University of Warwick installs Turner Prize-winning sculpture

The sculpture depicts the starchy tropical fruit whose pulp has a bread-like consistency when cooked

A Turner Prize-winning sculpture depicting a tropical fruit has been installed on a university campus.

Breadfruit, by Veronica Ryan, was placed outside the University of Warwick's Arts Centre on Monday.

The 3ft-tall (0.9m) bronze is a tribute to the Windrush generation and represents the cultural and historical significance of the staple island food.

The university said it was "thrilled" to acquire the piece to add to 25 others in a sculpture park in Coventry.

Veronica Ryan won the Turner Prize in 2022

Montserrat-born British sculptor Ryan won the Turner Prize in 2022 for her Windrush memorial, which consisted of giant sculptures of Caribbean fruits including Breadfruit.

"Representation and cultural visibility being evident in public spaces is crucial. I'm pleased Breadfruit will be at the University of Warwick," she said.

The starchy foodstuff, whose pulp has a bread-like consistency when cooked, has been a staple in the Pacific Islands for centuries and wood from its tree is also used to make homes and boats.

In the 18th Century, Captain William Bligh led a famous expedition on HMS Bounty to transport the plant from Tahiti to the Caribbean to provide a cheaper food source for slaves.

Rebecca Earle, a food historian and a professor of history at the university, said breadfruit's continued popularity in Caribbean cuisine was down to "the ingenuity of ordinary people".

"It symbolises many aspects of the Caribbean's complex history," she added. "[It] reminds us of our interconnected histories and of the importance of food to our lives."

University curator Thomas Ellmer said the work was about "memory and the notion of trying to find a place within the world".

"The sculpture is representative of many members of the student and academic and staff body here," he added.

Student Amelia Wilson, from Grenada, said it was important for cultural ties to be shared

Student Amelia Wilson, from Grenada, said she was "excited" to see the "culturally significant" fruit represented on campus.

"I think it's really important to share our cultural ties and community through food," she added.

"I think that's something that is really underlooked whenever we talk about the British Caribbean community."

The piece was added to 25 others in a sculpture park in Coventry

Funding to acquire the sculpture was provided by the Victoria and Albert Museum, The Contemporary Arts Society, the Arts Council and the University of Warwick.

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