CURRENT PROJECTS
Medieval and Renaissance
The Victoria and Albert Museum's Medieval and Renaissance collection is outstanding in its depth and range, and contains some of the greatest surviving treasures of the period 300-1600
The Galleries
Plans for ten new Medieval and Renaissance galleries, due to showcase the V&A's remarkable collection in 2009, are now well under way. The challenge of building these new creative spaces, spread over three levels, has seen old galleries emptied and hundreds of objects moved and re-housed. On a scale unlike anything attempted by the V&A before, this has required the help of technicians and conservators, whose skill has enable the moving and packing of busts and angels, to the dismantling and storage of tombs and fountains. One of the most unprecedented tasks so far will be the dismantling and redisplay of the Malaspina monument, which has not been moved in over 50 years.
A substantial grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund has been awarded to the V&A to support the development of the new Medieval and Renaissance galleries. This is contributing to every aspect of the project, from the building of exciting new spaces to the conservation and research into the objects themselves. It is also enabling the Museum to create innovative interpretation both within the galleries and online.
The Displays
Spanning the east wing of the Museum, the new sequence of displays will be broadly chronological, from 300 to 1600. With themes ranging from the domestic interior to sacred spaces, they will show objects in their cultural context, several of which have not been on display for many years. Accordingly, conservators are ensuring that the objects are looking their best aesthetically and are environmentally stable for long-term display, while curators are carrying out new research to reinforce the significance of these rare surviving treasures.
For more information on the Medieval and Renaissance collections, please visit the Medieval and Renaissance pages.
Design
The V&A has appointed MUMA (McInnes Usher McKnight Architects), a young architectural practice, as the Galleries designers. MUMA are working with a team of specialist curators, conservators and educators to create a sequence of galleries that will be exciting, accessible and rewarding for all visitors.
PROGRAMME
Opens 2 December 2009.