As part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival, artist Hew Locke has transformed Birmingham's statue of Queen Victoria in Victoria Square. The artwork is called "Foreign Exchange" and has certainly opened up a range of conversations. Unveiled on 14th June 2022, it will remain in the Square until August 2022. Photos taken by Elliott and Daniel.

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"Foreign Exchange" by Hew Locke: reimagined statue of Queen Victoria in Victoria Square





As part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival, artist Hew Locke has transformed Birmingham's statue of Queen Victoria in Victoria Square. The artwork is called "Foreign Exchange" and has certainly opened up a range of conversations. Unveiled on 14th June 2022, it will remain in the Square until August 2022. Photos taken by Elliott and Daniel.


Birmingham's statue of Queen Victoria was originally unveiled in 1901. Made of marble by Sir Thomas Brock. It was the idea of the founder of the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, who wanted to present a statue of the Queen to the City, during her Diamond Jubilee year of 1897. It was finally unveiled 12 days before the Queen's death.

50 years later, the statue had got quite weathered, and the orb was badly damaged during VE Day in 1945.

The statue was removed in 1951, and was cast in bronze by William Bloye. This was all thanks to the Birmingham Civic Society.

More recently, the missing tip of the sceptre was recast and added in 2011, then the Birmingham Civic Society had the statue fully cleaned in 2018.

Here are some photos of the work of artist Hew Locke called "Foreign Exchange" prior to the unveiling.

Saturday 11th June

Views from the 18th floor balcony of 103 Colmore Row.

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dndimg alt="Foreign Exchange Victoria" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Hew Locke QV V103 11062022 (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Photography by Elliott Brown

In Victoria Squaredndimg alt="Foreign Exchange Victoria" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/IMG_2593b_VICR.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Foreign Exchange Victoria" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/IMG_2731b_VICR.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Photography by Daniel Sturley 

Sunday 12th June

By Sunday afternoon, workmen had installed a helmet on top of the original statue of Queen Victoria.

dndimg alt="Foreign Exchange Victoria" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Hew Locke FE Queen Vic 12062022 (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Foreign Exchange Victoria" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Hew Locke FE Queen Vic 12062022 (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Foreign Exchange Victoria" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Hew Locke FE Queen Vic 12062022 (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Foreign Exchange Victoria" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Hew Locke FE Queen Vic 12062022 (4).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Foreign Exchange Victoria" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Hew Locke FE Queen Vic 12062022 (5).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Photography by Elliott Brown

dndimg alt="Foreign Exchange Victoria" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/IMG_2888b_VICR.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Foreign Exchange Victoria" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/IMG_2919b_VICR.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Foreign Exchange Victoria" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/IMG_2924b_VICR.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Foreign Exchange Victoria" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/IMG_2939b_VICR.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Foreign Exchange Victoria" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/IMG_2985b_VICR.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Foreign Exchange Victoria" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/IMG_3028b_VICR.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Foreign Exchange Victoria" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/IMG_3059b_VICR.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Photography by Daniel Sturley

The unveiling of the statue has certainly created a stir and opened up a conversation, as no doubt intended by the artist and those commissioning the work.

Locke’s vision behind the art is to create “an object of veneration, leading a battalion of other statues to represent the home nation throughout the Empire.”