SEAMARK (for Old Admiralty Building)

Tania Kovats (1966 - )

232 ceramic tiles in cobalt glaze

2022
  • About the work

    SEAMARK, a large ceramic wall by Tania Kovats, is a commissioned work for the Old Admiralty Building, the home for the Government Art Collection and Department for International Trade. The work is produced on handmade ceramic tiles that are glazed with cobalt blue painted ‘Seamarks’, that show the flicker and energy across the surface of the sea – a contemporary maritime artwork that anchors the water fountain WELL 2019 within the visitor entrance and waiting area, linking to the history of the Old Admiralty Building. Opened in 1907, it was the largest of a complex of buildings previously used by the government department that oversaw the Royal Navy.

    As the artists explains:

    'Old Admiralty is a historic building tattooed with narratives and applied imagery that references our maritime culture and our collective relationship with the sea.

    At this time in our collective history our island status is more important than ever in how we see ourselves. SEAMARK brings the sea into the building as you arrive: a new contemporary maritime tattoo for the Old Admiralty Building'.

  • About the artist
    Born in London in 1966, Tania Kovats is an award winning artist. She exhibits internationally, publishes regularly, and her work is held in several major collections. Recent solo exhibitions include 'Oceanic' at Parafin, London (2021); 'Head to Mouth' at The Gymnasium Gallery, Berwick (2019); and 'Evaporation' at the Museum of Science & Industry, Manchester (2016). Her work is presented in many major collections and as significant permanent public commissions, including 'The Space of Reading' at the Bodleian Library in Oxford and 'TREE' at the Natural History Museum in London. Her work, 'GRAIN', is permanently installed at County Hall in Trowbridge. Kovats is currently Professor of Teaching and Research at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design; and Professor of Drawing at Bath Spa University.
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    Places
    Subjects
    Materials & Techniques
    ceramic, installation
  • Details
    Title
    SEAMARK (for Old Admiralty Building)
    Date
    2022
    Medium
    232 ceramic tiles in cobalt glaze
    Dimensions
    height: 348 cm; width: 226 cm
    Acquisition
    Commissioned by the Government Art Collection for Old Admiralty Building, funded by the Government Property Agency, May 2022
    GAC number
    19099