The Conversation (0)
Liam O'Dell
Jan 20, 2022
Tracey Emin demands artwork is removed from No 10 following Partygate – and the reactions are mixed
Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for HS1 St Pancras
If there’s one place you don’t want your artwork to be right now, then that’d be the building which is currently rocked by the news that it housed several illegal parties during a deadly global health crisis…
Cough, Downing Street, cough (actually, best not to cough so loudly right now).
Following the scandal known as Partygate, Tracey Emin – the Turner Prize-nominated perhaps best known for the provocative piece My Bed – wrote on Instagram that she has requested No 10 remove her neon artwork titled More Passion.
Attaching a picture of the work, she said: “This is my neon that hangs at 10 Downing Street. It was a gift from myself to the Government Art collection.
“I am now in the process of requesting that my artwork be removed from 10 Downing Street.
“I feel More Passion is the last thing this present government needs. This current situation is shameful.”
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Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour on Thursday, Ms Emin added: “I don’t want the work back because I donated it. I would simply like at the moment for it to be taken down, because the neon is notoriously for a party atmosphere.
“You have them at funfairs, casinos, bars or whatever.”
And I don’t think we need to tell you why that’s a bad idea, given the current situation.
The artist, who previously declared her support for the Conservative Party, continued: “I want it taken down and this government, I will tell you what they need, they need compassion.
“That’s what they need, not passion. They don’t need more party atmosphere.
“Most of us are obeying the rules in every single way because this pandemic has affected everybody so terrible, whether it is financially, whether it was health-wise, people dying or whatever. And this Government doesn’t seem to care about that…”
People have since criticised the Tory backer for drawing the line at reports of illegal government parties, which is weird, because her whole job is to draw lines:
Wow the new Tracey Emin piece is powerfulpic.twitter.com/vEdaok5zgA— richard (@richard) 1642677013
Tracey Emin wants her art taken off the walls in Downing Street.\n\nIn the past Emin has made much of voting Conservative so this cannot be dismissed as woke, lefty etc etcpic.twitter.com/AjnwVMbNQY— Otto English (@Otto English) 1642677988
Tracey Emin: \u201cI can excuse austerity but I draw the line at partying\u201d https://twitter.com/soapyxxx/status/1483836305243099147\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/rmMZz8D0El— Charlotte \u2728 (she/her) (@Charlotte \u2728 (she/her)) 1642668895
Tracey Emin voted Tory. She gifted them a piece of her artwork and now wants it back - They don\u2019t play nicely, apparently ! Ya think?! Tories have never played nicely. You got what you voted for, don\u2019t carp on about it now, too latehttps://news.sky.com/story/shameful-tracey-emin-asks-for-removal-of-her-art-from-no-10-amid-lockdown-party-allegations-12520276\u00a0\u2026— Gillian Hudson \ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc99 (@Gillian Hudson \ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc99) 1642678973
Tracey Emin has asked for this piece she donated to No 10 to be removed, I thought it said More Pepperonipic.twitter.com/FiIe59tvgR— Emma (@Emma) 1642671384
tracey emin sowing: more passion!\n\ntracey emin reaping: "I am now in the process of requesting that my art work be removed from 10 Downing Street"https://twitter.com/joshspero/status/1483826436620361729\u00a0\u2026— Ben Miller (@Ben Miller) 1642607007
\u201cI know you\u2019re not allowed to swear in radio but they\u2019re taking the piss\u201d \n\nTracey Emin on #WomansHour discussing her request to have her artwork temporarily removed from No.10— David Robson \ud83c\udfa7\ud83c\udfac\ud83c\udf08 (@David Robson \ud83c\udfa7\ud83c\udfac\ud83c\udf08) 1642673615
Brilliant \n\nSpeaking to @BBCWomansHour Tracey Emin on the Downing Street Parties: \u201cI know you\u2019re not meant to swear on the radio but they really are taking the piss.\u201d *presenter apologises*— Laurence Sleator (@Laurence Sleator) 1642673371
Ms Emin donated More Passion back when David Cameron was in charge (if you can remember such a time), with the Government Art Collection (GAC) displaying works across the globe in 365 locations – such as embassies and other high profile government buildings.
The PA news agency understands that while the artwork’s location will be discussed between GAC and Ms Emin, More Passion will remain part of the collection.
The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “My understanding is that the work was gifted to the Government Art Collection with an agreement to initially display it in No. 10.
“We will obviously now discuss the location of the work with the artist and I believe it will remain part of the Government Art Collection that displays works in a number of locations.”
A spokeswoman for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport – which manages the collection – added: “When an artwork comes into the Government Art Collection, the collection can display the work at any of its 365 locations.
“On occasion the Collection may consult with an artist when a work is going to a specific location.”
We think it’s perfectly understandable that Ms Emin may want her artwork to be more arty than party at the moment…