Artist demands her work be removed from 10 Downing Street
British artist Tracey Emin has formally requested for her 2010 artwork to be removed from 10 Downing Street: the official residence of the UK Prime Minister.
The artist took to Instagram to share the request with her followers, posting a picture of the neon sign art that reads More Passion.
“I am now in the process of requesting that my artwork be removed from 10 Downing Street,” wrote Emin in her post.
“I feel More Passion is the last thing this present government needs. This current situation is shameful.”
Her request comes as recent revelations of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s flouting of the Covid-19 restrictions in May 2020, as he reportedly held a garden party at the residence when the country was in lockdown.
Despite overwhelming backlash, Boris Johnson maintains that the gathering was a work event instead of a party, and has apologised for his attendance.
In an interview with the Art Newspaper, Tracey Emin said she finds the hypocrisy of the situation completely baffling.
“I think lying to people is shameful,” she said.
“People have suffered so much through Covid. They’ve looked to the government for advice, and it turns out that the government has been telling us to do one thing and not doing it themselves.”
Tracey originally donated the work to the Government Art Collection in 2010 when then Prime Minister David Cameron commissioned the work from her.
Tracey clarified that she would like the artwork to remain in the government collection, but for it to be relocated from the residence.
Image credit: Instagram @traceyeminstudio