Motion city, soundtracked
Glasgow’s Tramway has a rich, varied history that closely mirrors the city’s development from a noisy industrial town to a centre of arts and culture. The building began life as a tram terminus (the clue’s in the name), housed the Museum of Transport, became an epic backdrop for Peter Brooks’ Mahabharata and Andy Goldsworthy’s sculpture in the late 1980s, and was saved from demolition in 1990 by plans for Glasgow’s year as City of Culture.
Now in its 20th year as one of Scotland’s most pioneering, versatile arts venues, Tramway’s anniversary celebrations kick off with the second exhibition in Minty Donald’s two-part series of site-specific artworks, glimmers in limbo: Tramway. Last October, this installation-come-community history project saw the Britannia Panopticon Theatre transformed into a playground for visitors to interact with the building’s architectural heritage. Both buildings are ‘sites that hold our cultural memories,’ says Donald. ‘They are embedded in the social and cultural context of Glasgow.’
