Courtauld / Thu, 23 Apr 2026 13:11:47 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 Damage to Iranian cultural heritage sites: Interview with Professor Sussan Babaie /news-blogs/2026/damage-to-iranian-cultural-heritage-sites-interview-with-professor-sussan-babaie/ Thu, 23 Apr 2026 12:03:50 +0000 /?p=169147 The post Damage to Iranian cultural heritage sites: Interview with Professor Sussan Babaie appeared first on Courtauld.

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Since the start of the war in Iran, over 130 cultural heritage sites have been damaged or destroyed by US-Israeli strikes. In an interview with Professor Sussan Babaie, expert in the arts of Iran and Islam, Dr Margaret Squires asks: what damage has been caused to Iranian cultural heritage sites, and what is the significance of this?

or below:

Further information

Born in Iran, Professor Sussan Babaieattended the University of Tehran51ݶ Faculty of Fine Arts until the revolution of 1979, when she moved to the USA to study for a Master51ݶ degree in Italian Renaissance and American Arts. She then completed a PhD at the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, focussing on the arts of Islam. Sussan has taught at the Courtauld Institute since 2013, and is now Professor in the Arts of Iran and Islam, teaching on the MA History of Art Special Option Empires of Art: Early Modern Asia, 1500-1900.

You can read Sussan’s contributions on the topic below:

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]]> Making RE:VISION: Curating my first contemporary art exhibition /news-blogs/2026/making-revision-curating-my-first-contemporary-art-exhibition/ Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:29:03 +0000 /?p=167212 The post Making RE:VISION: Curating my first contemporary art exhibition appeared first on Courtauld.

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Image: Nicolas Rosenberger

By Romy Brill Allen

Romy is a student at the Courtauld Institute, in her third year of our BA History of Art. She directed RE:VISION, the 16th edition of the East Wing Biennial. The East Wing Biennial is an exhibition of contemporary art established in 1991, organised entirely by Courtauld Institute students. The exhibition reflects the ideas, concerns, and creative ambitions of the Courtauld student body.

In August 2024 I received an email saying my application to be part of the next East Wing Biennial team had been successful. What followed was two years of working with the most incredible people on a dream project.

The East Wing Biennial is the Courtauld51ݶ student-led exhibition of professional contemporary art. In 1991, then-student Joshua Compston was dismayed by the empty walls of the teaching rooms at Somerset House. In response, he established the East Wing Collection to bring the Institute51ݶ student body into direct contact with works of contemporary art.

An image taken from above of black and white photographs spread out on a table; a hand arranges them. The centre photograph reads 'EXHIBITION ENDS HERE'.
Images from the opening night of the first East Wing Collection exhibition in 1991.

Over the last three decades the exhibition has grown and shifted. The cultural landscape has changed (as they tend to do), 34 classes of students have passed through the halls of the Institute, and even those halls have moved from Somerset House to Vernon Square. However, the ethos of the project has remained the same. Connection, collaboration, community. The exhibition continues to reflect the concerns and creative ambitions of the Courtauld51ݶ student body. It offers students the opportunity to shape curatorial narratives, gain hands-on professional experience, and engage directly with the art of their time.

51ݶors at the East Wing Biennial view an artwork
51ݶors on the opening night of RE:VISION, September 2025. Image: Alice Sharpe

After an initial briefing with the outgoing team, we were ready and raring to go. Madeline Cheeseman, Maria Cicala, Will Fairfax and I began to think about the imprint we wanted to make on the Courtauld51ݶ walls for the next two years. Now in its 16th edition, the East Wing Biennial carries with it a legacy of bolstering emerging and established artists across disciplines. Art history itself, particularly at the Courtauld, is currently in a process of self-reflection and development to complicate the traditional canon. In a building dedicated to the study of the past, how do we grapple with the contemporary? With these ideas swirling in our heads, after six-months of work on our curatorial statement and theme, RE:VISION was born.

