Tornado is a new temporary public artwork by Turner Prize nominee Fiona Banner. Banner has transformed a decommissioned RAF Tornado plane into a large single bell which can be rung by all who encounter it.

Bells are powerful social instruments embedded in many of our most important rituals; from the celebratory, as markers of time, as a warning, a clarion call to action, to the sound of mourning. Whether chiming or silent, Tornado is a metaphor for the possibilities and understanding of change.   

Tornado was cast in Loughborough by the world renowned John Taylors Bell Foundry. 

Tornado is situated next to the River Tyne at the Hillgate Quay in Gateshead (next to the Swing Bridge) and forms part of the Cultural Olympiad’s Open Weekend of 24-25 July. 

This interactive artwork is open to the public for six weeks and involves an education project with Thomas Hepburn Community School in Gateshead. 

Fiona Banner is a British artist, based in London, who was nominated for the Turner Prize in 2002. Her work encompasses sculpture, drawing, installation and publishing and often uses text to explore the potential of words and objects.  

Co-commissioned with Locus+

PARKING AND ACCESS

Hillgate Quay is located immediately east of the Swing Bridge at Gateshead Quays. The site is accessible from a ramped access off the Swing Bridge by foot or cycle only. Please be advised that due to the unique nature of the site, the ground is uneven. 

No parking is permitted on the site or the surrounding roads. The nearest public car parking is located at Pipewellgate or Church Street. Coach parking is available at Oakwellgate near The Sage Gateshead. 

The nearest public transport is provided by QuayLink service Q1 stopping immediately next to the site on Hillgate.