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David Shrigley Unveils 10 Tonnes of Old Rope as a £1 Million London Installation

The price serves as a deliberate provocation about artistic value in a commercial gallery setting.

Overview

  • The free exhibition is on view at Stephen Friedman Gallery on Cork Street from mid‑November to 20 December, presented as four large piles totaling about 10 tonnes.
  • Shrigley spent months sourcing discarded rope from fishermen, climbing centers, tree surgeons, offshore wind farms, scaffolders, ports and shorelines before his studio intensively cleaned it.
  • Most of the rope is synthetic polyester and nylon with some Kevlar, materials that are difficult to recycle and are often destined for landfill or the ocean.
  • The installation was transported on roughly 60 pallets, and Shrigley describes the £1 million price tag as a provocation that also comments on how art is valued by weight and scale.
  • Gallery owner Stephen Friedman says the work could go to a private collection, an institution or a foundation, while Shrigley notes a sale during the run would be a surprise.