‘Ariadne (Wrapped)’ By Gavin Turk

The controversial return of a young British artist (YBA)

“It wasn’t him abandoned her. The stars
made sure of it that they should walk apart.
The memory is good. But that’s tonight:

morning will come and take it all away.
To seagirt Dia (wherever that was) she went,
he weaving home, slowly losing the thread.”

— Oliver Tearle, Ariadne

“Art is not about itself but the attention we bring to it.”
― Marcel Duchamp

In 2022 Gavin Turk unveiled Ariadne (Wrapped) outside Cambridge railway station. I was unaware that this sculpture existed until today when I read an online article from The Telegraph that during a meeting of Cambridge city council on Oct 10th, 2024, Naomi Bennett, a Green councilor had raised “concerns over the sculpture”. Since October 10th Jean Glasberg, another Green councillor has added more substantive and serious criticism stating,

“I think about all the women in so many countries who are being veiled and unable to speak out, and about the violence and abuse of women we know is so prevalent.”

Ms Glasberg then said the artwork was a “contradiction” to how Ariadne was portrayed historically. She continued,

“Ariadne was not a trapped, passive victim at all, she…