QEIIS represents a time when architects and governments aspired to romantic notions of socialist utopia. Based on Queen Elizabeth Square - an ill-fated modernist high-rise block in Glasgow, Scotland, demolished in 1993 - the work celebrates the bold, progressive and forward-thinking ideals of this building, and indeed, of post-war Glasgow.
Modeled in 3D from architectural drawings, simply lit, then projected against two walls, the building is never shown as a complete structure, instead geometric forms emerge and disappear into darkness. The scale and bombast of this brutalist experiment in high-rise living is revealed gradually, as the mass rotates around the space, enveloping the viewer. A low bass rumble completes the installation, giving a weight and presence to QEIIS - even when little or nothing is visible.
The work confronts the viewer with an idealised view of the past. QEIIS, like utopia, is a work of fiction that explores the disconnect we have with our modernist heritage.