AT TATE

We’re excited to present Emma Neuberg’s Rudolf Nureyev quilt at the Tate Modern in June 2025 as part of the collection of UK AIDS Quilts. These quilts were made between 1989 and 1996 to commemorate friends, lovers and family members who passed away from an AIDS related illness during this time. Neuberg’s quilt commemorates the ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev and makes up the larger Quilt 23.

Visitors will be able to view the entire UK AIDS Memorial Quilt in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall in London from 12 June to 16 June 2025. A combination of 42 quilts and 23 individual panels will be displayed in the Turbine Hall, echoing how the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt was shown outdoors as a form of protest to raise awareness of the ongoing AIDS pandemic. The display is presented by Tate in partnership with the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt and is initiated by Charlie Porter. It is curated by Elliot Gibbons, the Tate’s Collaborative Doctoral Researcher.

Quilts of Love, Hyde Park 1994, as featured on The History Workshop’s Journal: Radical Object: UK AIDS Memorial Quilt by Clifford McManus.

Featured here is Emma’s pink velvet quilt with gold lamé appliqué and ruby and gold crystal beading. “The lower center panel remembers Rudolf Nureyev; below his name is a pair of pink-dotted boots with golden wings on a pink background. At the bottom of the panel is the phrase “L’ange suprême.”

The surrounding quilts on Quilt 23 feature: the white panel (bottom right) that remembers an anonymous person as revealed by a pinned note with a red ribbon stapled on top. The note reads: “This Panel was made by a Friend for a Friend. The Parents do not want this panel shown anywhere. The Stigma still exists – Until this changes this panel will remain covered. A Red Ribbon is not enough. The Quilt is not enough. What will it take? Attitudes must change!”. The original accompanying letter (that all quilters included) from Tamir stated that the family requested this quilt not to be displayed.

The upper centre panel remembers Alan Tiller with the date 1948-1992 on two sides. Above his name is a planet, with duck, sunshine, and two white flowers around, with a pink ring on a black background that looks like space.

The top centre panel remembers Michael Blicq with the date 1950-1989, with three geometric shapes with floral patterns in green, yellow and green, on a brown floral background.

The top left panel remembers Michelle Cross, below her name is an upside down triangle with colourful patterns of pink, yellow, navy, turquoise, black and white, on a blue background.

The bottom centre panel remembers Nigel with the date 1958 -1992. Below his name is stitched “Rest In Peace”. There are flowers and big white lilies on the two sides, as they are Nigel’s favourite flower. The panel was made using Nigel’s paints and the rectangular marbled border was created by a technique Nigel called “bagging” which he had learned from one of the many art classes he attended. The material for the panel was chosen from a shop at a craft centre which Nigel used to regularly visit, and panel has a grey colour scheme as grey was a colour Nigel used a lot around his home and was also the colour he chose for his coffin. His friend described Nigel in the letter: “His constant battle to enjoy life, to squeeze every drop of pleasure from each hour was, and will always be, an inspiration.”

The bottom left panel remembers Scott MacDonald with the date 12th July 1961 to 22nd June 1993. Above his name is his photo, with three golden rectangular borders stitched around it. The attached letter reads: “Scott MacDonald was a little fella in one respect only – His height. Otherwise he was big, – In Heart – In Appetite for Life – And When The Occasion Required… In Mouth!” “Let us at least never forget the wise lessons of compassionate care he taught us.”

Discover more about the quilts here and also at the Oxford University Press History Workshop Journal: Radical Object: UK AIDS Memorial Quilt by Clifford McManus.

There are several online articles notably at the BBC from 2021.