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Glasgow's Duke Gets a Pigeon Pal!
18 Nov, 2025
Summary
- A new sculpture of a pigeon reading a newspaper was added to a famous statue.
- The addition was made by street artist the Rebel Bear.
- The statue is a well-known landmark outside Glasgow's Gallery of Modern Art.
An unexpected artistic transformation has occurred at Glasgow's Gallery of Modern Art, where the renowned Duke of Wellington statue now sports a novel addition. A street artist, known as the Rebel Bear, has placed a second sculpture on the landmark. This new piece features a pigeon diligently reading a newspaper, mirroring the statue's iconic traffic cone with its own miniature version.
This creative act by the Rebel Bear, an artist who gained prominence for their work during the COVID-19 lockdown in Glasgow, adds a whimsical element to the city's public art scene. It builds upon the long-standing tradition of placing traffic cones on the statue's head, a custom observed since the 1980s.
The statue, a familiar sight outside the Gallery of Modern Art, now serves as a canvas for this contemporary intervention. The addition offers a fresh talking point and a new layer of interpretation for both locals and visitors, blending history with a touch of modern urban artistry.
