Charles Jencks's grassy Cells of Life landforms and lakes at the entrance to Jupiter Artland

Sgàire Wood: In Pride, In Piety, In Vigilance

Ended14 August 2026 – 18 October 2026£13

This exhibition has ended.

Irish artist Sgàire Wood's Steadings Gallery commission turns heraldic beasts and pop-culture icons into a frank but hopeful look at heritage, tradition and violence.

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On now All of November 2026

Before you reach the gallery, a giant swan pedalo sits outside dressed up as a riot van. When The Skinny's critic visited, children had turned it into a playground. Then you walk through the doors into a sea of white: walls, curtains, carpet and three white birds.

They are the heraldic peacock, pelican and crane of the title. Around them, large shields jut from the walls covered in clashing signs: assault rifles in silhouette, camouflage print, a bedazzled union jack, fake eyelashes. Wood, a Glasgow-based Irish artist and drag performer, draws on the sectarian imagery she grew up with in the North of Ireland. It is her first large sculptural work.

Critics were split. Studio International found it "full of fascinating ideas, perhaps too many to present fully developed"; The Skinny said the references "compete for attention" and that the wall text keeps you from feeling adrift, so read it. It's in the Steadings Gallery, included with admission (£13, £8.50 reduced), last entry 3.30pm, and closes 18 October.

Look for

The swan pedalo riot van
Look outside the gallery for a giant swan pedalo dressed up as a riot van, which children treat as a playground prop.
The three white birds
At the centre of the white room stand the peacock, pelican and crane of the title, all in white.
The bricks at the crane's feet
A pile of bricks gathered at the crane's feet, one of the small echoes of the Northern Irish sectarian violence Wood encountered growing up.
The peacock's tail
Look closely at the peacock: its tail is made of personal coats of arms.
The wall shields
Large shields jut out from the walls, mixing assault rifle silhouettes, camouflage print and a bedazzled union jack.

Good for

Locals Who've Seen It All
Nerding Out

Skip if

You want one clear argument: both critics found the many references hard to hold together.

With kids

Children took over the swan pedalo outside as a playground, but the gallery's imagery includes assault rifle silhouettes and references to sectarian violence. Ages 5 to 16 pay the reduced £8.50.