Viewing Steve McQueen: Grenfell
Steve McQueen: Grenfell is a powerful, political film installation that asks viewers to sit with the memory and grief of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. First shown at Serpentine Galleries in 2023, the 24-minute film slowly approaches and then circles the burned remains of Grenfell Tower from a helicopter. There’s no narration, interviews, or music — just the tower itself, forcing the audience to sit with what happened in June 2017.
One of the film’s most powerful ideas is the contrast between everyday London life and the devastation Grenfell. It begins with calm aerial shots of the outskirts of London. Trees, fields, streets, and housing fill the screen before moving towards West London’s skyline. You hear normal city sounds like traffic and birdsong, but when Grenfell comes into view, the soundtrack drops into silence. It makes the tower feel separate from ordinary life, while also highlighting that this tradgey happened right in the middle of it.
The camera moves slowly around the building many times, from different angles, each time showing new details from both outside and inside the tower. Without music or commentary the audience has to confront the building directly. It feels more like standing at a memorial rather than watching a short film. McQueen allows the tower to simply exist on screen, asking viewers to witness it.
The film also quietly points to bigger issues around inequality and political failure. Grenfell Tower stood in one of the richest boroughs in Britain, yet the disaster exposed serious problems around housing, safety, and accountability.
Because of its slow pace and repetitive shots, the film feels closer to an art installation than a conventional film. There’s no clear ending or resolution, which reflects the fact that the conversations around justice and accountability after Grenfell are still ongoing.
Ultimately, Grenfell turns the tower into a kind of testimony. Through silence, repetition, and careful observation, Steve McQueen has created a film about grief and the importance of not forgetting what happened.
Public Events Responding to Steve McQueen: Grenfell
As part of the Grenfell film installation a day of free events will take place at the Bluecoat on Sunday 7 June, in partnership with the Grenfell Foundation and ahead of the 9th anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire.
The events respond to the themes of the installation, exploring social justice, memory, and spontaneous acts of remembrance.
The first event, Loss, Legacy and the Law: Lessons from Grenfell and Hillsborough, brings together Grenfell United representatives Natasha Elcock and Ed Daffarn with Professor Helen Stalford and Professor Lydia Hayes from the University of Liverpool’s Centre for People’s Justice. The discussion will focus on the long fight for justice following Grenfell and Hillsborough, including progress towards the Hillsborough Law and the ongoing campaign for a legal duty of candour.
The second event, Responding, Repairing and Creating Together, features socially engaged artist Lisa Nash in conversation with Dr Robert Simpson from the University of Manchester. They will reflect on the aftermath of Grenfell and the Manchester Arena bombing, exploring how communities use creativity, memorials, and collective action to process tragedy. The session will also include a short participatory creative activity.
Event details
Loss, Legacy and the Law: Lessons from Grenfell and Hillsborough
7 June 2026, 13.00–14.30
The Bluecoat
More info
Responding, Repairing and Creating Together: Lisa Nash in conversation with Dr Robert Simpson
7 June 2026, 15.15–16.30
The Bluecoat
More info