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WA/15-16 6 th Meeting Works of Art Committee Wednesday 4 May 2016 at 4.15pm, in Committee Room G Agenda 1. 2016 CHRISTMAS CARDS The Chairman will speak to the paper WA/15-16/26 2. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING Minutes of meeting on 16 March 2015 WA/15-16/27 3. UPDATE ON MACLISE’S WALL PAINTINGS IN THE ROYAL GALLERY The Curator will speak to his paper WA/15-16/28 4. PORTRAIT COMMISSION OF THE LORD SPEAKER The Curator will speak to his paper WA/15-16/29 5. ‘THE ETHICS OF DUST’ DISPLAY IN WESTMINSTER HALL The Curator will speak to his paper WA/15-16/30 6. LEADER’S GROUP ON GOVERNANCE REPORT Oral update by the Chairman 7. ANY OTHER BUSINESS For information: House of Lords Collection Fund financial statement – April 2016 WA/15-16/31 Next meeting: 13 July at 4.15pm in Committee Room 3A Philippa Wilson Clerk of the Works of Art Committee [email protected] 020 7219 6077

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Page 1: Works of Art Committee - UK Parliament · Works of Art Committee Wednesday 4 May 2016 at 4.15pm, in Committee Room G Agenda 1. 2016 CHRISTMAS CARDS ... The religious card was a famous

WA/15-16

6th Meeting

Works of Art Committee

Wednesday 4 May 2016 at 4.15pm, in Committee Room G

Agenda

1. 2016 CHRISTMAS CARDS

The Chairman will speak to the paper

WA/15-16/26

2. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES OF THE LAST

MEETING

Minutes of meeting on 16 March 2015

WA/15-16/27

3. UPDATE ON MACLISE’S WALL PAINTINGS IN THE ROYAL

GALLERY

The Curator will speak to his paper

WA/15-16/28

4. PORTRAIT COMMISSION OF THE LORD SPEAKER

The Curator will speak to his paper

WA/15-16/29

5. ‘THE ETHICS OF DUST’ DISPLAY IN WESTMINSTER HALL

The Curator will speak to his paper

WA/15-16/30

6. LEADER’S GROUP ON GOVERNANCE REPORT

Oral update by the Chairman

7. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

For information:

House of Lords Collection Fund financial statement – April 2016

WA/15-16/31

Next meeting:

13 July at 4.15pm in Committee Room 3A

Philippa Wilson

Clerk of the Works of Art Committee

[email protected]

020 7219 6077

Page 2: Works of Art Committee - UK Parliament · Works of Art Committee Wednesday 4 May 2016 at 4.15pm, in Committee Room G Agenda 1. 2016 CHRISTMAS CARDS ... The religious card was a famous

WA/15-16/26

6th Meeting

Page 1 of 2

Works of Art Committee

2016 Christmas Cards

Paper by the Clerk

Purpose

1. This paper asks the Committee to vote for their first and second choices on each of the four

designs for the House of Lords 2016 Christmas cards.

Background

2. At the Committee meeting held on 16 March the 2015 Christmas card sales figures were

presented and a discussion was held about the process and the images selected. The main

points of the discussion were:

The view of the Palace of Westminster wasn’t good, there were better paintings that

could be used.

The religious card was a famous image but nothing to do with the House or Parliament.

The alternative card divided opinion; it was very topical but the image was too detailed

and not distinguishable from a distance.

The images should be about the House of Lords.

Art work in the collection or in the Parliamentary Archives should be used.

Could a card be commissioned?

Were the three categories currently being used the correct ones?

Cards should have a blurb on the back that was interesting to the recipient, the Lord

Speaker’s card was a good example of this.

The large card was too big and flamboyant.

The weight of the card mattered due to postage costs; the big card was too heavy.

The size of the Portcullis card was good and provided a good alternative to the other

cards.

Should a percentage of the donation from sales go to a charity?

