Art protest over vape shop next to Mackintosh Tearooms
A Glasgow artist protested with 'Unexploded Vape' artwork against a vape shop opening next to the heritage-listed Mackintosh Tearooms.Summary
Glasgow street artist Ashley Rawson protested the planned opening of a vape shop next to the Mackintosh Tearooms — the historic tearooms designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and opened in 1903 — by returning his 'Unexploded Vape' installation to the street. The artwork was originally created after a fire at an unlicensed vape shop on Union Street earlier this year, and Rawson argued that the city's Heritage Districts were being undermined by inappropriate, potentially dangerous businesses. The Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society also condemned the move, citing the risk of fire to the tearooms and calling on Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government to halt the shop's opening. Society Chair Michael Dale further argued that another vape shop would undermine the regeneration efforts on Sauchiehall Street, which is still recovering from previous fires and closures.
(Source：The Herald)
