Steve McQueen, Grenfell, 2019 (still), courtesy the artist
Tate Liverpool are collaborating with the Bluecoat to bring Steve McQueen’s film installation Grenfell to Liverpool. Tate has been coordinating a national tour of the artwork since 2025, and it will be presented at the Bluecoat from 16 May to 21 June.
In December 2017, artist and filmmaker Steve McQueen (b.1969, London) made an artwork in response to the fire that took place earlier that year on 14 June at Grenfell Tower. 72 people died in the tragedy. Filming the tower before it was covered with hoarding, McQueen sought to create a record so that it would not be forgotten.
Following the fire, a Government Inquiry was launched that was conducted in two phases. The findings of the first and second phase of the Inquiry have been reported, the recommendations of which are yet to be implemented, meaning a similar tragedy could happen again. There is an ongoing criminal investigation.
Steve McQueen said “I knew once the tower was covered up, it would start to leave people’s minds. I was determined that it never be forgotten.”
Grenfell was first presented in 2023 at Serpentine in London’s Kensington Gardens, following a period of private viewings, prioritising bereaved families and survivors. The work was then placed in the care of Tate and London Museum.
Bringing Grenfell to Liverpool has long been an ambition as it speaks to the city’s history with social justice campaigns to tackle inequalities in housing, health, welfare, and crime. The city has a rich history of social action and Grenfell United have worked alongside the Hillsborough families to support the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, known as the Hillsborough Law.
The presentation of Grenfell by Steve McQueen is free but tickets should be booked in advance as the work is intended to be seen from the start, so latecomers cannot be admitted. Following a period of community outreach and private viewings with the bereaved and survivors and the local community, the artwork will be on view to the public.
This national tour is being coordinated by Tate in collaboration with the partner venues and is made possible thanks to support using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and from Art Fund. The presentation will be accompanied by a public engagement programme of talks, workshops and community events supported by the Grenfell Foundation.
Content note
Visitors are advised that the film contains close-up aerial imagery of the tower six months after the fire. This includes views inside the building and contractors at work. Some visitors may find the imagery upsetting. Each venue will help any visitors who need an opportunity to pause, rest and reflect after viewing the work.
Images
To download press images, please visit this Dropbox folder. The film still has been chosen to be as sensitive to the bereaved families, survivors and the community as possible in media coverage of the exhibition. Please use this still to accompany articles on Steve McQueen’s work Grenfell. Please refrain from using other stock images of the tower, especially those on the night of the disaster and of the uncovered tower to be respectful to the Grenfell community as these images can be distressing.
Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen has been in conversation with Grenfell bereaved and survivor groups and individuals from the wider community at different times over the last seven years. He has engaged in these discussions so that Grenfell is delivered sensitively and with the consideration of the bereaved and survivors at the forefront. The production of the work was self-funded by McQueen, it is not a commercial project and will not be sold.
Steve McQueen was born in West London in 1969 and studied Fine Art at Goldsmiths College where he first became interested in film. Over more than 30 years, McQueen has been influential in expanding the way in which artists work with film. He has made several feature films with many accolades, including the Academy Award for Best Film for 12 Years a Slave. His most recent film, Blitz, was released in 2024. As an artist, McQueen won the Turner Prize in 1999 and has exhibited in public museums around the world. He lives and works in London and Amsterdam.
Press enquiries
For press requests, contact Dominic Beaumont, Communications Manager, Tate Liverpool dominic.beaumont@tate.org.uk / 07969 592950
About Tate Liverpool
Tate Liverpool is the UK’s most popular museum of modern and contemporary art outside London. Envisaged as a flagship for making the national collection of art more accessible, Tate Liverpool’s impact and ambition has continued to grow since its conception 38 years ago. The gallery is currently undergoing an ambitious transformation to meet the scale and ambition of today’s most exciting artists. While the gallery is closed, Tate Liverpool has taken up residency at RIBA North and continues its programme of displays, events and activities.
tate.org.uk/visit/tate-liverpool
About the Bluecoat
The Bluecoat is Liverpool's contemporary arts centre, a place where audiences can experience art in new ways. They host a year-road programme of art exhibitions, workshops, performances, family activities and more. A working home for artists since 1927, the Bluecoat is the UK's first arts centre and the oldest building in the city centre, dating back to 1717. www.thebluecoat.org.uk
About Arts Council England
Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. Our vision, set out in our strategy Let’s Create, is that by 2030, we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish, and where every one of us has access to a remarkable range of high-quality cultural experiences. Between 2023 and 2026 we will have invested over £467 million of public money from Government, alongside an estimated £250 million each year from The National Lottery, to help ensure that people in every part of the country have access to culture and creativity in the places where they live. Until Autumn 2025, the National Lottery is celebrating its 30th anniversary of supporting good causes in the United Kingdom: since the first draw was held in 1994, it has raised £49 billion and awarded more than 690,000 individual grants.
About Art Fund
Art Fund is the UK's independent charity for art, helping museums and people to share in great art and culture for 120 years. Art Fund raises millions of pounds every year to help the UK’s museums, galleries and historic houses. The charity funds art, enabling the UK’s museums to buy and share exciting works, connect with their communities, and inspire the next generation. It builds audiences with its National Art Pass opening doors to great culture; and it amplifies the museum sector through the world’s largest museum prize, Art Fund Museum of the Year, and creative events that bring the UK’s museums together. Art Fund is people-powered by 135,000 members who buy a National Art Pass, and the donors, trusts and foundations who support the charity.
The National Art Pass provides free or discounted entry to over 400 museums, galleries and historic places, 50% off major exhibitions, and Art Quarterly magazine.