Two people stand in front of an artwork hanging on the wall
Tour of RE:VISION

The next step was one that I had honestly been equal parts excited and apprehensive about. Acquiring the artworks themselves. I had been concerned that the lengthy two-year loan period might mean that we would struggle to secure works. But I had nothing to worry about. We were met with such openness and generosity from all the artists and galleries we approached.

In the Spring, we used social media to launch an Open Call for works of any medium. The response was overwhelming, with very high-quality work submitted by a huge number of applicants. After a difficult decision-making process, we began to finalise loan agreements, organise transportation, book installation dates and, most excitingly, map out the layout of the show.

A laptop, a drill, a can of coke and a bar of chocolate on a table
Install day essentials!
A work wrapped and propped against a blank wall
Step one, unpackaging and hanging Susan Kellaway51ݶ “Should I Get The Bill?” (2024)
A work, unpacked, packaging beside, propped against a wall
Step two, unpackaging and hanging Susan Kellaway51ݶ “Should I Get The Bill?” (2024)
A painting hanging on a wall by a window
Step three, unpackaging and hanging Susan Kellaway51ݶ “Should I Get The Bill?” (2024)

Over the summer we installed the exhibition, hanging the works and transforming each teaching room as we went. These months were also spent writing catalogue essays and wall texts and planning the much-anticipated opening night party. Ushering in the new academic year, RE:VISION opened in September 2026. With works by over 40 artists, a film programme, performances, and an innovative roster of workshops, publications and artist talks, the exhibition will run until August 2027.

Three people sat in chairs, part of a panel with projection behind them
Image from a workshop with artists Ana Mendes and Kelly Wu in collaboration with Conduit Art London and The Art Embassy Network. (Image: Nicolas Rosenberger)

Since the show opened, I have had the pleasure of watching students, faculty, artists and visitors alike interact with the exhibition. Every single day I get to listen to people engaging with, discussing, learning from and living alongside these wonderful works of art. I feel so lucky to learn and work in this environment.

In the foreground, small abstract sculptures; in the background two smiling people view the artworks
51ݶors on the opening night of RE:VISION, September 2025. (Image: Alice Sharpe)
A room of visitors leaning on wall, with paintings hanging above and behind them
51ݶors on the opening night of RE:VISION, September 2025. (Image: Alice Sharpe)

But don’t just take my word for it! Why don’t you come see for yourself? Director-led tours of RE:VISION are held on the first Sunday of every month at 3pm. You can read more about the exhibition, including a digital copy of the catalogue and news about our upcoming events, and follow us on Instagram @eastwingbiennial.

Four people stand together smiling at the camera
The executive team on the opening night of RE:VISION, September 2025

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]]> Tickets released for Seurat and the Sea final week late openings /news-blogs/2026/tickets-released-for-seurat-and-the-sea-final-week-late-openings/ Thu, 26 Mar 2026 15:01:08 +0000 /?p=168230 The post Tickets released for Seurat and the Sea final week late openings appeared first on Courtauld.

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Due to demand, the Courtauld Gallery has extended its opening hours on five evenings during the final week of its ★★★★★ The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Seurat and the Sea.

The exhibitionwill open until 20:00 on Monday 11, Wednesday 13, Friday 15, Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 May. The exhibition is also open until 20:00 every Friday evening for the remainder of the runto ensure visitors do not miss out.

The first-ever exhibition devoted to the seascapes of French painter Georges Seurat (1859-1891), and the first UK exhibition devoted to Seurat in almost 30 years,The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Seurat and the Seabrings together the largest group of these works ever assembled, 26 in total, offering a detailed look at a significant part of Seurat51ݶ production.

Seurat is best known for developing a radical new technique of painting with dots of pure colour, which gave birth to Neo-Impressionism. This exhibition charts the evolution of Seurat51ݶ highly original and distinctive style through the recurring motif of the sea, reuniting for the first time a major group of 26 works—paintings, oilsketchesand drawings— created over five summer trips to the northern coast of France between 1885 and 1890. A particular highlight is the presentation of the complete series of paintings made in Port-en-Bessin in 1888 and Gravelines in 1890.