3. An informal Sub-Group met on Tuesday 12 April to shortlist designs for the 2016 House of

Lords Christmas cards. The Sub-Group comprised Baroness Maddock, Baroness Bakewell,

Baroness Gale and the Earl of Glasgow. The Curator’s Office provided a selection of images

which followed as closely as possible the comments above.

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Page 2 of 2

4. The shortlist is attached and falls under the familiar categories of:

a main card with a view of the Palace of Westminster split in to two styles – traditional

and modern;

a religious card; and

an alternative card.

They are presented in the order of preference as chosen by the Sub-Group from top to

bottom for each category. You will note that some of the images carry a copyright fee, a

cost which will be borne out of sales profits if selected.

5. Andrea Tingey, the Gift Shop Manager, will attend the meeting to provide advice on the

commercial appeal of the selection.

6. In addition, a voting form is attached for you to complete at the meeting. Second choices

will be counted in the event of a tie on the first choice. The voting forms will be collected at

the meeting.

7. With the agreement of the Chairman, the Lord Speaker and the Chairman of Committees

are also invited to participate in the voting process.

Action

8. The Committee is invited to indicate a first and second choice in each of the four

categories.

Philippa Wilson

April 2016

Page 4: Works of Art Committee - UK Parliament · Works of Art Committee Wednesday 4 May 2016 at 4.15pm, in Committee Room G Agenda 1. 2016 CHRISTMAS CARDS ... The religious card was a famous

This section of the paper has been redacted for reasons of commercial interests.

Page 5: Works of Art Committee - UK Parliament · Works of Art Committee Wednesday 4 May 2016 at 4.15pm, in Committee Room G Agenda 1. 2016 CHRISTMAS CARDS ... The religious card was a famous

2016 CHRISTMAS CARDS VOTING FORM

Name of voting Member:

TRADITIONAL VIEW OF THE PALACE OF

WESTMINSTER

FIRST

CHOICE

SECOND

CHOICE

View of the Palace of Westminster from the Albert Embankment

during the Great Freeze, 1895 by Walter Field

The Victoria Tower of the Houses of Parliament seen from

Parliament Square, 1893 by John Crowther

View of Old Palace Yard, 1700 painter unknown

MODERN VIEW OF THE PALACE OF WESTMINSTER FIRST

CHOICE

SECOND

CHOICE

Houses of Parliament, 2000 by Michael La Guerenne

Westminster, London, 2010-2015 by William Clarke

Old Palace Yard, Westminster, 2005 by

Bill (William Alfred) Dean

RELIGIOUS CARD FIRST

CHOICE

SECOND

CHOICE

Reconstruction of Medieval Mural Painting Adoration of the

Shepherds, 1927 by Ernest William Tristram

The English People Reading Wycliffe’s Bible,1925 by

George Clausen

Reredos with Saints, St Edward the Confessor, St Margaret of

Scotland and St Edward, Chapel of St Mary Undercroft by

John Gregory Grace

ALTERNATIVE CARD FIRST

CHOICE

SECOND

CHOICE

Design for a ceiling panel in the House of Lords by

John Gregory Crace

The House of Lords Chamber, by John Glashan

The House of Lords, 1857 (after original) by Joseph Nash

Page 6: Works of Art Committee - UK Parliament · Works of Art Committee Wednesday 4 May 2016 at 4.15pm, in Committee Room G Agenda 1. 2016 CHRISTMAS CARDS ... The religious card was a famous

WA/15-16/27

Session 2015-16

5th Meeting

Small sections of this paper have been redacted for reasons of commercial interest.

WORKS OF ART COMMITTEE

Wednesday 16 March 2016

Present:

Baroness Bakewell

Lord Dear

Viscount Falkland

Lord Finkelstein

Baroness Gale

Earl of Glasgow

Lord Inglewood

Lord Luce

Baroness Maddock (Chairman)

Lord Magan of Castletown

Baroness Rawlings

Lord Turnberg

_____________________________

Also present: David Beamish (Clerk of the Parliaments), Liz Hallam Smith (Director of

Information Services), Malcolm Hay (Curator of Works of Art), Emma Gormley (Deputy

Curator), Emily Green (Assistant Curator), Dr John Cooper (Principal Investigator for the

St Stephen’s Chapel Project) and Melanie Unwin (Vote 100 Joint Project Manager).

