Exhibition

The Classical Now

2 Mar 2018 – 29 Apr 2018

Cost of entry

Free

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Inigo Rooms

London, United Kingdom

Address

Travel Information

  • 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 23, 77a, 91 and 176,
  • Temple, Covent Garden, Charing Cross and Embankment
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The Classical Now, a major exhibition pairing the work of modern and contemporary artists with classical Greek and Roman antiquities, is presented in partnership with the award-winning Musée d’Art Classique de Mougins (MACM).

About

The Classical Now, a major exhibition pairing the work of modern and contemporary artists with classical Greek and Roman antiquities, opens at King’s College London on 2 March 2018.

Presented in partnership with the award-winning Musée d’Art Classique de Mougins (MACM), the exhibition traces the ways in which Graeco-Roman art has captured and permeated the modern imagination.  It examines classical presences in the works of twentieth-century artists such as Pablo Picasso and Yves Klein, and leading contemporary artists including Damien Hirst, Alex Israel, Louise Lawler, Grayson Perry and Rachel Whiteread. The show explores the myriad continuities and contrasts between the ancient, modern and contemporary, revealing the 'classical' as a living and fluid tradition.

 The Classical Now is staged across two spaces at King’s, the Inigo Rooms in the East Wing of Somerset House, and the Arcade at Bush House – a new space for exhibitions and events at King’s College London.

Objects range from classical Greek and Roman artefacts to contemporary painting, sculpture, video and photography. The exhibition will feature contemporary works in which classical forms receive provocative new expression – such as the fragmentary bodies by contemporary artist Marc Quinn – alongside more oblique or suggestive uses of ancient themes, such as Bruce Nauman's landmark video performance, Walk with Contrapposto (1968). Paris-based artist Léo Caillard, known for dressing classical statues in contemporary attire, has been commissioned to produce a new site-specific installation for the exhibition.

What to expect? Toggle

CuratorsToggle

Michael Squire

James Cahill

Ruth Allen

Exhibiting artistsToggle

Grayson Perry

Grayson Perry

Yves Klein

Bruce Nauman

Bruce Nauman

Damien Hirst

Damien Hirst

Giulio Paolini

Alex Israel

Christopher Le Brun

Mary Reid Kelley

Ian Hamilton Finlay

Marc Quinn

Marc Quinn

Christodoulos Panayiotou

Rachel Whiteread

Rachel Whiteread

Louise Lawler

Léo Caillard

Edward Allington

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