Tickets for all dates are on sale now. Courtauld Members go free.

The exhibition is accompanied by a beautifully illustrated catalogue, showcasing the results of research on Seurat51ݶ seascapes and their importance in his ouvre, which is available to buy online and in-store.

The exhibition51ݶ Title Supporter is Griffin Catalyst, the civic engagement initiative of Citadel Founder and CEO Kenneth C. Griffin.

The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Seurat and the Sea
13 February – 17 May 2026

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Courtauld Gallery Exhibitions

Seurat and the Sea

13 Feb – 17 May 2026

★★★★★ “Tremendous” – The Guardian; ★★★★★ “Pure joy” – The London Standard. Experience the first ever exhibition dedicated to the seascapes of the French artist Georges Seurat.

Book now

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]]> Courtauld Institute named world’s bestfor the study ofHistory of Art in QS rankings /news-blogs/2026/courtauld-institute-named-worlds-best-for-history-of-art-qs-2026/ Wed, 25 Mar 2026 16:23:49 +0000 /?p=168157 The post Courtauld Institute named world’s bestfor the study ofHistory of Art in QS rankings appeared first on Courtauld.

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The Courtauld Instituteis theworld51ݶtop institutionfor the study ofHistory of Art, according to theQS World University Rankings 2026 published today.

The Courtauld secured the number one spot out offiftyinstitutions worldwide.This outstanding achievementreflectsthe Courtauld51ݶlong-standingposition as a leading global centre for the visual arts, with an unwavering commitment to delivering academic excellenceand acutting-edgecurriculum.

The Courtauld, founded in 1932 by philanthropist and collector Samuel Courtauld,is an internationally renowned centre for the teaching and research of art history,conservationand curation, and is home to one of the world51ݶ greatest art collections.

The QS World University Rankings serve as a highly regarded source of comparative data on university performance, evaluating institutions on five indicators: academic and employer reputation, research citations per paper, H-index, and international research network.

Thenumber oneworldranking followsthe announcement ofthe Courtauld51ݶ plan to create a newstate-of-the-artcampus at Somerset House in London, set to open in 2029. This major milestone in the Courtauld51ݶ history will see a once-in-a-generation transformation and expansion of its historic Grade I listed buildingin the North Wing of Somerset House, includingflexible, modern teaching spaces, a new lecture theatre, and a spectacular library within Somerset House51ݶ historic subterranean vaults.The new campus will open directly onto the Strand, connecting the Courtauld to an exciting new cultural and intellectual quarter in the heart of the city, alongside its partner King51ݶ College London.

The development comes at a time when the Courtauld is expanding into new areas of teaching and research, increasing its focus on global geographies such as the Americas, the Africandiasporaand the arts of Asia. The Courtauld has also recently launched a series of new MA programmes, including an MAArtBusiness andMACurating, as itseeksto meet the evolving needs of students and the professional art world.

The Courtauldalsoannounced a commitment to work with national education and philanthropic partners to broaden access to art history for secondary school children in the UK in the lead-up to the opening of the new campus,enrichingthe Courtauld51ݶ existing work in broadening access to its collection and teaching for young people.

The new campus project is made possible through the recent visionary gift from the Reuben Foundation and the generous long-standing support of the Blavatnik Family Foundation. Additional transformational support is provided by the Deborah Loeb Brice Foundation, the Clore Duffield Foundation, the Garfield Weston Foundation, Oak Foundation, The Julia Rausing Trust, Rothschild Foundation, Georgia and David Winter and the Wolfson Foundation. The Courtauld is most grateful to these foundational supporters, alongside others who have already committed to the redevelopment of our home at Somerset House.