The Chairman reminded the Committee that this would be Liz Hallam Smith’s last meeting

as she would be retiring at the end of March. She thanked Liz for all her work with the

Committee and wished her a happy retirement.

1. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING

Loan of two statues of Magna Carta Barons to the Temple Church: The statues

went on display on 15 March. The Curator informed the Committee that the Master of

Temple Church would be arranging a function for the summer for the Committee to view

the exhibition.

Exhibition to mark the bicentenary of Waterloo: The Committee previously

discussed what would happen to the Maclise drawing after the recent Royal Academy

exhibition. Lord Luce informed the Committee that the Royal Academy were agreeable to

a loan but had concerns over lighting levels, temperature and humidity which would have to

be controlled. It was agreed that the Curator’s Office would provide further information

for the next meeting so the Committee could discuss fully.

The Minutes of the meeting of 3 February were agreed.

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2

2. STATUE OF CHARLES II BY HENRY WEEKS

The Deputy Curator spoke to the paper (WA/15-16/23). In 2009 the Works of Art

Committee agreed an application from Suffolk County Council for a cast to be taken of the

Charles II statue by Henry Weeks. The project was recently revived and the application has

been revised with the permanent location of the copy statue to be Newmarket Racecourse

rather than in a public space on a roundabout as originally proposed.

The Committee agreed the revised application [additional information – restricted access].

3. BARRY ROOM – PORTRAIT OF SIR CHARLES BARRY

The Director of Information Services informed the Committee that the Parliamentary

Archives were working on creating a graphic panel, in lieu of a portrait, to brief users of the

Barry Room about Sir Charles Barry. The Committee suggested that the panel included

EM Barry as well as Sir Charles Barry.

It was agreed that the Clerk of the Parliaments would update the Committee on this panel

at the appropriate point.

4. ST STEPHEN’S CHAPEL PROJECT

The Director of Information Services and the Principal Investigator for the St Stephen’s

Chapel Project briefed the Committee on this project. The project is a partnership

between the Houses of Parliament and the University of York exploring the history of the

chapel.

As part of the project, funding has been secured to capture audio of how it would have

sounded when the chapel was used as a chamber. The Committee enquired if use of

moving images to re-enact business in the chamber was possible. Dr John Cooper informed the Committee it would be beyond their budget. But if any Committee members knew of

anyone who might be able to help with moving images they would be interested in pursuing

the possibility.

5. CHRISTMAS CARDS 2016

The Chairman asked for four volunteers to form an informal sub-group who would provide

recommendations for the 2016 Christmas cards based on the discussion at the meeting on

3 February.

Lord Dear, Baroness Gale, Baroness Bakewell and the Earl of Glasgow, along with the

Chairman, will meet after the Easter recess and will provide recommendations to the

Committee at the meeting in May.

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6. PORTRAIT OF THE 1ST EARL OF MANSFIELD UPDATE

The Chairman updated the Committee on the progress of this acquisition. The Committee

had already committed £10,000 from the Collection Fund to the purchase price and with

other private donations secured from members of the House the total raised was £27,500.

The Committee discussed the possibility of using monies from the 2016-17 budget, so the

cost was spread across two financial years. The Committee agreed to fund the purchase in

this way. The Chairman urged the Committee to continue to seek donations towards the

cost to reduce the amount that would have to be taken from the 2016-17 budget, leaving

more funds for other acquisitions in 2016-17.

The Curator will contact the art dealer to inform him of this decision.

7. ETHICS OF DUST UPDATE

In November 2014 the Committee had a presentation on the Ethics of Dust project which

would be a large contemporary installation in Westminster Hall. The installation is a latex

cast of the east wall of Westminster Hall, which contains the dust and pollution removed

from the stonework.

