Gavin Wade’s Mobile Wall System with 164 permanent pole positions on a square grid (After Adolf Krischanitz & Frederick Kiesler & John Madin), (2025) is a new permanent support structure for the large People’s Gallery on the 5th floor of the new ‘super’ hospital in Smethwick, Sandwell. It builds on over twenty years of the Birmingham born artist-curator’s research and practice around ideas and forms of support and display to deliver an adaptable and very functional artwork.

On the edge of the huge Winter Garden space, which is the entrance level to access all points in the hospital, the People’s Gallery is an 88 metre long custom made space with views across the skyline of Birmingham. The 18 walls are an invitation to display artworks of all kinds, to curate exhibitions, events and happenings of all sorts in the hospital and there are 283 positions you can place the walls to get the most out of the bright and open gallery space. As well as being an exhibition resource for creative community activities in the hospital the walls speak to histories of local and international art practices, the innovations of artist run spaces and clean wipeable surfaces.

Commissioned by Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, Supported by Arts Council England.