Installation shot of Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain, Whitechapel Gallery, 2011. The exhibition was curated by Cornelia Parker using works from the Government Art Collection.
Museums have never held more, or been asked more about what they hold and why. In this talk, curator Iwona Blazwick looks at how collections have been shown over the past two decades, and what those choices say about the institutions behind them.
Drawing on her years at Tate Modern and Whitechapel Gallery, Blazwick considers four roles a collection display can play: a theatre, staging encounters between works and audiences; a mirror, reflecting the times and communities around it; a travel agent, moving visitors across places and centuries; and a work of art in its own right. Along the way she asks what changes when works are freed from chronology, and what a collection can offer when it opens its doors to the public.
The talk will be followed by a Q&A.
The Speaker
Iwona Blazwick OBE is a curator and writer. She was Director of Whitechapel Gallery from 2001 to 2022, and before that Head of Exhibitions and Displays at Tate Modern, where she worked on the gallery's opening collection displays in 2000. She is currently the Lead Curator for Arts AlUla's.
Further Information
Booking is required due to limited capacity.
This event is fully accessible, with lift access available to Gallery 3, where the event will take place. Please note that Gallery 2, located in the basement, is not wheelchair accessible due to the building's historic nature. Kindly inform us of any specific requirements when making your booking so that we may assist you.
Light refreshments will be served.