About

Image Credit: © Marwan Kaabour

Greenwich Peninsula have commissioned a new artwork by Lebanese artist Marwan Kaabour. This new public realm artwork celebrates the rich global identity of the Peninsula’s communities. The River in Verse is a lyrical and poetic mirror of the river Thames transforming The Tide’s glass facades into a fluid space of endless iterations.

In partnership with Queercircle & inspired by the Peninsula’s proximity to the river, Kaabour presents a series of multilingual text extracts that contemplate water, fluidity and expressiveness of its ebb and flow. Kaabour’s practice uses language and text as a vehicle to create visuals. His starting point is research-based, interrogating the subject’s historical context. The artwork incorporates English, Greek, Polish, French, Farsi, Arabic, Yoruba, Mandarin and Turkish languages, which resonate with communities in Greenwich and on the Peninsula. The texts are juxtaposed with graphic fragments from nautical charts.

Greenwich Peninsula's identity and history has been shaped by its proximity to the river Thames. Kaabour is interested in water as a space of promise, inspiration, and possibility. He also explores more difficult conversations in our global context. Water is central to today’s world: whether in relation to migrants risking their life to cross seas in search for a better life, or the rising levels of water due to the climate crisis.

Inspired by the Peninsula’s proximity to the river, Kaabour presents a series of multilingual text extracts that contemplate water, fluidity and expressiveness of its ebb and flow. Kaabour’s practice uses language and text as a vehicle to create visuals. His starting point is research-based, interrogating the subject’s historical context. The artwork incorporates English, Greek, Polish, French, Farsi, Arabic, Yoruba, Mandarin and Turkish languages, which resonate with communities in Greenwich and on the Peninsula. The texts are juxtaposed with graphic fragments from nautical charts.

Come along and see how the light refracts in the changing sunlight. It's definitely one for the 'gram.