At Tenement House, all efforts have been taken to archive and preserve the life of Agnes Toward, yet she is not the only one who calls this place home. In this surreal story, 'The Scorpion of Garnethill', Tenement House becomes a dwelling for beings that exist between times. A place where the liminal veil is thin and past and future residents cross over into our present.

 

Whilst Agnes Toward's life may be regarded as mostly ordinary, she lived through a period of societal change unimaginable to most of us today. The story of the scorpion puts into perspective everything that can be experienced in one life time, through the eyes of a prehistoric creature who has returned home after millions of years.

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As people, we become attached to the idea of home as a marker of identity, yet we all repeat the same actions in different times and cultures. We all seek shelter, comfort, food and love. As an immigrant, new landscapes and societal structures can be daunting, yet it is grounding to realise the familiar rhythms of life across the world. The Scorpion experiences a similar feeling between past and present Scotland and navigates what this means in relation to ‘home’.

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