A carnival of humanity

A procession of bright, multi-coloured figures ‘parading’ down the entire length of Tate Britain, are on display as part of a major new public installation that addresses urgent contemporary issues including the climate emergency, Black Lives Matter and the invasion of Ukraine. The Procession by Hew Locke is made up of 150 life-sized figures staging a powerful and unsettling procession. Intricately handmade, with an abundance of bold colours, the figures spark ideas of pilgrimage, migration, trade, carnival, protest, social celebration as well as our own individual journey through life. figure silhouette / to parade to show, exhibit (in formation of a line) / Tate Britain national gallery of British art in London / on display on show / to be made up of to be composed of, to feature / life-sized as large as a person / to stage here, to form / unsettling troubling, disturbing / intricately complicated, in fine elaborate detail, artistically / bold intense, bright / to spark to cause, provoke, instigate / pilgrimage journey to a place of religious or cultural importance / trade business, commerce / journey voyage.