Professor Mark Hallett, Märit Rausing Director of the Courtauld,  said: “This ranking by QS is a testament to the dedication, excellence, and enthusiasm of our faculty, staff and students and the extraordinary impact the Courtauld has on the wider arts and culture sector. As the Courtauld approaches its centenary, we are continuing to push the boundaries of research and teaching and are deeply committed to expanding access to art history across the UK and the world, building on Samuel Courtauld51ݶ founding mission of ‘art for all’”.

Find out more about the.

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]]> Courtauld Institute students conserving the Lady Chapel at St. Jude-on-the-Hill /news-blogs/2026/courtauld-institute-students-conserving-the-lady-chapel-at-st-jude-on-the-hill/ Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:28:53 +0000 /?p=168092 The post Courtauld Institute students conserving the Lady Chapel at St. Jude-on-the-Hill appeared first on Courtauld.

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Students on the MA Conservation of Wall Paintings course at the Courtauld Institute are working to conserve the First World War memorial, the Lady Chapel at St Jude-on-the-Hill in London. St Jude-on-the-Hill is a church designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens that contains a vast scheme of wall paintings by Walter Starmer. Painted between 1919-1930, it is thought to be one of the most complete and extensive painted schemes of the early 20th century, extending throughout the nave, aisles, chancel and within two chapels.

A woman in a jumpsuit points at paintings on a domed ceiling, painted with blue and orange winged women. She has a laptop in one hand and is tied to scaffolding just visible in the corner.

The Lady Chapel to the north-east was the first area to be completed in 1921, and the scheme celebrates women’s contribution to the Church and nation, with female figures and saints from Christian history and notable women from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Almost a century after their completion, the paintings are now at serious risk of material deterioration due to flaking, salt activity, and structural damage. Their surfaces are further compromised by blanching and accumulated dirt which obscure details and reduce aesthetic legibility and value.

Two students face a tiled war memorial on a wall, beside which is a mural of a woman turning towards a round window. The students have a tablet which displays the mural in green; one of them points at it.

The project commenced in January 2026 and will continue over several years in phases of approximately six weeks at a time. Phase one took place between January to March with a wide range of investigations and treatments trials on the domes. This provides invaluable information about the paintings, their history, technology, condition, deterioration mechanisms and the potential for remedial interventions.

A student in a hard hat and jumpsuit holds a laptop. She stands beside a bright arched window. She is placing a monitor on the window.
Two women crouch beside a wall painting. One holds a small torch to the surface. The painting is of a figure with arms spread.

Students taking the Courtauld Institute’s MA Conservation of Wall Paintings work directly on conservation projects throughout the course. Previous fieldwork projects include Longthorpe Tower in Peterborough, Tamzhing Monastery, Bumthang, in Bhutan and Mogao Grottoes, Dunhuang, China.

Two women crouch on bare planks, with monitoring equipment facing the camera. Above their heads, a dome of wall paintings.

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]]> Professor Lynda Nead appointed as Trustee to the National Portrait Gallery Board /news-blogs/2026/professor-lynda-nead-appointed-as-trustee-to-the-national-portrait-gallery-board/ Mon, 23 Mar 2026 14:42:44 +0000 /?p=167979 The post Professor Lynda Nead appointed as Trustee to the National Portrait Gallery Board appeared first on Courtauld.

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Congratulations to Professor Lynda Nead, 51ݶing Professor of History of Art at the Courtauld Institute, who has been as a Trustee of the National Portrait Gallery Board for a term of 4 years from 1 November 2026 – 31 October 2030.

The NPG Board of Trustees determines policy and, together with the Director and senior Gallery staff, sets the strategic direction for the National Portrait Gallery.

Professor Nead, who has perviously been Pevsner Professor of History of Art at Birkbeck, University of London, has published widely on the history of British art and culture and on gender, sexuality, the city and visual representation. Lynn’s approach to visual images is interdisciplinary and intermedial; examining art in its historical and social context and in relation to other visual media in the period. She also has an interest in film as a research output and has collaborated with colleagues in the field on video essays arising from her recent research.

