Contemporary British artists will profit from a new programme that will have their work shown throughout the country’s network of embassies and government buildings worldwide.
The Government Art Collection (GAC), which is part of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), is starting up a five-year acquisitions project to acquire works from exciting talent and showcase the best of British creativity, thereby generating additional interest in the United Kingdom’s internationally renowned creative sector.
GAC will collaborate with the Contemporary Visual Arts Network in England, the Scottish Contemporary Art Network, and networks in Wales and Northern Ireland to find the next generation of creative stars-to-be.
More than 90 works by 45 contemporary visual artists were bought for the collection during the successful pilot phase of the X-UK initiative in 2020-21. These pieces are now on display at government buildings around the nation and in British embassies and houses abroad, notably in Paris, Ankara, the Holy See, and 10 Downing Street.
The pilot demonstrated the effect a purchase by the Government Art Collection can have on an artist’s career by exposing their work to new audiences and increasing their visibility.
Following the purchase of her work through the pilot project, Glasgow-based artist Alberta Whittle went on to represent Scotland in the 59th Biennale di Venezia in 2022, and her works are presently on show at the National Galleries of Scotland.
The purchase of Manish Harijan’s work resulted in the British Council granting him a global talent visa, while Ghanaian-born artist Harold Offeh had his work enter a national collection for the first time in his career.
Arts Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:
“This fantastic new scheme will shine a light on the UK’s brilliant up-and-coming artists and promote our cutting-edge creative industries on the world stage.
“The five-year X-UK project aims to be a true reflection of every part of the United Kingdom and will bring some of our most exciting artists to audiences in more than 125 countries.”
UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said:
As the Edinburgh summer festivals draw to a close, the international appetite for Scottish culture and creativity has never been more apparent. Through the UK Government’s extensive global network of embassies and residencies, this fantastic project will showcase the best of Scottish creative talent to the world and help raise the global profile of our outstanding homegrown visual artists.
Secretary of State for Wales, Sir Robert Buckland said:
“I’m delighted that the UK Government is supporting contemporary Welsh art. Acquiring pieces by emerging artists for the Government Art Collection immediately provides publicity and recognition and showcases this wonderful work to the world.
“Wales has a rich heritage of celebrated artists from Richard Wilson’s 18th century landscapes to Gwen John and Sir Kyffin Williams, and it’s great to see the new generation of Welsh talent supported and promoted by the X-UK project.”
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Shailesh Vara said:
“The X-UK project by the Government Art Collection is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the very best of Northern Ireland’s artistic talent alongside the rest of the United Kingdom in over 125 countries across the world.
“I am excited to see the high calibre of artwork, which will undoubtedly serve as a fantastic springboard for new and emerging artists from Northern Ireland to display their talent on the world stage.”
Contemporary visual artist Manish Harijan said:
Coming from the foothills of the Himalayas in Nepal, this is a valuable opportunity that has opened doors for me into the art world. Connecting with important art networks like CVAN Yorkshire and Humber, who nominated me to the Government Art Collection, has been inspiring, and following the acquisition of my work by the Collection, the British Council granted me a Global Talent visa.
Contemporary visual artist Harold Offeh said:
As a Cambridge-based artist having my work selected for the Government Art Collection was a huge boost. The recognition and validation of my practice has been extremely encouraging, and I’m excited to be part of a national collection for the first time.
During this five-year period, the initiative will also serve as a focal point for the Government Art Collection’s public engagement activities with artists and young creatives. This will include projects with the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery in Swansea in 2022-23, the Museum-in-Residence at 10 Downing Street in 2023-24, and Bradford in 2025-26, during its tenure as UK City of Culture.