global ecological crisis. The installation consisted of locally mined coal tipped on to the gallery floor, to the maximum load of 14 tonnes calculated by a structural engineer. The expanse of the exhibit was delimited by a 1500mm safety access way specified by a health and safety officer. The artists switched off the gallery lights, drawing attention to the burning of coal to generate the electricity which powers the lights.

Drawing on the economic and cultural significance of Wolverhampton and the Black Country as the birthplace of the industrial revolution, the installation addressed the issues of energy crisis, climate damage and economic instability. It sought to reconnect people with the physicality of coal, the history of its production and to evoke memories of a past era when coal was burned in most homes.

The work invited debate on the limit of industrial growth as determined by the earth’s ‘ecological carrying capacity’ and the ability of living systems to absorb the waste products of human activity. The research addressed how an art installation might connect the site of the Industrial Revolution to global climate damage, foreground electric light as the key element of contemporary visual culture and expand the concept of social obligation to encompass intergenerational equity.

The output was exhibited for three months and received over 30,000 visitors plus national, regional and local coverage. The work has featured in three conference presentations, including a keynote at The Future of Arts Research convened by Dr Matt Cawson (University of Glasgow) at the British Library, London.