The story so far
Made in Scotland – reaching out across the world
In November 2020 Scottish artist Michael Visocchi was announced as the winner of an international competition run by charity the South Georgia Heritage Trust, seeking an artist to tell the story of South Georgia’s remarkable environmental recovery.
The Key Table on display outside V&A Dundee. Photo: Art Lewry, CCC
After four years of work, two site visits to South Georgia, a fundraising campaign and engineering challenges, the first stage of the Whale Memorial artwork, the Key Table, was unveiled in June 2025 at the Whale of a Weekend festival at V&A Dundee. This was the first time it would be seen in public before heading off to South Georgia island in the sub-Antarctic.
At the heart of Michael’s artwork is a collection of seven huge circular tables made of weathering steel, often known as corten steel. The Key Table shows the numbers of whales that were processed at South Georgia and sets the context of the overall story of whale destruction around the island. The other six tables, which will be developed over time, represent the six different whale species that were hunted and processed at Grytviken: Blue Whale, Fin Whale, Southern Right Whale, Sei Whale, Sperm Whale and Humpback Whale.
This monumental sculpture is being made in Dundee, in collaboration with local fabricator MCE Engineering. Michael chose corten steel as it reflects the site in which the sculpture will sit – an industrial area where the whales were processed. Each of the whales lost is represented by rivets that were part of that industrial past and were collected from South Georgia. These form the basis of the ‘key’ – showing the numbers of different whale species that were taken as part of this industry.
A further six Spirit Tables will eventually be part of this site-specific work, each representing a species of whale that was once hunted and whose numbers are now recovering, thanks to a change in humanity’s attitude to nature and the careful environmental management of this precious ecosystem.
Section of the Key Table being manufactured at Dundee-based fabricator MCE.
Michael Visocchi and Stewart Garden in site at Grytviken. Photo: Kelvin Floyd
As well as an incredibly inspiring creative process, bringing a complex, site-specific artwork to life on an isolated sub-Antarctic island involves a diverse range of specialist expertise and services.
Global engineering firm WSP is providing in-kind support to address the engineering issues of a sculpture in such a remote location – from ensuring it will withstand the extreme weather exposure to the weight of an elephant seal should it decide to take a fancy to it! Stewart Garden, an old school friend of Michael’s, has been involved in advising on the complexities that need to be considered in creating this artwork.
RSK, a leading integrated environmental, engineering and technical services business will be providing structural engineering support on the ground in kind, through their Falkland Islands division.
MCE Engineering, based in Dundee, are using their considerable precision engineering expertise to fabricate the Key Table
The Key Table arrives in South Georgia
November 2025
Breaking ground for the Key Table on the flensing plan of the former whaling station at Grytviken.
In November 2025, artist Michael Visocchi, together with the project’s fabricator and structural engineer, arrived at Grytviken to break ground on Part One: The Key Table, the first stage of the Whale Memorial. This marked the culmination of years of collaboration, planning, and creative vision.
The moment the container doors were opened in South Georgia, it was charged with emotion. Having travelled thousands of miles from Dundee, it carried within it the first physical elements of the memorial, as well as the hopes, dedication, and belief of everyone involved. Standing on the historic Flensing Plan, where whales were once processed, the team broke ground on a memorial that speaks to both memory and renewal.
Breaking ground at Grytviken marks not only the physical beginning of the Whale Memorial but also the continuation of South Georgia’s remarkable story, from a place shaped by the whaling industry to one that now stands as a global symbol of ecological recovery and hope.
“Breaking ground at Grytviken is a profound moment; it means so much to me. Opening the container after its long journey feels deeply symbolic, carrying with it the care and commitment of so many. This is more than the start of a sculpture; it marks the beginning of the Whale Memorial, a work that honours South Georgia’s past while celebrating its transformation into a place of hope and recovery.”
Artist, Michael Visocchi
Timelapse showing the installation of part I of artist Michael Visocchi’s Whale Memorial on the island of South Georgia © Chris Falconer/SGHT
“Seeing the container open in South Georgia after its journey from Dundee is remarkable. Every piece inside signifies months of precision and care. To now stand at Grytviken, ready to commence the first phase of the Whale Memorial, is both humbling and inspiring. It’s a privilege to contribute to a project that links history, craft, and conservation in such a meaningful way.”
Fabricator, Chris Falconer, MCE Engineering
Livvie Southall of South Georgia Museum at the Key table with visitors to Grytviken Whaling Station. Photo: Art Lewry, CCC