The Committee supported the proposal, and the Curator’s Office have been working with

the three key holders to gain approval for the installation. An agreement has been reached

and the exhibition will run from June until September.

The Committee asked whether the commercial potential of the installation had been

investigated, for example selling prints or postcards of the installation. Artangel are funding

this project and discussions regarding this aspect have not been held yet. The Curator’s

Office will feedback to the Committee on this matter once discussions have been held.

It was agreed that the Curator’s Office would provide a short paper on the history of the

project for the meeting in May.

8. 2015 YEAR OF PARLIAMENT: Impact Report on the Work of the

Parliamentary Archives

The Director of Information Services spoke to the paper (WA/15-16/24). The anniversaries

review provided an overview of what was achieved by both Houses in 2015 including the

anniversaries of the Simon de Montfort parliament and Magna Carta. This work was

delivered within the existing budgets with massive efforts from staff. The report highlights

the value of this work and its importance in raising awareness.

9. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

Women’s Suffrage Artwork ‘New Dawn’: The Vote 100 Joint Project Manager gave a

presentation on this artwork. The Committee approved this installation in December 2014

and in January 2015 agreed to make a financial contribution towards the project.

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4

The installation will hang above the west entrance to St Stephen’s Hall. It is 6½ metres high

by 4 metres wide and made up of 168 glass discs arranged in a circle. The discs are inspired

by the rolled Acts of Parliament in the Act Room and use colours drawn from all suffragette

organisations. The lighting is connected to the tide of the Thames so at low tide there will

be less light.

The Vote 100 Joint Project Manager hoped that a celebration to mark the installation would

be held on 7 June at 6.15pm. The significance of this date was that on 7 June in 1866

John Stuart Mill MP presented the first mass petition from women asking for women’s

suffrage to the House of Commons.

There will be a display in Westminster Hall where leaflets and booklets will be available. In

addition a film, and app for mobile phones, about the installation are being made.

It was agreed that the Committee would be informed when the celebration event date is

confirmed.

Future meeting dates:

4 May at 4.15pm in Committee Room G

The Committee adjourned.

April 2016

Philippa Wilson

tel: 020 7219 6077

email: [email protected]

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WA/15-16/28

6th Meeting

Page 1 of 3

Works of Art Committee

Update on Maclise’s Wall Paintings in the Royal Gallery

Paper by the Curator of Works of Art

Purpose

1. In July 2015 the Committee agreed to the proposal by the Curator’s Office to embark on a

four-year conservation programme, commencing in 2016, and running until 2019/20, to

improve the presentation of the Royal Gallery wall paintings of ‘The Battle of Waterloo’ and

‘The Battle of Trafalgar’ painted by Daniel Maclise.

2. The conservation programme builds on the positive findings of the collaborative research

project with Cologne University of Applied Sciences which was undertaken during 2012–13.

3. This paper provides information on the individual strands of work which have been planned

to commence in the current financial year and which will continue during the three

subsequent years of the programme.

4. A PowerPoint presentation will be given at the Committee meeting by the Curator and the

Collections Care Manager to provide more detailed information on the programme of work.

Background

5. The 2012-13 collaborative research project was undertaken by two MA students from

Cologne University of Applied Sciences under the supervision of their tutor,

Professor Adrian Heritage. They looked at the conservation and presentation of ‘The Battle

of Waterloo’ and ‘The Battle of Trafalgar’.

6. The project was based on two complementary areas of research. The first examined the

improvement in appearance which could be brought about by cleaning and conservation.

The second examined how the presentation of the paintings could be improved through

lighting.

7. The research and tests indicated the potential for considerable improvement to the

presentation of both ‘Trafalgar’ and ‘Waterloo’ by undertaking a programme of conservation

and by addressing the colour of lighting used to illuminate the paintings in the Royal Gallery.

8. The present greyish appearance over the surface of each painting was found to be the result

of adverse environmental conditions over many years and the numerous later restoration

and conservation treatments, and not, as previously thought, evidence of the failing of the

Waterglass technique. Preliminary cleaning tests demonstrated the potential for reducing

the greyish film and restoring a better depth of colour.

