Royal Academy unveils new £56m expansion; Belgian Art Prize’s all-male shortlist denounced

Royal Academy marks 250th anniversary with unveiling of £56m transformation The Royal Academy opens its newly extended and redesigned building to the public on 19 May following an extension and redesign that has added new gallery space – including a dedicated room for the Academy’s permanent collection – and a 250-seater theatre.

Designed by architect and Royal Academician Sir David Chipperfield, the work has taken 10 years to complete. The creation of the new Weston Bridge between Burlington House and Burlington Gardens brings the RA together for the first time as a two-acre campus. In doing so it provides 70% more public space than previously.

The new Gabrielle Jungels-Winkler Galleries in Burlington Gardens launch with an exhibition by Tacita Dean, ‘Landscape’ (19 May – 12 August 2018). The RA’s opening weekend will feature a series of free workshops, tours, displays, late-night performances and DJs. There will also be collaborative mural drawing, a family printmaking workshop in the new Clore Learning Centre, and plenty of street food and cocktail bars in the RA’s Annenberg Courtyard.

Instagram deletes (and later reinstates) photographer’s work while Facebook censors it Dublin-based photographer Dragana Jurisic had her Instagram account shut down and her images removed from Facebook after she posted an image of a naked model with a large leaf covering her breasts. Instagram later reinstated the account and apologised, reports The Art Newspaper, although the artist says many older posts are missing and she does not have access to the account.

British architect Will Alsop dies aged 70 The flamboyant and outspoken architect who made his name with often colourful and humourous designs, was perhaps best known for Peckham Library which won the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2000. Other buildings included the ill-fated The Public in West Bromwich and Ontario College of Art & Design’s Sharp Centre for Design in Toronto, Canada.

Open letter denounces Belgian Art Prize’s all-male shortlist The letter criticises the prize for its ‘flagrant exclusivity’ which it says denies ‘not only social but aesthetic reality’, following the announcement of the nominees for the 2019 prize: Sven Augustijnen, Koenraad Dedobbeleer, Gabriel Kuri, and the duo of Jos de Gruyter & Harald Thys. The letter adds: ‘In 2018, the art world and society at large are finally acknowledging inherited failures, and we insist on not sustaining them by assenting to the kind of agenda advanced by the Belgian Art Prize.’ The full letter can be read on change.org.

Jupiter Artland marks 10th anniversary with first permanent commission by Phyllida Barlow As part of a series of events and commissions to mark the 10th anniversary of the sculpture park, which is situated 25 minutes drive west from Edinburgh city centre, the London-based artist has produced her first permanent sculptural installation. The work is situated in woodland and will be accompanied by a publication about its creation. A publication celebrating Jupiter Artland’s 10 years, The Generous Landscape: Ten Years of Jupiter Artland, will be published in July.

UK museums suffer as Heritage Lottery grants plummet Due to falling Lottery revenue and policy changes favouring regional venues and smaller projects, museums and galleries are being rejected for large capital grants. Awards of over £5m have been suspended for 2018.

Arts Council of Ireland issues impartiality warning Ahead of the referendum on the 8th amendment of the Irish Constitution, which bans abortion, the Arts Council has contacted organisations to warn about impartiality rules. This follows the Charities Regulator issuing an order to an arts centre to remove a ‘Repeal the 8th’ mural.

Images:
1. Royal Academy, London, 2018,  Weston Bridge and The Lovelace Courtyard. Photo: Simon Menges; Courtesy: Royal Academy
2. Royal Academy, London, 2018, The Wohl Entrance Hall. Photo: James Harris; Courtesy: Royal Academy
3. Phyllida Barlow, quarry, Jupiter Artland, 2018. Photo: Anna Kunst; Courtesy: Jupiter Artland

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