It’s part of an art installation by a familiar city artist
Pink ribbon starts to make its way up Whiteladies Road today, Thursday June 12, 2025, starting from the Royal West of England Academy(Image: Paul Gillis/Reach Plc)
A massive pink ribbon has appeared wrapped around and through a Grade II-listed building in Bristol.
The fabric made 1,000 metres of magenta ribbon has taken over the Royal West of England Academy (RWA) Art Gallery on Queens Road in Clifton as part of an art installation by internationally renowned Bristol artist Luke Jerram.
Luke is known for his Museum of the Moon, Gaia and Mars installations, as well as transforming Park Street into a giant slip n slide back in 2014.
And his latest installation, which also enters through a window of the building and runs through the historic venue, is described as a ‘large-scale experimental drawing’, hoped to create connections between civic spaces by continuing onto neighbouring buildings, including the University of Bristol’s Beacon House.
It comes during what will be the ‘RWA’s Summer of Textiles’, a season of exhibitions and events that promise to be ‘bursting with colour, narratives and texture’.
The artwork is by Luke Jerram and sees 1000 metres of 20cm magenta ribbon wrap itself around and inside the RWA(Image: Paul Gillis/Reach Plc)
The artwork, titled ‘Negotiated Space’, was installed on Tuesday and will alter its appearance with the changing wind and weather conditions.
Luke said: “RWA were looking for an art intervention, that would help celebrate and advertise their latest exhibition inside the building.
“This artwork is both a simple and sculptural intervention of the space outside the museum and an experimental three-dimensional drawing.
“It’s been great fun, developing this new experimental project with the team. We’re literally taking a line, for a walk!”
The art installation is called ‘Negotiated Space’ and is by Luke Jerram, internationally renowned Bristol artist(Image: Paul Gillis/Reach Plc)
The ‘Summer of Textiles’ programme at the RWA includes ‘Soft Power: Lives Told Through Textile Art’, an exhibition curated by internationally-renowned textile art pioneers Professor Alice Kettle and Professor Lesley Millar MBE, which uses textiles as a form of portraiture.
More exhibitions are on the line-up of events, including Bristol Refugee Artists Collective ‘Sharing Love’ featuring a co-created dress from Dorcas Dress Project charity (DDP), Handstiched Heritage, a showcase of the work of Royal School of Needlework’s Apprentice and Future Tutor Alumni, Summer After-Hours Event with music from Diverse Artists Network and Connecting Threads from the RWA’s artists, the Academicians.
RWA director Ren Renwick said: ”Connecting with Luke to host this incredible piece of art celebrates great art from a fantastic Bristol artist and Academician.
“The RWA is all about presenting exceptional art that people can experience on their own terms.
The pink ribbon made a great contrast to a rainy Thursday afternoon (Image: Paul Gillis/Reach Plc)
“This is a joyful way to do that, while also shining a light on the RWA, a Grade II* Listed Art Gallery and one of the jewels in Bristol’s cultural crown, and the fantastic programme of exhibitions throughout this summer.”
You can find a full schedule of events and exhibitions, as well as tickets and other information, on the official RWA website here.