2.12.09

V&A OPENS NEW MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE GALLERIES


THE V&A's NEW MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE GALLERIES HAVE BEEN OFFICIALLY OPENED, HOUSING ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST REMARKABLE COLLECTION OF TREASURES FROM THE PERIOD, INCLUDING THE BECKET CASKET, GOTHIC ALTARPIECES AND THE NOTEBOOK OF LEONARDO DA VINCI. THERE IS ALSO AN OUTSTANDING COLLECTION OF RENAISSANCE SCULPTURE BY ITALIAN MASTERS SUCH AS DONATELLO AND GIAMBOLOGNA. TEN GALLERIES, OCCUPYING AN ENTIRE WING OF THE MUSEUM, WILL FOR THE FIRST TIME PRESENT THE COLLECTIONS IN CONTINUOUS DISPLAYS TO TELL THE STORY OF EUROPEAN ART AND DESIGN FROM THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE TO THE END OF THE RENAISSANCE PERIOD. THE V&A IS RE-DISPLAYING MORE THAN 1,800 OBJECTS FROM THE PERIODS AD300 TO 1600. THE £30 MILLION MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE GALLERIES ARE THE BIGGEST PROJECT THE V&A HAS UNDERTAKEN SINCE THE BRITISH GALLERIES OPENED IN 2001, THEIR OPENING MARKS THE END OF THE FIRST PHASE OF THE V&A FUTURE PLANS. ARCHITECTS MUMA HAVE DESIGNED THE NEW GALLERIES, RECONFIGURING EXISTING MUSEUM SPACES AND CONSTRUCTING A NEW DAY-LIT GALLERY FROM A PREVIOUSLY UNUSED AREA, USING NINE METER LONG GLASS BEAMS TO CONNECT THE FACADES. THE V&A IS CREATING BEAUTIFUL ANS INNOVATIVE NEW DISPLAYS WHICH PLACE OBJECTS WITHIN THEIR SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT. IN THE GALLERY OF RELIGIOUS ARTWORKS, LIGHT WILL FILTER THROUGH TRANSLUCENT ONYX WINDOW SCREENS, SUGGESTING THE USE OF SUCH WINDOWS IN MEDIEVAL CHURCHES. DRAMATIC SCULPTURES BY GIANBOLOGNA AND OTHERS WILL STAND IN THE GALLERY EXPLORING THE RENAISSANCE CITY, NEXT TO TREES AND WATER EVOKING A COURTYARD AND GARDEN.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT www.vam.ac.uk

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