Lynn is a Fellow (and Member of Council) of the British Academy (FBA), the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS) and of the Academy of Europe (MAE). In 2021, she was made a Fellow of the Association for Art History (AAH). She has had a number of governance roles in British museums and art galleries, including Trustee of the Victoria & Albert Museum and is currently a Trustee of the Holburne Museum in Bath and of Campaign for the Arts, a lobbying group that champions widening access to the arts and culture.

Black and white photograph of Lynda Nead, smiling with her hands clasped in front.
Professor Lynda Nead

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]]> Tickets now on sale for Hepworth in Colour at the Courtauld Gallery /news-blogs/2026/tickets-now-on-sale-for-hepworth-in-colour/ Thu, 19 Mar 2026 10:36:43 +0000 /?p=167881 The post Tickets now on sale for Hepworth in Colour at the Courtauld Gallery appeared first on Courtauld.

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The Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen Exhibition: Hepworth in Colour
12 June – 6 September 2026
Book now

This summer, the Courtauld Gallery will present the first exhibition devoted to Barbara Hepworth51ݶ lifelong fascination with colour, shedding light on an unexpected and unexplored aspect of the work of one of the most celebrated British artists of the 20th century.

Barbara Hepworth (1903 – 1975) is best known for her abstract sculptures inspired by nature and the rugged seaside landscapes of Cornwall where she lived and worked from 1939. Throughout her life she emphasised the primacy of direct carving and adhered to the ethos of ‘truth to materials’. Discussing her innovative use of colour with her son-in-law, the art historian Sir Alan Bowness, she said: “In a way my colour has been accepted but never understood.”

Bringing together some 20 sculptures and 30 drawings and paintings, The Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen Exhibition: Hepworth in Colour will be the first exhibition to focus on this important but often overlooked aspect of her work.

Hepworth51ݶ early interest in colour dates to the mid-1930s, when she and her future husband, Ben Nicholson, formed part of the European avant-garde. When in 1939, days before the outbreak of the Second World War, she left London for Cornwall with her three young children, Hepworth took with her a single sculpture – her first study for a sculpture with colour. Over the coming years, the landscape of Cornwall inspired her to develop this initial experiment, taking her work in new directions and establishing a lifelong fascination with colour.

At the heart of the exhibition will be the remarkable group of painted sculptures which Hepworth made between 1940 and 1948. She later recalled how, “I used colour and strings in many of the carvings of this time. The colour in the concavities plunged me into the depths of water, caves or shallows…”. These early works include the boldly painted stone carvings Eidos (1947-8) from the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia and Eos (1946) from a private collection in Hong Kong. They are exhibited together in the UK for the first time since 1954.

A major highlight of the exhibition will be the painted wood carving, Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form), Pale Blue and Red (1943), which was acquired for the nation by The Hepworth Wakefield in 2025 following the successful national fundraising campaign in collaboration with Art Fund to raise £3.8 million. Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form), Pale Blue and Red marked a breakthrough moment in Hepworth51ݶ career, combining strings and colour and, for the first time, the beautiful pale blue associated with the Cornish skies and coast. In private hands since it was created, and rarely exhibited, this will be the first time the sculpture is displayed in London since it was acquired. For Hepworth the strings in her early sculptures ‘were the tension I felt between myself and the sea, the wind or the hill’.

Other seminal painted stringed sculptures in the exhibition include Wave, 1943-44, from the National Galleries of Scotland and Pelagos (‘sea’ in Greek), 1946 from Tate, which was inspired by the bay in St Ives in Cornwall. The exhibition also unites for the first time from private and public collections the six progressively larger versions of the stringed Sculpture with Colour (Deep Blue and Red).

