Red on Green’ will see the decay and destruction of 10,000 red roses laid in a field upon the gallery floor.

‘Fragrant, soft and velvety, the voluptuousness of the roses en masse evokes romance and decadence that is slowly allowed to blacken like scabs and die. The thorns and stems, which will be underneath the petals could be seen as a reminder of something quite dangerous. I like the mixture of celebration with death or decay – but it is important that people bring their own experience to the work, that it is evocative and sensual enough to enable this to happen.

The extravagance of a pile of roses, which have their heads pulled off as an aggressive and obsessive gesture, along the lines of ‘loves me, loves me not”, is a passionate thing, but isn’t intended to be sentimental.’

Biography

Anya Gallaccio (b.1963, Paisley, Scotland) lives and works in London and San Diego. She grew up in South West London and studied at Kingston Polytechnic and Goldsmiths’ College. She is renowned for her innovative use of organic, ephemeral materials – ranging from chocolate, ice, wax, apples, flowers and chalk – and for her explorations of transformation, change and impermanence. Throughout her practice, Gallaccio has significantly reshaped understandings of contemporary sculpture.

Gallaccio has exhibited extensively both in the UK and internationally, including solo exhibitions at the National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh (2019); Lindisfarne Castle, National Trust, Berwick-upon-Tweed (2018); The Contemporary Austin, Austin, TX (2017); Whitworth Gallery, Manchester (2016); Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, San Diego (2015); Camden Art Centre, London (2008); Kunstmuseum Bonn, Germany (2009); Sculpture Center, New York (2006); Ikon, Birmingham (2003); Tate Britain, London (2003) amongst others. She was nominated for the Turner Prize in 2003. In June 2024 she was announced as the winner of the commission to create The AIDS Memorial in London. In September 2024 a major retrospective of her work opened at Turner Contemporary, Margate. Gallaccio’s work is featured in numerous public and private collections such as the Tate Gallery, London; the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney; and South London Gallery, London.