Overview

• The “Hear Us” installation places graffiti-style questions to God across pillars, walls and stairs, created by poet Alex Vellis and curator Jacqueline Creswell after community workshops with marginalised groups.
• Visitor reactions on site have been sharply divided, with some praising the concept and others calling it “sacrilegious” and likening parts of the interior to an “underground car park in Peckham.”
• High-profile criticism escalated online as US Vice President JD Vance called the display “really ugly” and Elon Musk labeled the decision “shameful,” intensifying political and cultural scrutiny.
• Dean David Monteith defended the work as intentionally disruptive and authentic, urging people to see it in person and emphasizing that it poses sincere theological questions rather than defacing the building.
• The exhibition formally opens Oct. 17 and runs through Jan. 18, 2026, and cathedral officials say it will be removed before Archbishop‑designate Sarah Mullally’s enthronement.