‘An important piece of Black history’: Topher Campbell’s Tate commission at risk of destruction – The Art Newspaper

A sculpture by the artist Topher Campbell, commissioned by Tate Modern as part of an installation which aimed to create a space for Black Queer expression and creativity, faces destruction if a new home cannot be found for it by the end of October.

My Body Is An Archive, a large sculpture made from polished mahogany and collage, was on show at Tate Modern earlier this year as part of the show Topher Campbell My ruckus. Heart!, which included live performance and discussion. When the installation closed in January 2025, the work was given a temporary home at Birmingham Museums Trust (BMT).

Campbell tells The Art Newspaper that he is “enormously grateful” to staff at BMT for housing the sculpture, which is the size of a small car and weighs just over a ton. However, pressure on BMT’s warehouse facilities has resulted in the trust asking Campbell to find a new home for the piece, which has proved challenging due to its size and the need for specialist handling and storage.

Campbell says: “I do think this is an important piece of Black history. The Tate and BMT were amazing, but couldn’t keep it as long as I had hoped… On 31 October, the last day of Black History Month, I have to move it or destroy it.”

In an effort to save the work, Topher has now launched a Go Fund Me campaign to secure transport and storage, which at the time of writing had raised 85% of the artist’s £2,000 target. “I’ve tried everyone I know… I am a self sufficient artist and I do find it hard to ask for help,” he says.

Toby Watley, the collections and estates director for BMT tells The Art Newspaper: “Birmingham Museums Trust was pleased to offer Topher temporary emergency storage for his large scale artwork at no expense and have advised on alternative storage options, if he wishes to continue storing the work in the West Midlands.”

A spokesperson for Tate says: ”Commissions at the Tate are always the property of the artist and are returned to them when the display closes. Topher Campbell’s My Body Is An Archive explores the disruptive power of the Black Queer body. We were honoured to show it and hope that Topher will find further venues to share its message with the public.”

Topher’s plea for help to protect his work comes just a day after King Charles III attended the unveiling of a sculpture dedicated to LGBTQ+ service personnel, marking his first official engagement in support of the LBGTQ+ community.

The Abraxas Academy, the collective of artists behind the memorial says in a statement: “It’s incredible to think that such an important work by an outstanding artist who addresses ongoing prejudice and discrimination is under threat because it cannot find a permanent home. The question is who and what art do we value and why?”