Project: Turner Prize 2026
Location: MIMA, Middlesbrough
Client / Partnership: Teesside University and MIMA
Artist: Simeon Barclay
Services: Creative Scaffolding, Art Installations, Bespoke Structures
Overview
Event & Media Structures was appointed Official Production Partner of Turner Prize 2026 at MIMA, Middlesbrough, delivering the scaffolding structure for The Ruin, an installation by Turner Prize-nominated artist Simeon Barclay.
Working within the gallery environment, our team constructed an independent scaffold structure reaching 4.8 metres in height, forming an integral part of the artwork itself.
The project brought together creative vision and technical construction, transforming a familiar industrial material into part of an immersive contemporary art installation.
Bringing The Ruin to Life
At the centre of The Ruin is an enclosed structure framed by scaffolding, with an overhead grid extending across the installation.
The scaffold is deliberately exposed, its framework of poles, connections and cross-bracing contributing to the visual character of the work. Caged site lights line the perimeter, illuminating the surrounding space in vivid red.
Inside, the exposed scaffold continues through the installation, creating a distinctive environment around the artwork’s visual and spatial elements.
Our role was to deliver the scaffold installation and associated structural elements, ensuring the finished construction remained faithful to the artist’s design while meeting the practical demands of a working gallery.
Where Art Meets Engineering
Unlike conventional scaffolding projects, where the structure is often hidden or temporary support for another element, this installation places the construction itself firmly in view.
Every aspect of the build, from its proportions and positioning to the arrangement of the overhead framework, contributes to the finished experience.
Projects like The Ruin demonstrate how technical construction can support creative expression. They also reflect our experience working alongside artists, designers and production teams to turn ambitious concepts into physical environments.
Supporting Turner Prize 2026
As Official Production Partner, Event & Media Structures is proud to contribute to one of the UK’s most recognised contemporary art exhibitions.
Our involvement reflects a longstanding interest in supporting artists and creative projects, bringing the same practical expertise we apply across live events, exhibitions and bespoke installations to the world of contemporary art.
The Ruin by Simeon Barclay is part of Turner Prize 2026 at MIMA, Middlesbrough, with the exhibition running until 29 March 2027.
