Stained-glass work by Tania Bruguera, co-produced with the V&A East Youth Collective, that maps East London as a 'moral contract' of shared civic principles.
Tania Bruguera has a new commission on show at V&A East Museum in Stratford, titled Towards A Civic Museum. It's on the Lower Ground, and it's free to see.
The work grew out of conversations between Bruguera and the V&A East Youth Collective, who co-produced its text: a 'moral contract' of shared principles including transparency, advocacy, generosity, equity, accountability, sustainability and collaboration. That text is set in stained glass, a medium usually tied to permanence and authority, but here it's reframed as fragile and transparent—a reminder that institutions are built on trust and collective responsibility.
Visually, the piece maps East London, with the River Thames running through it. It draws on diasporic textile and decorative languages, taking William Morris's floral motifs and stretching them through traditions from Japan, Europe, South America and Africa. At the bottom, twelve seeds bear the names of everyone involved. Facing west, the work is activated by light, shifting throughout the day and remaining visible from outside at night. It's part of the V&A East 'New Work' season, Making East London, and was realised by Richard Paton at Rainbow Glass Studio.
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It's on show until Sunday 18 October, with the museum open 10.00 to 17.30. You'll find it on the Lower Ground at 107 Carpenters Road, London E20 2AR, and entry is free.
Date
17 October – 18 October
10:00
Location
V&A East Museum (Lower Ground)Price
Free
Recommended Age
+14 years
