Curating Mansion House News from the School of Art, Architecture and Design

Students from the MA Curating the Contemporary at The Cass have curated an exciting contemporary sculpture exhibition at Mansion House.

The Mansion House Sculpture Window (Nov 2010 - Oct 2011)

The MA Curating the Contemporary is a two-year professional course taught jointly by The Cass and Whitechapel Gallery. Final year students were chosen to curate five displays of work by London-based sculptors for The Mansion House Sculpture Window.

Sculpture Window is a year-long programme of contemporary sculpture that will last until October 2011. The displays are taking place in the prominent North-East Staircase of the Georgian town palace, right among the distinguished collections of the Lord Mayor's residence. The Sculpture Window programme is sponsored by theLord Mayor Alderman Michael Bear and the Lady Mayoress Barbara Bear.

On Wednesday 9 February, the Mansion House welcomed the MA students, along with guests and artists, to celebrate the changeover of the first two sculptures. In her speech, the Lady Mayoress, a sculptor in her own right, thanked students and artists.

The Lady Mayoress said, "I'm delighted about the Mansion House Sculpture Window, because it has given me the opportunity to work with the Whitechapel Gallery and their lovely students from London Met on their Curating the Contemporary course. It is a special privilege, as the Whitechapel Gallery is on the edge of Lord Mayor Michael Bear's ward as Alderman, and he was a governor of London Metropolitan University."

Daniel F. Herrmann, Curator and Head of Curatorial Studies at the Whitechapel Gallery, said: "It is a pleasure and a privilege for our MA Curating the Contemporary to be given the opportunity to curate exhibitions in such a distinguished venue. We look forward to continuing this relation between East London and the Square Mile and extend our special thanks to the Lady Mayoress and Vice-Chancellor Malcolm Gillies for making such connection possible."

Nico de Oliveira, Course Leader of the MA Curating the Contemporary at London Met said he looks forward to several other exhibition opportunities for the students on the course, especially the forthcoming collaboration with the Government Art Collection to take place in April/May of 2011, and the current curatorial projects at Mint Hotels in the City. He said, "These promote the partnership with the Whitechapel Gallery and place our students at the forefront of curatorial practice in the Capital."