The board of the Serpentine Galleries has announced that Julia Peyton-Jones, director and co-director of exhibitions and programmes of the Serpentine Galleries, is to leave in July 2016 after a quarter of a century in the role.
Since 1991 she has held the role of director of the Serpentine Galleries, and in 2006, was joined by Hans Ulrich Obrist as co-director of exhibitions and programmes and director of international projects. The gallery regularly attracts up to 300,000 visitors annually, many of whom come to visit the popular Serpentine Gallery Pavilion commission, which was conceived by Peyton-Jones.
Explaining the decision to step down, Peyton-Jones said: “There is never a good time to leave an institution but I wanted to leave the Serpentine at a time of strength and success. I know it will continue to flourish and innovate with its exceptional staff and the outstanding leadership of our board of directors and chairman, Michael Bloomberg.”
Peyton-Jones’ tenure has not been without controversy. In 2013, there were protests at the gallery by the Precarious Workers Brigade in response to an advert for an unpaid, full-time, three-month voluntary position.
At the same time, The Independent newspaper reported that Peyton-Jones and Ulrich Obrist were both paid at least 45% more in 2012 than in 2011, bringing Peyton-Jones’ annual earnings with bonuses to between £140,000-£150,000.
Since opening in 1970, the Serpentine has worked with almost 3000 artists, architects and designers, from emerging practitioners to many high-profile names. The long list includes: Louise Bourgeois, Frank Gehry, Damien Hirst, Rem Koolhaas, Jeff Koons, Oscar Niemeyer, Yoko Ono, Gerhard Richter, Andy Warhol and Ai Weiwei.
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