Laurieston’s Living Legends

In December, local heroes from Laurieston in Glasgow were commemorated in a unique art installation which was unveiled at the Laurieston Arena. Here at Urban Union we were thrilled to be able to commission this initiative art organisation WAVEparticle.

Over the summer last year, the community was asked to nominate members of the public who live locally who have inspired a series of bespoke artworks celebrating community figures who have made notable contributions to the local area.

The local residents voted for people who have inspired them. In total, 16 people were selected from a shortlist of remarkable nominee stories. Among those selected were community leaders who have dedicated their care and service to the area. Each nominee has a truly inspiring story and shows that people really do make Glasgow, especially at a local level. The Living Legends installation encapsulates what the art strategy is about, using art as a means to express our gratitude to the community.

Each nominee was then photographed individually and a large two and a half metre portrait was made. The portrait was printed on metal and arranged in a circle facing one another.

This incredible artwork was seen day and night by residents and visitors to Urban Union’s Laurieston Living development and celebrates the extraordinary in the everyday. Basharat Khan created the art work and captured an engaging portrait of each person, resulting in an installation of 16 large-scale photographs facing each other in a circle, creating a concatenation, a suggestion of a community of people, strong and diverse individually and stronger again in close connection with each other.

Everyday acts of goodness are shown in strong communities like the Gorbals and Laurieston, and regeneration has to begin and end with a focus on the people who live here.

Neil McKay Managing Director at Urban Union, said: “Working with WAVEparticle to deliver this art installation in the heart of the Laurieston community has been a fantastic opportunity for us to say thank you to the amazing people living in the area who consistently go above and beyond to make it a better place to live.”