It is the oldest cathedral on mainland Scotland dating back to the 12th Century and is also the final resting place of the patron saint of Glasgow St Mungo.
Glasgow Cathedral is a place with world-wide appeal while also being a local parish church and even during lockdown it kept its doors open, albeit virtually, with services beamed across the globe.
Now with all eyes on Glasgow, as dozens of world leaders and thousands of delegates converge on the city for the critical COP26 UN world climate summit, the cathedral could find itself at the centre of messages of hope and reflection through a unique art installation.
Read more: COP26: Glasgow's Lord Provost welcomes chance for history at summit
In what is believed to be a first for a Scottish cathedral, a public artwork with neon text is due to be unveiled this evening.
The public will be able to have their first glimpse of Returning And Into Your Arms by Glasgow artist James Pfaff.
The neon light artwork has been unveiled at Glasgow Cathedral
It is described as a site-specific neon and sound installation which features a hand-drawn personal text from the artist and will be on show until January 31, 2022.
For Glasgow School of Art graduate Mr Pfaff the wording is particularly significant as it reflects how he felt when he first returned to his home city in 2015 after working in London and Hamburg and felt the city once again opened its arms to him.
And it is hoped that it is a sentiment that people coming to Glasgow for COP26 will feel as the city plays hosts to them for the next two weeks.
Glasgow Cathedral opens its doors to world during COP26
Both Mr Pfaff and Reverend Mark Johnstone, minister of Glasgow Cathedral, are delighted that the sign has been installed and ready to be viewed by the public.
“I’ve been working on this neon installation with Glasgow Cathedral since 2019, and I’m excited to have such a great stage at such an important moment to show the work,” said Mr Pfaff.
“The piece has multiple readings, but one message is clear - at this critical point in our climate emergency we must return to nature if we are to solve this crisis. It is, of course, for the viewer to react and find their own meaning within the work. I hope over the coming weeks the people of Glasgow can come and enjoy it, and enjoy the beautiful building of which it has become a part of.
“I think I would like people to take their own meaning from it. For me it is about putting the work out there and when people see it for the first time perhaps it will take them a little bit by surprise."
Read more: Glasgow's Miles Better: Is it time to bring back city's most successful slogan?
While artists, including Tracey Emin, have installed artworks in cathedrals south of the border, it’s unheard in Scotland and puts the cathedral on the firmly on the map during a time when some of the city’s tourists attractions such as the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and the Gallery of Modern Art have closed for the duration of COP. It could be argued that as one of the city’s leading cultural/religious location, that it is one of the few tourist attractions open during the summit.
Rev Johnstone said: “We often respond to ‘sacred space’ emotionally, physically and spiritually. Some have said sacred space is founded on serious ground. When we encounter something unexpected in a space we thought could predict we can be startled. We may be more than startled when we encounter James Pfaff’s new neon piece within the cathedral. It brings the playful high street nuance of neon and places it in a context more associated with civic pomp. The new work allows the ‘light’ to shine, proclaiming an embrace that can be seen as a spiritual mandate.”
Mr Johnstone described the installation at light across a dark cavernous space and that the eye is drawn towards as people make their way through the cathedral.
Glasgow Cathedral is at the spiritual and religious heart of the city
The present building was consecrated in 1197. Since that same period, the Cathedral has never been without a roof and worship has been carried out within its walls for more than 800 years.
The Cathedral is the best-preserved example of a large church to have survived from the medieval period in Scotland and it has one of the finest post-war collections of stained-glass windows to be found in Britain.
During the COP26 the cathedral is running a number of events including a vigil on Tuesday, November 4 led by the Iona Community. A special service will be held on Sunday, November 7 led by Lord Wallace, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, followed by a COP26 service.
The installation reveal will be held at 5pm today and is open to the public.
Also this evening award-winning artist collective Still/Moving are bringing their 70 metre long and seven metre high light sculpture No New Worlds to Govan for COP26.
The sculpture has been installed on Govan Graving Docks with the support of a community crowdfunding campaign, with support from Clyde Docks Preservation Initiative. It will sit facing the main delegate zone for the duration of the conference - serving as a stark reminder to delegates that there is no such thing as a 'New World', we have no plan(et) B. The location of No New Worlds will make it the backdrop to the conference, with both the giant puppet figures of Little Amal and STORM passing the sculpture.
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