An Archive of Longing, 2018 @ The National Museum of Wales

The Rules of Art?
National Museum of Wales
23rd October 2021 – 16th April 2023

A beautiful exhibition The Rules of Art? curated by Neil Lebeter, senior curator at the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff has recently opened at the National Museum of Wales.
The work An Archive of Longing (Material Presence) is currently being exhibited as part of the still life section of the exhibition. It’s hard for me to describe in words what an honour this is and how very delighted I am to have this work displayed in the company of such immense artists such as Cezanne, Picasso and two of my all time favourite still life painters Gwen John and Giorgio Morandi.

The Rules of Art? brings together five hundred years of painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, film and ceramics to pose questions about representation, identity and culture.
Works of art will be displayed in a way that questions social and political power and shows how artists have pursued a shared purpose: to push, subvert, question and reimagine what art can be.

Vertigo Sea by John Akomfrah, one of a number of major new acquisitions, will be displayed among other featured artists such as Rembrandt, Thomas Jones, Pablo Picasso, Gwen John, Maximilian Lenz, Clare Woods, Bedwyr Williams, Caroline Walker and Clémentine Schneidermann.

A breadth of historic, modern and contemporary artworks from Amgueddfa Cymru’s collections will be showcased, grouping many works that have never been shown together before, introducing new relationships and highlighting some of the contemporary social issues faced today.

We are working with artists and writers to lead community partners on elements of the interpretation of the exhibition. This will explore a new and unique way of bringing a range of voices to the question The Rules of Art?