Artist Steve McQueen said he didn’t want people to forget about the tragedy
Tate Liverpool art gallery, Royal Albert Dock, Pier Head.(Image: Geography Photos/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
A new installation, said to be a long time coming for the city, is finally arriving in Liverpool. Tate Liverpool are collaborating with the Bluecoat to bring Steve McQueen’s film Grenfell to Liverpool.
Tate has been coordinating a national tour of the artwork since 2025, and it will be presented at the Bluecoat from May 16 to June 21. In December 2017, artist and filmmaker Steve McQueen, from London, made an artwork in response to the fire that took place earlier that year in June at Grenfell Tower. Seventy-two people died in the tragedy.
Filming the tower before it was covered with hoarding, Steve “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. 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.
Grenfell Tower fire tragedy saw 72 people die(Image: David Mirzoeff/PA Wire)
The team said 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 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.
Steve 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.
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 and some visitors may find the imagery upsetting.
Steve 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, Steve 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, Steve won the Turner Prize in 1999 and has exhibited in public museums around the world.