Yinka Shonibare CBE RA: End of Empire

When: 12 October 2023 to 23 June 2024
Where: The Box, Tavistock Place, Plymouth PL4 8AX
Time: 10am - 5pm
Cost: Admission free. No need to book.
Suitable for: Any age

See a striking large-scale sculpture that comments on the balance of power at the outset of the First World War, making a visual connection between the conflicts of the West, globalisation and empire.

Commissioned by 14-18 NOW, 'End of Empire' features two dapper figures with globe heads on a steam-punk seesaw. The globes represent the two 'sides' in the First World War: the British-French allies versus the Austro-Hungarians and Germans. The War witnessed the disappearance of four once-powerful realms (German, Habsburg, Ottoman and Russian), and the seesaw swings slowly, constantly rebalancing – a symbol of the move towards this 'end of empire'.

The figures wear brightly coloured suits made of 'Dutch wax' textiles: fabric that tells a story about colonial history with designs that indicate the African lands formerly colonised by Europeans.

Yinka Shonibare's 'End of Empire' sculpture is sure to get you thinking.

Closed for Christmas/New Year on 23, 24, 25, 26 and 31 December and 1 January.

Image credit: Yinka Shonibare CBE, End of Empire, 2016. Co-commissioned by 14-18 NOW and Turner Contemporary, Margate. Courtesy the artist and Stephen Friedman Gallery, London. Photographer: Stephen White & Co. © Yinka Shonibare CBE