The Courtauld will open new contemporary art galleries at Somerset House

The Courtauld is preparing for a major transformation. The opening of two new Blavatnik Contemporary Galleries at Somerset House in 2029 will mark a turning point for the institution, whose reputation for decades has been built around its outstanding collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. A recent £30 million donation from the Reuben Foundation is yet another sign that The Courtauld is entering a period of active change.

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The institute’s story began almost a century ago with an idea that, at the time, sounded close to utopian. In 1930, Viscount Lee of Fareham, Samuel Courtauld and Sir Robert Witt decided to challenge Britain’s old cultural snobbery, where art was seen as a privilege for the few rather than a subject worthy of serious academic study.

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Since its founding, The Courtauld has kept up its momentum, remaining at the heart of artistic life and research. Today, it is the UK’s largest community of art historians and conservators. As an independent college of the University of London, The Courtauld offers a full spectrum of art-focused programmes, from art history and curating to the conservation of easel and monumental painting, spanning undergraduate study through to PhD level.

The Courtauld. Photo: Benedict Johnson

New Era

Today, The Courtauld is writing the next chapter of its history. The new galleries will occupy the top floor of Somerset House’s North Wing as part of the institute’s wider campus development. This ambitious project strikes a carefully considered balance between heritage and innovation: contemporary exhibition spaces will be housed within a restored 18th-century gallery inside a Grade I listed building. The galleries will be fully accessible to all visitors, with entrance via the East Wing.

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A defining feature of the new spaces will be their focus on contemporary art, working artists and education. Alongside exhibitions, the galleries will offer artists opportunities to develop new projects. Students will also play a key role: those enrolled in The Courtauld’s MA Curating programme will be closely involved in delivering the exhibition programme.

Rendering of the new Courtauld Institute entrance. Image: Secchi Smith

Elena Crippa, senior curator of Contemporary Art: Exhibitions and Projects at the Courtauld, commented: “The new galleries will be a site of possibilities for artists to present exceptional artworks. These new spaces will help us connect past and present art and ideas, engage students and bring living artists to the core of our activities.”

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The opening of the Blavatnik Contemporary Galleries promises to position The Courtauld not only as a guardian of artistic heritage, but as an active participant in today’s cultural landscape, creating space for new voices and ideas in contemporary art.

Cover photo: Rendering of the Blavatnik Contemporary Galleries at the Courtauld featuring, left to right: Peter Doig, Alpinist (2022), Claudette Johnson, Blues Dance (2023), and Rachel Jones, STRUCK (2025). Illustration: Secchi Smith.

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