9. Initial lighting tests indicated that the appearance of the paintings could be enhanced

significantly by changing the colour temperature of the lighting in the Royal Gallery.

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Page 2 of 3

10. A very significant finding was that a high proportion of Maclise’s original painting had survived

on both paintings.

Key Elements of the Conservation Programme 2016/17 – 2019/20

Photogrammetric Survey (April and June 2016)

11. The survey will be undertaken by Samuel Whittaker (wall paintings conservator, Courtauld

Institute) using specialist photographic equipment. He will use Ultra Violet (UV)

photography, which will highlight any past retouching and overpainting of the wall paintings;

and Infrared (IR) photography, which will reveal technical information beneath the paint

surface, such as the artist’s pencil underdrawing on the plaster. The high resolution images

generated by this strand of work will provide comprehensive documentation of the wall

paintings prior to the conservation treatment.

12. In addition a 3D low-resolution photogrammetric survey of both wall paintings and the

interior of the Royal Gallery will be undertaken, which will enable modelling of lighting for

the paintings.

Research and Testing (April 2016 – July 2017)

13. This project will be undertaken by Rebecca Tehrani from Cologne University of Applied

Sciences and follows on from the research project undertaken by the University in 2012-13.

14. The title of her research thesis is “An investigation of previous interventions to Daniel Maclise’s

waterglass wall paintings of ‘Nelson’ and ‘Waterloo’… implications for potential cleaning,

reintegration and relighting” and will aim to identify and document later retouching and

interventions to the wall paintings. This will assist the conservators in their approach to

cleaning and presentation of the wall paintings.

Conservation Cleaning and Treatment of Wall Paintings (autumn 2016 – 2019/20)

15. A specialist wall paintings conservation firm will be appointed to undertake the programme

of conservation of both wall paintings. The programme will run in short phases, with both

paintings worked on in parallel. The proposal is for a total of 4-6 weeks site work per year,

divided between spring and autumn phases, over the four-year period.

16. The project will start with a large pilot cleaning test on each wall painting. These tests will

follow the contours of the painting outlines to avoid being visually distracting.

Lighting of the Wall Paintings (2016 – 2019/20)

17. Lighting tests will be carried out on site to determine how LED lighting can be used for the

reintegration and presentation phase of the work in later parts of the conservation

programme.

Condition Survey after Completion of Conservation Programme

18. A quinquennial condition survey of the paintings will fall due in 2021. This will include an

assessment of the future care of these paintings, including the requirement for minor surface

dusting and follow up treatment.

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Further Information

19. Stakeholders in the House of Lords administration will be consulted by the Curator’s Office

at every stage of the conservation programme. The timing of work will be planned so as to

dovetail with the encaustic tile replacement programme in the Royal Gallery, and to avoid

State visits and other major events. Work will be stopped immediately if required, and all

equipment and scaffolding removed from the Royal Gallery at short notice.

20. A separate paper has been submitted by the Curator to the House of Lords Administration

and Works Committee requesting permission for short periods of access to the Royal

Gallery during sitting hours. The on-site work will be quiet and will not disrupt the business

of the House. The Curator’s paper is due to be considered at the committee meeting on

28 April 2016.

21. The Curator’s Office will make information about the paintings and the aims of the

conservation programme available in the Royal Gallery and the conservators will be happy to

explain their work on an informal basis as required.

22. Over the course of the project the Curator’s Office will plan a series of talks about aspects

of the conservation programme. Regular updates will also be given in Red Benches.

23. Regular updates on progress will be given to the Committee. These will include

presentations by Professor Adrian Heritage and Rebecca Tehrani from Cologne University

of Applied Science, as well as by other experts and conservation specialists.

24. The programme affords a unique opportunity for a collaborative approach, drawing on the

expertise of UK wall paintings conservators and the continued support of Cologne

University of Applied Sciences, whilst at the same time providing valuable outreach potential

for those studying wall paintings conservation and associated disciplines.