Highlights

A marble sculpture with sweeping spherical curves, and a yellow dot in the centre. It sits on a marble plinth and dramatic lighting casts a strong shadow against a dark background.
Barbara Hepworth (1903-1975), Eidos, 1947, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Purchased with the assistance of the Samuel E. Wills Bequest to commemorate the retirement of Dr E. Westbrook, Director of Arts for Victoria, 1981 © Bowness. Photo: Predrag Cancar / NGV. Image courtesy National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Barbara Hepworth (1903-1975), Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form) Pale Blue and Red, 1943, Wood, paint and strings on a painted wooden base. Wakefield Permanent Art Collection (The Hepworth Wakefield), Barbara Hepworth © Bowness, Image © The Hepworth Wakefield. Photo: Mark Heathcote.
Barbara Hepworth (1903-1975), Curved Forms with Green, 1943, gouache and pencil on paper. Pier Arts Centre, Barbara Hepworth © Bowness, Photograph Alistair Peebles, Courtesy of the Pier Arts Centre, Stromness, Orkney.
Barbara Hepworth (1903-1975), Drawing for Sculpture with Colour (Forms with Red and Blue), 1941, pencil and gouache on paper-covered board. Private Collection, Barbara Hepworth © Bowness. Image courtesy Bowness.

Alongside sculptures, the exhibition features a rich selection of Hepworth51ݶ drawings with colour. Hepworth lacked the materials, studio space and time to produce much sculpture during the first years of the war but her drawings allowed her to continue to explore and develop her ideas. She recalled, ‘In the late evenings, and during the night I did innumerable drawings…exploring the particular tensions and relationships of form and colour which were to occupy me in sculpture during the later years of the war.’ These drawings, usually entitled ‘drawing for sculpture’ are striking for their intricate crystalline forms, punctuated with strong blues, greens, reds and yellows.

The exhibition extends into the 1950s and 1960s to reflect how colour continued to occupy Hepworth in new ways, including in her expressive paintings of the mid and late 1950s, and in her work with patinated bronze and painted marbles.

To coincide with the exhibition, a display of photographs of Barbara Hepworth and Ben Nicholson51ݶ shared London studio at No. 7 the Mall Studios in Hampstead will be presented in the Project Space. Taken between 1932 and 1936 by Paul Laib (1869–1958), these are among the most evocative studio images to emerge in Britain during the 20th century and show the fascinating interrelation of their practices at this time. Hepworth and Nicholson: The Hampstead Studio Photographs is open in the Project Space from 6 June – 4 October 2026.

The Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen Exhibition: Hepworth in Colour is accompanied by a new catalogue, edited by Dr Alexandra Gerstein, Curator of Sculpture and Decorative Arts at the Courtauld and Stephen Feeke, with essays by Alexandra Gerstein, Stephen Feeke, David Batchelor, Eleanor Clayton and Kirstie Dootson.

The exhibition51ݶ Title Sponsor is Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen LLP. The exhibition51ݶ Lead Supporter is the Huo Family Foundation, with Support from Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne.

The Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen Exhibition: Hepworth in Colour
12 June – 6 September 2026
Denise Coates Exhibition Galleries, Floor 3
Book now

Hepworth and Nicholson: The Hampstead Studio Photographs
6 June – 4 October 2026
Project Space, Floor 2

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Courtauld Gallery Exhibition Exhibitions What’s on Highlights

Hepworth in Colour

12 Jun – 6 Sep 2026

This ambitious exhibition will be the first to explore a less familiar aspect of Barbara Hepworth’s (1903 –1975) work, the artist51ݶ lifelong fascination with colour, which she used in highly original and unexpected ways.

Plan your visit

Find all the information you need ahead of your visit to The Courtauld Gallery from admission prices to how to get here and more.

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]]> Academically rigorous, profoundly empathetic: Studying American Art in the Age of Ecology /news-blogs/2026/american-art-ma-student-blog/ Wed, 18 Mar 2026 15:46:51 +0000 /?p=167603 The post Academically rigorous, profoundly empathetic: Studying American Art in the Age of Ecology appeared first on Courtauld.

