A River in Verse

A River in Verse is a lyrical and poetic mirror of the River Thames transforming The Tide’s glass facades into a fluid space of endless iterations. This new public realm artwork by London-based, Lebanese artist Marwan Kaabour celebrates the rich global identity of the Peninsula’s communities. 

In partnership with Queercircle & inspired by the Peninsula’s proximity to the river, Kaabour presents a series of multilingual text extracts that contemplate water, fluidity and expressiveness of its ebb and flow. Kaabour’s practice uses language and text as a vehicle to create visuals. His starting point is research-based, interrogating the subject’s historical context. The artwork incorporates English, Greek, Polish, French, Farsi, Arabic, Yoruba, Mandarin and Turkish languages, which resonate with communities in wider Greenwich and on the Peninsula. The texts are juxtaposed with graphic fragments from nautical charts. 

Greenwich Peninsula's identity and history has been shaped by its proximity to the River Thames. Kaabour is interested in water as a space of promise, inspiration, and possibility. He also explores more difficult conversations in our global context. Water is central to today’s world: whether in relation to migrants risking their life to cross seas in search for a better life, or the rising levels of water due to the climate crisis.