This Body is in Danger

I took the intercity bus from Edinburgh airport to Glasgow city centre. The bus ride was ideal for a first impression of Scotland. The green fields of the countryside made way for the Glasgow urban jungle. Leaving Buchanan bus station I was immediately impressed by the architecture of the city centre. It had an aura of past-time grandeur. Strangely the whole atmosphere also felt a bit grim,reminding me of Gotham city in my old superhero Batman comic books. So I was sure this would be a very inspiring week! Read More

Wild Beauty

I was mostly surprised by the River Clyde in Govan which is so beautiful and wild but not easily accessed. There aren’t many spots to sit and enjoy it. The Viking history, the Govan Stones and the architecture of the buildings were stunning.

I liked the people in Govan a lot, they were very warm and hospitable. Especially the day that we visited GalGael where they work with wood, and we had meal together and after we all sang. I got a taste of Celtic culture and how people keep their traditions alive. Read More

The Strong Women of the Clydeside: Protests & Suffragettes

I was both nervous and delighted to welcome the Memory of Water artists to Govan. I first moved my studio there in 2009, after looking around Glasgow for reasonably priced studio space. Someone recommended Unit 7 on Clydebrae Street in front of the Dry Docks (also called the Govan ‘Graving Docks’), now derelict. I instantly fell in love with the place, and took the studio literally because of its proximity to the dockyard. I was amazed by the majesty of the Dry Docks, and took many long walks on site: I thought of them as Glasgow’s Parthenon. Read More

Communities

I had no idea that Govan had once been bigger than Glasgow. I was excited by the decorative buildings, monuments and the stories of engineering innovation and rebellion, solidarity and kindness by Govan’s great men and women.  Read More

Reflecting on Govan by Jonas Myrstrand

This was my first visit to Govan and the River Clyde and it was an eye opener for me in many ways. I had just visited Edinburgh and in contrast Govan seemed poor and under-resourced. We heard dark stories of the dangerous river with underwater currents, suicides and poisoned waters. It was not a friendly way to look upon the river, even many buildings didn’t have windows toward the water. We learned that the city had a difficult time after the shipyard industry declined. It never really recovered from that.  Read More