A city in the process of reinventing itself provides fertile ground for questions. Kuhn’s question situates itself at the heart of the matter. Installed on the fagade of the former Cammell Laird Construction Hall, the vibrant neon question mark of light is unavoidable, visible from almost anywhere along the Liverpool waterfront. Nearly 20 metres high, the sheer scale of the work alone make us wonder, and its positioning at the water’s edge provides a focus for our reflections. The Mersey remains a defining feature of Liverpool’s cityscape, a boundary – physical and emotional – which has shaped the life and history of the city for over 800 years. Kuhn’s intervention animates the river, accentuating the space as a stage on which to pose and act out questions. But the work prompts the city not simply to project outwards, but to look inwards. Liverpudlians are accustomed to seeing their city represented in views taken from across the water, the most iconic showing the Pier Head, whose Three Graces’ (Port of Liverpool, Cunard and Royal Liver Insurance buildings) embody what were once key drivers of the city’s economy. Kuhn’s work holds up a mirror to the city today, a city in the midst of change, caught in a moment of self-reflection. Sorcha Carey

Project Credits Commissioned by Liverpool Biennial International 06 Supported by Northwest Regional Development Agency The National Lottery through Arts Council England Mersey Waterfront Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation The Henry Moore Foundation Esmee Fairbairn Foundation Goethe-Institut, Manchester Reddington Finance Ltd