Tate Britain hosted ‘The Squash’, an ambitious installation by British artist Anthea Hamilton, which took over the iconic Duveen Galleries. Millennium Contracts completed the tiling installation for the exhibition.

The project required covering the entire length of the Duveen Galleries with over 7,000 white ceramic tiles. These tiles served as a striking, minimalist backdrop for the exhibition, unifying the space and creating a canvas for Hamilton’s multifaceted work. The design was intended to seamlessly blend with Tate Britain’s neoclassical architecture while providing a clean, contemporary contrast that allowed the artwork and performance to shine.

In addition to the floor tiles, we constructed and tiled a series of large encased podiums. These podiums were used to display artwork hand-selected by Hamilton from Tate’s collection, adding depth and dimensionality to the exhibition. Each element of the space was designed to complement the artist’s concept of transformation and the notion of inhabiting a different form.

The white tiles on the floor act as an elegant foundation for the performer, whose squash-like costume evokes both a sense of whimsy and surrealism. The tiles themselves, though simple in appearance, play a pivotal role in grounding the immersive experience, inviting visitors to navigate the space while connecting with the underlying themes of transformation and identity that Hamilton explores.