Action

25. The Committee is invited to take note of this update and to agree these strands of work planned for the four-year programme to conserve the paintings of ‘The

Battle of Waterloo’ and ‘The Battle of Trafalgar’ in the Royal Gallery.

Malcolm Hay

April 2016

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6th Meeting

Page 1 of 2

Works of Art Committee

Portrait Commission of the Lord Speaker

Paper by the Curator of Works of Art

Purpose

1. The portrait commission of the Lord Speaker, Baroness D’Souza, has been completed and

the painting will be brought to the meeting for viewing and sign off by the Committee.

2. During the sittings for the portrait the Curator’s Office commissioned a short piece of film

to document the painting process and the interaction between artist and sitter. The film will

be shown at the Committee meeting.

3. The date of Wednesday 6 July has been agreed for the Committee’s reception to unveil the

portrait. The reception will be held in the River Room during the early evening. Invitations

will be sent out nearer the time.

Background

4. The portrait of Baroness D’Souza was commissioned following the Committee’s agreement

over the choice of artist on 21 October 2015. A fee of £10,000 + VAT (£12,000) was

negotiated with the artist, a significant reduction on his usual rate.

5. The Committee’s objective of completing the portrait during Baroness D’Souza’s term of

office as Lord Speaker has been achieved.

6. Securing images of leading parliamentarians for the House of Lords is a key part of the

Committee’s acquisition policy. This initiative ensures that the contribution made by key

figures is recognised and documented through representation in the Parliamentary Art

Collection for the benefit of future generations.

7. Between 2010 and 2012 the Committee suspended the portrait commissioning programme

for the Collection as part of a cost cutting measure in response to the difficult financial

position faced by the UK. In March 2012 the Committee agreed to proceed with a formal

commissioning strategy to provide a structure which would allow a modest and affordable

programme to be undertaken.

8. The portrait of the previous Lord Speaker, Baroness Hayman, painted by Sergei Pavlenko,

was completed in 2008 and is on display in the Peers Dining Room.

9. A second short film will be made at the time of the unveiling of the portrait of

Baroness D’Souza. Together the two films will provide interpretative material to document

the portrait commission.

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Page 2 of 2

Action

10. The Committee is invited to sign off the portrait of Lord Speaker and to note

the diary date of Wednesday 6 July for the unveiling reception.

Malcolm Hay

April 2016

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WA/15-16/30

6th Meeting

Page 1 of 2

Works of Art Committee

‘The Ethics of Dust’ display in Westminster Hall

Paper by the Curator of Works of Art

Purpose

1. This paper provides a summary of the Committee’s discussions and recommendations over

the ‘The Ethics of Dust’ project, together with background information on the artwork and

its creator Jorge Otero-Pailos. This paper also provides an update on recent progress over

the practical considerations of exhibiting the artwork in Westminster Hall.

Summary of discussions by the Committee

2. In March 2015 the House of Lords Works of Art Committee considered a proposal by the

Artangel Trust for the temporary display of a contemporary work of art, ‘The Ethics of

Dust’, in Westminster Hall between late June 2016 and early September 2016. The

Committee recommended that the proposal should be supported, regarding it as a

contemporary artwork of high quality, but recognised that permission for the display would

require the support of the administration of the House of Lords and the formal consent of

the three Key Holders of the Hall. Consensus would be required over the practicalities of

holding the proposed exhibition in the Hall.

3. The Committee felt that the artwork was both appropriate and relevant to the House and

that it would be of particular interest to the visiting public and to the Members and staff of

both Houses. The Speaker’s Advisory Committee on Works of Art in the House of

Commons were also briefed on the proposal and were equally positive about the project.

