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The Arts Intel Report

A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler
A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler

Mark Leckey: O' Magic Power of Bleakness

Nov 14, 2019 – Jan 5, 2020
Millbank, Westminster, London SW1P 4RG, UK

At Tate Britain, Mark Leckey transforms the gallery space with a life-sized section of a motorway bridge—specifically, a section of the M53 from Wirral, Merseyside. Why? Because he grew up in Merseyside and it was a strangely supernatural experience, which took place under that motorway, that transported him—figuratively, then literally—from the grey British suburb in the northwest to the wider world. Displayed alongside his video works Fiorucci Made Me Hardcore and Dream English Kid, “O’ Magic Power of Bleakness” is a story about life, dreams, and coming of age. —E.C.

Mark Leckey, “Dream English Kid,” 1964–1999. Courtesy of the artist © Mark Leckey.