12 May 2026

Innovative illuminated sculpture by internationally acclaimed Glasgow artist shines over the city

A large illuminated sign that reads We Are The Monument on top of a tall concrete building in a city centre at dusk

A striking contemporary artwork acquired by Glasgow Life Museums is now gracing Glasgow’s skyline and shining a light over one of the city centre’s most historic streets.

Newly installed in Sauchiehall Street, on the roof of Glasgow Dental Hospital and School, the illuminated text-based sculpture displays the thought-provoking phrase, WE ARE THE MONUMENT.  

The work has been created by celebrated Glasgow-based artist Nathan Coley, who has won several important national art awards and was shortlisted for the prestigious Turner Prize award in 2007.

WE ARE THE MONUMENT comprises sixteen LED illuminated capital letters spelling out the phrase on a scaffolding framework. The wording is from an essay by American social commentator Rebecca Solnit. It discusses how we commemorate events and suggests that people and community are the true memorial. 

The illuminated sculpture is one of three Coley artworks which have been brought into Glasgow’s city museum collection by Glasgow Life Museums with support from Art Fund, the national charity for museums and galleries, and the National Fund for Acquisitions. 

Glasgow Life Head of Museums and Collections, Jane Rowlands, said: “We’re delighted to have acquired works by internationally acclaimed Glasgow artist Nathan Coley for the city’s museum collection. 

“His innovative creations challenge us to engage in conversations about how we interact with our built heritage, the meaning of the public places we share and occupy, and how we acknowledge and memorialise our past and connect to embrace the future.”