Important Visitor Notice

From Sunday 16 March 2025, National Glass Centre will close on Sundays. Read the full statement from University of Sunderland: University of Sunderland Statement

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A group of four children and a dog are balancing on a partially submerged wooden raft, using makeshift paddles to navigate a calm industrial waterway. One child is crouched near the front, while the others stand or kneel, appearing focused on steering. On the right, another child sits on a wooden beam near a rusted chain-link fence, absorbed in an object in their hands. In the background, large shipyard cranes, industrial buildings, and a moored vessel loom over the hazy waterfront, contrasting the children’s playful activity with the industrial landscape.
A group of four children and a dog are balancing on a partially submerged wooden raft, using makeshift paddles to navigate a calm industrial waterway. One child is crouched near the front, while the others stand or kneel, appearing focused on steering. On the right, another child sits on a wooden beam near a rusted chain-link fence, absorbed in an object in their hands. In the background, large shipyard cranes, industrial buildings, and a moored vessel loom over the hazy waterfront, contrasting the children’s playful activity with the industrial landscape.

Collection

Since 2006, Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art has acquired over 500 artworks by more than 50 artists or artist collectives with a focus on, but not limited to, lens-based media and the North East of England. Today the collection continues to grow, and is often loaned out across the United Kingdom.

Collection Stories

The Skin We Live In: Portraits from the Collection

The Skin We Live In is a curated selection of artworks exploring contemporary portraiture through photography, painting, sculpture, film and printmaking.

A black and white photograph of two people embracing. The view point is from over the shoulder of one person with the back of their head visible and the face of the other leaning into their arm.

Heather & Rene at home, Gateshead, UK

Janina Sabaliauskaitė

2022

Silver gelatin print

A barrel of a cannon points from left to right. The whole cannon has been covered in a shiny pink cloth. A female, also dressed completely in pink, bends at a right angle and sticks her head into the cannon. The cannon and the female are standing on very dry grass.

Love Cannon

Walker & Bromwich

2006

Lambda print

A dimly lit exhibition space featuring two large, angled projection screens. The screen on the left displays a close-up of a singer holding a microphone, bathed in moody lighting with hints of blue and orange. The screen on the right shows a crowd with hands reaching upward, some pointing or gesturing, capturing the energy of a live performance. Overhead, projectors and cables are visible against the dark ceiling. The immersive setup emphasizes a dynamic interplay between performer and audience.

Come Together

Graham Dolphin

2013/2022

Two-channel HD video 16:9, synchronised

Explore The Skin We Live In