An artistic celebration of Stockton’s heritage is being unveiled tonight at 6pm

Aikaterini Gegisian’s large-scale work Turn Back the Tide, which is more than 38 meters wide, is sited at the prominent riverside location of Stockton's Castlegate Shopping Centre.

After carrying out her own research and working closely with local residents the artist has featured works marking the town's industrial past towards its current status as a hub of trade and service provision.

She said: “I am thrilled to be invited to exhibit as part of Castlegate Art, and delighted to have the opportunity to respond to such an inspiring area. I live and work in the Tees Valley, and so it is with great pride that I can make my own contribution to the region by creating a work for such a prominent site, and to bring art beyond the gallery into the public realm.”

Turn Back Tide acts as a bridge between the former sites of production surrounding central Stockton, the river as a historic route for the transportation of goods and natural resources, and Castlegate Shopping Centre as the present container of goods.

Senior curator at the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, Miguel Amado said: “Part of our vision is to take a leading role in addressing current issues within politics, economics and culture, and to contribute to change."