An in-depth interview with the artist on his cultural experiences and greatest influences, from Francis Bacon to Mike Kelley

An illustrated biography of the British-born Mexico-based artist is illuminated by the spaces she occupied

Andrei Rublev’s 15th-century work, which was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church last month, will also no longer be restored at the State Tretyakov Gallery

National Portrait Gallery reopens to the public

On June 22, 2023, the National Portrait Gallery will reopen its doors for the first time since 2020, following the most extensive redevelopment of its building since 1896.

Source: National Portrait Gallery · Image: National Portrait Gallery, London, main entrance in 2018. Image by Wei-Te Wong, license Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

Supported by longstanding supporter and Reopening Partner, Herbert Smith Freehills, visitors to the new National Portrait Gallery will experience a complete redisplay of the Collection, a transformational refurbishment of the building, as well as an enhanced welcome and greater access through the new Ross Place entrance.

The redevelopment project – titled Inspiring People – has included a comprehensive redisplay of the Gallery’s Collection from the Tudors to today, which will be displayed in beautifully refurbished galleries, and the restoration of the Grade I listed building and many historic features. The designs, by Jamie Fobert Architects working in partnership with Purcell, and thanks to the historic gift from the Blavatnik Family Foundation, will incorporate the Blavatnik Wing, the entire first floor encompassing nine galleries, which will explore society and culture in the 19th and early 20^th centuries. The designs will also see the return of the Gallery’s East Wing to public use as the Weston Wing, restoring original gallery spaces and creating new retail and catering facilities. The Gallery’s Ross Place entrance will create three new doors, converted from large windows, opening up the North Façade of the building in St Martin’s Place. A new Learning Centre will also welcome visitors of all ages with studios, breakout spaces, and high-quality facilities.

In addition to the Blavatnik Family Foundation gift, the Inspiring Peopleproject has been supported by a major grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, in addition to major donations from the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Ross Foundation, Mildred and Simon Palley, the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust, the David and Claudia Harding Foundation, Bjorn and Inger Saven, the Law Family Charitable Foundation, the Deborah Loeb Brice Foundation and Art Fund. The National Portrait Gallery is grateful to these visionary supporters, alongside others who are making the building project and its related activity possible.

Since closure, the National Portrait Gallery has facilitated a number of ambitious partnerships with museums, local groups and schools to bring its Collection closer to communities across the UK. Collaborative exhibitions have enabled the Gallery to share hundreds of works across the country – from St Andrews to Swansea, and Cornwall to Coventry. As part of Coming Home, a project that returned portraits of iconic sitters to places of personal significance, the Gallery exhibited over 30 portraits, including Virginia Woolf, Stormzy and Jessica Ennis-Hill, in their respective hometowns – Lewes, Croydon and Sheffield. In 2020, the Gallery undertook one of the most ambitious projects in its history, a community exhibition called Hold Still. Resulting in a unique collective portrait of the UK during the first national lockdown, spearheaded by the Gallery’s Patron, Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales, the Gallery received over 31,500 photographic entries from all corners of the UK, with entrants ranging from 4 to 75 years-old. A hundred of these photographs were featured in a digital exhibition and a nationwide outdoor display, seen by 5 million people with 400 posters in 80 locations in local communities where entrants came from. In addition to these UK-based projects, the Gallery shared hundreds of portraits with international museums and galleries throughout its closure, with portraits travelling to Australia, Italy, the Netherlands, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States of America.

The first cohort of artists participating in Silverlens's residency will use materials found on Kopiat Island to create public art installations

The British artist invited dozens of MPs to view his film about Grenfell Tower at London's Serpentine Galleries, but most only showed up after subsequent guilt-tripping

Calling out the injustice of colonialism and following it up with "serious debate and concrete actions" is Austria’s responsibility, says culture secretary

The city’s newest underground train stations are home to permanent commissions by eight artists including Andrea Bowers and Ann Hamilton