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A woman with long brown hair wearing a brown leather jacket, walking in a park, turns to look at the camera and smiles

By Audrey Markel

Audrey Markel is a London-based contemporary art writer and researcher who works between the intersection of craft practices, ecologies, and the Global South. Since graduating from the Courtauld Institute in 2025 where she studied MA in History of Art and specialised in American Art in the Age of Ecology, she has developed a practice that follows art as it travels across geographies and disciplines, centering on how decolonial thought and contemporary art can reshape our understanding of landscape and visibility. Currently working as a contributor to and , her research strives to foster spaces for thinkers and makers whose work operates outside of traditional structures.

Before starting the MA History of Art Special Option American Art in the Age of Ecology in the autumn of 2024, I was intrigued by the prospect of a course co-led by two scholars with such distinct expertise. Dr Lucy Bradnock, a specialist in American countercultures and West Coast histories, and Dr Johanna Gosse, an expert in lens and time-based media, created a collaborative heartbeat for the course that was truly electric.

The course was built on the premise that the climate crisis is also a crisis of culture. We moved far beyond the category of eco-art to rethink the art history of the Americas through the lenses of wilderness politics, nuclear frontiers, and extractive economies. Our seminars in Vernon Square were deeply engaging, and Lucy and Johanna’s collaborative leadership made the space feel supportive and intellectually expansive.

The program’s commitment to first-hand looking was evident in our frequent off-site visits. A standout was our trip to ESCALA (the Essex Collection of Art from Latin America). We spent time engaging with the archive, including Carolina Caycedo’s Serpent River Book, a breathtaking accordion-fold book that traces the bio-cultural diversity of rivers, and viewed an exhibition by artist Bryan Giuseppi Rodriguez Cambana.

Concertina of images spread out on a table, hands lifting and looking at the images
Caroline Caycedo, Serpent River Book, 2017
Upclose photograph of the riverbook, showing photographs relating to riverside cultures.
Upclose: Caroline Caycedo, Serpent River Book, 2017
A photograph in a frame hangs on a curtained wall. The photograph depicts a pink sitting room with family photographs and other familial clutter. An elderly man in a cap sits on a sofa gazing out of frame.
Bryan Guiseppi Rodriguez Cambana, Taking a Bow / Haciendo una reverencia, ESCALA

For a student like myself, whose research focused on the Global South, seeing these contemporary Latinx voices prioritized in the curriculum was deeply validating.

The undisputed highlight was our study trip to the 60th Venice Biennale, curated by Adriano Pedrosa under the theme Foreigners Everywhere (Stranieri Ovunque). The Biennale’s focus on indigenous, queer, and folk histories aligned closely with much of our coursework.

Two paintings hang on white gallery walls: desert and mountain scenes
Kay Walking Stick, The Silence of the Glacier (2013), South Rim (2016), Central Pavillion Venice Biennale 2024
Four bright photographs projected in a dark room showing a Black woman lying with eyes closed on purple fabric
John Akomfrah, Listening all Night to the Rain, British Pavillion, Venice Biennale 2024

While wandering through the Nucleo Storico (Historical Nucleus) in the Central Pavilion, I stumbled upon a display of Chilean arpilleras—the very textile works of resistance I had focused on for my undergraduate dissertation. I was overwhelmed with emotion as I hadn’t realized they would be part of the exhibition.

Johanna found me in that moment and, recognizing the personal significance of the works, immediately invited Lucy and members of our cohort over, and encouraged me to share my knowledge of the arpilleras’ history with the group. In that gesture, I felt genuine support and uplift from my tutors who I already deeply admired.

A display of four hand-sewn textile artworks hang on a white gallery wall. They depict community scenes; people on streets, outside their houses, playing and working. A church is visible in one; a pond with sailing boats in another; a dove with a banner in another.
The arpilleras on display at the Biennale
A framed hand-sewn textile artwork with block colours and visible stitches, depicting a community playing and working on the streets against a backdrop of mountains and blue sky
Upclose: the arpilleras on display at the Biennale

To this day, I consider Lucy and Johanna not just previous tutors, but lifelong mentors. This course didn’t just change my understanding of ecologies in art, but changed my understanding of how research can be both academically rigorous and profoundly empathetic. For anyone looking to challenge the boundaries of art history, this MA and its leadership is a truly transformative home.

