Christie’s Curates: Past Perfect Future Present

If you love and appreciate art and history from all ages head to a new exhibition at Christie’s in St James displaying masterpieces old and new, from ancient Rome to a car park in Peckham…

The exhibition, called Christie’s Curates, Past Perfect Future Present, has been put together by four young Christie’s specialists, who have carefully chosen a range of extraordinary objects from throughout the centuries to juxtapose with contemporary works by four emerging artists.

Updating the image of a quintessentially British company, the four curators are preparing to transform the upmarket galleries at Christie’s into a modern urban complex, complete with scaffolding, a gallery of mirrors, a large chess board in play, and neon effects from top to bottom.

The new work created by artists Harry Sanderson, Armand Boua, Olga Chernysheva and James Balmforth (the later based in a multi-storey car park in Peckham) will be displayed alongside objects such as Lawrence of Arabia’s own dagger, given to him by King Faisal, a great Baroque portrait by Rubens, as well as stunning pieces by modern masters including Henry Moore, LS Lowry and Francis Bacon.

A highlight of the exhibition, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain, will display the inner workings of Peter Cazenove’s Spitfire: an authentic and immaculately restored Vickers Supermarine Spitfire Mk.1A – P9374/G-MK1A, that emerged in 1980 from the sands of Calais beach where it had crash-landed after being shot down on 24 May 1940 during the air battle of Dunkirk.

A few minutes from the hustle and bustle of the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition, Christie’s Curates is free to enter for all, and will also feature a free bar offering coffee in the day and drinks during a special late opening on Monday 15th June.

Christie’s Curates: Past Perfect Future Present is open from Friday 12 June until Tuesday 16 June, with a special late night opening on Monday 15 June. The exhibition is free entry and is on at Christie’s 8 King Street, St James’s, London, SW1Y 6QT.

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