This year’s MA Contemporary Art Course started with a celebration on Wednesday 16 September, 2008 at the Whitechapel Art Gallery in East London. The evening started with drinks and a welcome from the Whitechapel Gallery Director Iwona Blazwick and a short talk by the London Institute’s new director, Professor Jos Hackforth-Jones. Students then had an opportunity to meet MA Contemporary Art faculty and get to know one another. The Whitechapel Gallery were also kind enough to give our students a tour of their building which is currently being refurbished.

The Whitechapel was founded in 1901 and has since premiered international artists such as Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Nan Goldin, and provided a showcase for Britain’s most significant artists from Gilbert & George to Lucian Freud, Peter Doig to Mark Wallinger. It will reopen to the public in April 2009 following its refurbishment.