Two women stand in front of a rippling body of water and silhouette of Venice as sunset falls.
Lucy and Johanna in Venice (Image taken by me)

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]]> Sotiris Felios Collection Art History Residency 2026 /news-blogs/2026/sotiris-felios-collection-art-history-residency-2026/ Wed, 18 Mar 2026 14:59:56 +0000 /?p=167817 The post Sotiris Felios Collection Art History Residency 2026 appeared first on Courtauld.

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The Residency Programme for Academic and Curatorial Research of Contemporary Greek Art 2026 is now open for applications for the Art History Programme. This funded residency offers current Courtauld BA3, MA and PhD students as well as those who graduated in 2025 opportunity to develop their practice as art historians through engagement with the .

Building on a broad network of art professionals from Athens-based institutions and leading art practitioners living and working in Greece, this residency programme aims to create support channels for emerging art historians who want to expand academic research around contemporary figurative art and its connection to the international art scene.

Residents are invited to spend six weeks in Athens to develop a self-initiated project that builds on themes linked to The Sotiris Felios Collection and the community of Athens while learning about the collection, meeting the artists associated with it and art professionals from leading museums and galleries.

To apply, applicants must provide the following:

  • A completed and signed application form.
  • Curriculum Vitae (no more than two pages).
  • A selection of previous projects (include documentation of past projects, such as exhibitions, essays, publications, or other relevant work – no more than 2 pages).
  • A 500-word proposal on the research willing to undertake while on residency
  • A 300-word text outlining your motivation for participating in this residency and explaining how it would benefit your long-term academic or curatorial practice.
  • Α completed and signed reference form.

More information about the Art History and the Curatorial residencies can be found below. A call for applications to the Curatorial Programme will be shared at a later date.

The submission deadline is 16 April 2026. Any submissions received after this date will not be considered.

*Eligible current students include PhD candidates, MA students, and final year BA students.

Further documents

Further Information
Application form
Reference form
Erika Dovey at Alecos Levidis studio
Erika Dovey at Alekos Fassianos Museum, private tour
Jeanne at Irini Iliopoulou’s studio
Jeanne at Nikos Moschos’ studio

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]]> The Courtauld’s much-loved Book Sale returns for 2026 /news-blogs/2026/the-courtaulds-much-loved-book-sale-returns-for-2026/ Wed, 04 Mar 2026 16:05:09 +0000 /?p=167322 The post The Courtauld’s much-loved Book Sale returns for 2026 appeared first on Courtauld.

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The Courtauld Students’ Union will open its doors once again to sell hundreds of art and art history books at bargain prices. The sale will be a one-day event at our Vernon Square campus.

Tuesday 17 March, 9:00 – 12:00: The 2026 sale opens with a morning preview for Courtauld Friends and Patrons, Students Staff, and Alumni.

Tuesday 17 March, 12:00 – 19:00: Public book sale opens.

A number of interesting books have been kindly donated by various Courtauld faculty as well as current students and alumni who have worked across arts institutions in an beyond London. Topics include but are not limited to: Medieval to Early Modern European art, Old Masters, modern and contemporary art, architecture and historic sites, works on paper and the graphic arts, museum and exhibition catalogues, art history essays and theory, academic journals, and many more!

The books will be sold at a range of low prices, from as little as £1.50. They will be arranged into different themes, so that everyone can find something of interest. Come and peruse at your leisure!

All proceeds from the Book Sale go directly towards the Students’ Union fund to support its cost-of-living initiatives such as its on-campus Student Food Pantry, as well as making our events as accessible as possible through ticket subsidisation.

Please come along with friends, family, and colleagues (the more the merrier), find some beautiful books, and help to support the next generation of Courtauld students in the process.

We have also extended our deadline for donations to 10 March. To arrange a drop off and for any other enquiries, please contact students.union@courtauld.ac.uk.

This event is organised by the Courtauld Students’ Union.

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