Glasgow art gallery closes after person falls from balcony
The Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow has closed its doors following a horrifying incident: an unknown person had fallen from one of its balconies.
After the shocking incident took place on September 11th around 12:30pm, emergency services were called, and the art institute said that they would be shutting down all activities for the rest of the day due to the person’s fall.
A statement from the gallery’s representatives stated that the gallery plans to reopen as soon as possible: “The Gallery of Modern Art has closed early today after a member of the public fell from a balcony. Emergency services are in attendance. The building will reopen as normal tomorrow, Thursday, September 12, at 10am.”
According to Police Scotland, the fall took place from somewhere inside the gallery, stating, “Emergency services are in attendance at Royal Exchange Square after reports a man had fallen from height inside an art gallery. Police were notified 12.30pm on Wednesday, September 11 2024. Enquiries are ongoing. Officers remain at the scene.”
Following the incident, law enforcement also released a statement surrounding the presence of multiple emergency vehicles on the scene. Despite addressing the situation of someone falling, officials have confirmed that the situation is under control, explaining, “This is related to a report a man has fallen within one of the buildings. There is no wider threat to the public.”
While the incident featured a heavy police presence, the Scottish Ambulance have said that they had only dispatched a single team to work on the matter, assigning one ambulance, one paramedic response unit, and one trauma team to the Royal Exchange Square.
At this stage, the identity of the individual involved has not been revealed.
Established in 1996, the Gallery of Modern Art has been a staple in Glasgow since its start in the Royal Exchange Square, where it operates alongside Glasgow District Libraries.
Since its opening, many of its displays have come from legends of the modern art world, including works from the likes of David Hockney and Andy Warhol. It has also been known to display many prominent Scottish artists as well such as John Bellany and Ken Curie.
One of the museum’s trademarks has been the traffic cone that often sits atop the statue at the front of the building, meant to represent the city’s sense of humour. In recent years, the cone has gone through various accessories, including being painted gold during the 2012 Olympics and one painted in the style of the EU flag during Brexit Day in 2020.