Background

‘The Ethics of Dust’ and Westminster Hall

4. ‘The Ethics of Dust’ relates very closely to the history of Westminster Hall. The artwork

documents the patina of age of the Hall, made up of the dust and other particles deposited

on the internal stonework over centuries, which were removed from the East wall of the

Hall during the recent stone cleaning project run by the Parliamentary Estates Directorate

(PED). The latex used as part of this cleaning process was retrieved by the artist and has

been pieced back together subsequently to form a conceptual artwork. The exhibition relies

on the latex ‘wall’ being displayed in close proximity to the actual East wall so that the patina

of age embedded within the latex ‘wall’ may be compared directly against the cleaned stone

of the East wall.

Artist Jorge Otero-Pailos and the Artangel Trust

5. The artist, architect and theorist of conservation Jorge Otero-Pailos and the Artangel Trust

first approached Parliament when the stone cleaning project in Westminster Hall was being

planned and executed by the PED. Over the past three years Artangel have worked closely

with PED over the retrieval of the pieces of latex. The final pieces were collected in 2015.

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6. The Ethics of Dust concept by Jorge Otero-Pailos, whereby the latex stone cleaning process

simultaneously creates an artwork containing a historical record of the centuries of dust

removed, is based on John Ruskin’s writings about cleaning historical buildings, which led him

to lay the intellectual foundations of modern day conservation. Jorge Otero-Pailos shares

Ruskin’s passion for Westminster Hall in London and the Doge’s Palace in Venice. He

transformed a wall in the Doge’s Palace in 2009, extracting the soot from the surface onto a monumental sheet of latex, exhibited at the 53rd Venice Art Biennale.

7. As a specialist in conservation, Otero-Pailos scientifically removes and preserves dust

pollution in latex, the cutting edge of preservation cleaning technology, which allows him to

isolate that microscopic layer of history. Pollution is allowed to recast its own story and

Otero-Pailos’s casts of pollution are a new way of looking at art and our history.

8. The project for Westminster Hall has been managed by the Artangel Trust. Artangel

commissions projects by leading contemporary artists and has forged a distinctive identity as

one of the most exciting and innovative arts organisations over the past two decades.

9. Artangel has funded this project over the last five years and will be responsible for all costs

of display of the artwork in Westminster Hall.

Practical Considerations

10. The proposal gained approval in principle from the three Key Holders of Westminster Hall

earlier this year, following a positive recommendation from the Westminster Hall Advisory

Group. A project board, chaired jointly by PED’s Head of Architecture & Heritage and the

Curator of Works of Art, has been established to facilitate discussion between stakeholders

of both Houses and representatives from Artangel over the practical considerations.

11. One of the key considerations was how to suspend the latex artwork from the roof timbers.

Artangel has devised a bespoke rigging and lighting system so that the artwork can be

displayed safely and securely and in a way that promotes understanding and appreciation of

the artwork by visitors to the Hall. The design takes account of the Hall’s Grade 1 listed

status, the construction of the wooden roof trusses and the opportunity for loading from

the steel superstructure, and of the need for daily access at floor level beneath by the many

categories of users of the Hall.

12. Artangel have also made significant progress over the mitigation of the fire risk posed by

latex. A comprehensive risk assessment has been drawn up by Artangel. This includes

coating the artwork with a flame retardant product.

13. Public access to the artwork is of key interest to both Artangel and of the two Houses in

order to maximise the engagement potential and discussions are well advanced over special

access arrangements. A media strategy is also at an advanced stage.

14. An official reception will be planned in Westminster Hall at the start of the display period to

which members of both Works of Art Committees will be invited.

Action

15. The Committee is invited to take note of this summary and update.

Malcolm Hay

April 2016

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WA/15-16/31

6th Meeting

HOUSE OF LORDS COLLECTION FUND

Financial Statement, April 2016

Note: credits are in normal type; debits are in italic

Funds carried over from 2015-16 financial year £28,761.33

Vote for 2016-17 £10,000.00

Acquisitions

£ Nil

Commissions

Portrait of Lord Speaker Committed £5,000 [The total commission cost was £12,000, of which two part –

payments totalling £7,000 were made during FY 2015/16]

Total income £38,761.33

Total expenditure £ Nil

Total committed expenditure £5,000

Balance £38,761.33

Balance (including committed expenditure) £33,761.33