V&A East Launches With a Fresh Lens on a 2.8 Million-Object Collection
The Victoria & Albert Museum has opened V&A East in east London, a new $180 million outpost intended to connect the V&A’s 2.8 million-object collection to contemporary issues and younger local audiences. Designed by Irish architects O’Donnell + Tuomey, the building houses two permanent “Why We Make” galleries presenting more than 500 objects from 1100 to the present in thematic sections addressing topics such as identity, social justice, and environmental responsibility, according to senior curator Zofia Trafas White. Displays link figures including Leigh Bowery, Vivienne Westwood, Rei Kawakubo, Sofonisba Anguissola, Claude Cahun, and Maud Sulter. The opening temporary exhibition, “The Music is Black: A British Story,” surveys 125 years of Black British music through about 200 objects and includes artists from Winifred Atwell and Shirley Bassey to Jme and Lil Simz.
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This story was covered in Restitution Tangles, Warped Art Routes, Museum Reboots