London’s Courtauld to Open New Contemporary Art Galleries Following £10m Gift
The collections‑based institution will ‘bring living artists to the core’ of its programme with the opening of two spaces at Somerset House. Save to My Ocula
The Courtauld has today announced plans to create two new contemporary art galleries and a reading room, supported by a £10 million donation from the Blavatnik Family Foundation.
The spaces, slated to open in 2029, will form part of the expansion of the institution’s campus at London’s Somerset House.
Elena Crippa, senior curator of contemporary art at the Courtauld, said in a statement: ‘The new galleries will be a site of possibilities for artists to present exceptional artworks. These new spaces will help us connect past and present art and ideas, engage students and bring living artists to the core of our activities.’
Located on the top floor of the building’s North Wing, The Blavatnik Contemporary Galleries will restore a space designed in the 18th century as a display room for the Royal Society.
They will host special exhibitions, commissions and events and, according to a statement from the Courtauld, ‘provide a space for working with artists on new projects, championing original practice and offering fresh perspectives on the most compelling and influential developments in contemporary art’.
This latest gift brings the ’s total support from the Blavatnik Family Foundation—founded by Ukrainian-born, Russian-raised Leonard Blavatnik—for The Courtauld to £20 million. The foundation also donated £50 million to Tate in 2017, £10 million to the National Portrait Gallery in 2022 and jointly provided £10 million to The Victoria and Albert Museum in 2023.
Mark Hallett, Märit Rausing director of the Courtauld, said: ‘Sir Leonard and Lady Emily Blavatnik have been foundational supporters of the Courtauld for many years, and we are thrilled that they share our excitement about our expanded engagement with contemporary art.
‘Thanks to their enlightened philanthropy, visitors to the Courtauld’s galleries will be able to enjoy the most exciting art of today alongside our extraordinary array of historic masterpieces.’
The Blavatnik Contemporary Galleries will form part of what the Courtauld previously described as the ‘once-in-a-generation transformation of its Grade 1-listed building at Somerset House’.
Announced late last year in celebration of the institution’s upcoming centenary, the £82 million project will be overseen by Witherford Watson Mann architects. —[O]
Main image: The Courtauld, London. Courtesy The Courtauld. Photo: Benedict Johnson.
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