The Government Art Collection (GAC):

• Selects and places works of art in Government buildings in the UK and abroad
• Is responsible for the maintenance and care of works of art in the Collection
• Develops the Collection through a programme of acquisition and research
• Lends works of art to public exhibitions

Selection

We arrange displays of art in Government buildings in the UK and around the world. These include the entrance halls in Whitehall and Regional Government Offices, the offices of Ministers and senior members of the Civil Service, and representational areas and reception rooms in the residences of Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Consuls General across the world. We aim to select works of art that have a strong connection with the location and/or the work undertaken in the building. Outside the UK, this choice includes works of art that demonstrate historical or contemporary associations between Britain and the host country. For example, in the Ambassador's Residence in Cairo is a painting by Bridget Riley, who was greatly inspired by a visit to Egypt and based the colours of Reflection on the wall paintings in the tombs of Upper Egypt. We also consider other criteria, including the architecture of the building, the environmental conditions and the functions of individual rooms and spaces.

Recent projects have included new displays of art in Athens, Strasbourg, Dublin, Istanbul, Washington and Skopje; and in 10 Downing Street, Lancaster House, HM Treasury and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

George Hayter's fine portrait of Antonio Canova, sculptor of The Three Graces (a maquette for which can be seen in the right foreground of this painting), hangs in the British Ambassador's Residence in Paris. Canova was a frequent visitor to the Embassy, and appealed successfully to the Duke of Wellington for the return to Italy of works of art taken to France during the Napoleonic era.

Projects

When the British Government opens a new building, be it in the UK or abroad, the GAC is usually asked to select and/or commission appropriate works of art to be displayed in representational spaces. Over the past few years, we have worked on projects ranging from the British Embassies in Moscow and Berlin to the Government Office for the East of England in Cambridge.

We are currently working on a major project for the new Home Office building in Westminster. The project consists of three art strategies for the façade, the area around the building and the interior. We are working with the artist Liam Gillick, who is also acting in a curatorial role, and with ten other contemporary artists who are establishing international reputations.

The British Embassy in Berlin, designed by Michael Wilford and opened in July 2000, is situated in a key location in the city, near the Brandenburg Gate. On behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the GAC commissioned several works of art for the main area in the Embassy, known as the wintergarden. These include a large, colourful wall drawing by David Tremlett, which covers the entire back wall of the space. He completed the work over a two-week period in September 2000 with a team of eight assistants, applying pastel to the wall by hand. At the top of the staircase leading into the wintergarden stands Dancing Columns, a 5m high sculpture by Tony Cragg. It is made from sandstone quarried in East Germany, a stone used for the façade of many buildings in Berlin, including the new Embassy.

The striking architecture of the wintergarden, the central area of the British Embassy in Berlin, is enhanced by works of art commissioned from David Tremlett and Tony Cragg.

The integration of art and architecture is a key feature of the new British Embassy in Moscow, designed by Ahrends Burton and Koralek and opened in 2000. We commissioned artists including Michael Craig-Martin, Langlands and Bell, and Alex Hartley to work on pieces that would not only relate to the architecture of the building, but would also illuminate in some way the work of the Embassy and its relationship with the city.

Michael Craig-Martin's large painting Lighthouse, in the Entrance Hall of the British Embassy, Moscow, is a lively and witty commentary on the work of the Embassy.

Maintenance and Care of the Collection

The Collection is cared for at our premises in central London, where we manage a programme of maintenance and conservation. Works are prepared for display in the wide variety of environmental conditions that are found in locations as diverse as Moscow and Hong Kong. This involves the preparation and framing of works of art to conservation standard prior to transit and display and routine housekeeping including conservation inspections of works of art. Works are transported by professional fine art handlers, and wherever possible hung under the supervision of the staff of the Government Art Collection. The majority of the Collection is out on display at any one time, with approximately 20% at our premises awaiting conservation or selection.

Flatford @ Fullmoon shows Willy Lott's cottage in Flatford, Suffolk, immortalised in John Constable's paintings including The Hay Wain, now in the National Gallery in London. Darren Almond's contemporary interpretation of Constable's work was created by photographing the same scene during full moon, using a long exposure. This technique allows him to present a world undetectable by the human eye - only the camera can expose this unusually lit view of the mill at night.

Acquisition and Research

The GAC purchases new works of art with the guidance of an Advisory Committee. We seek to acquire works by artists who have a strong British connection: for example, those who were born or studied in Britain, or who have lived or are currently living in the country. Works must be robust and be able to withstand being displayed in non-gallery, working domestic and office environments. They will often have a particular historical or contemporary association with a specific Government building or country.

Our recent purchases have included historic works by Frederick Leighton and Thomas Bardwell, and works by contemporary artists Michael Landy, John Virtue and Zarina Bhimji. We also occasionally commission works of art, such as Andrew Grassie’s paintings of Downing Street and the GAC Sculpture Store.

Andrew Grassie's paintings, commissioned by the GAC in 2002, show the Pillared Room at 10 Downing Street and the sculpture storage area at the GAC's premises. The paintings show some of the background to the process of selecting and displaying works of art, and contrast the day-to-day activities of the GAC with the grandeur of some of the Government buildings in which we work.

We provide labels and information for visitors to the buildings where works of art are displayed. In some buildings, we undertake educational work, giving talks to on-site staff about the works of art that they live and work with so they can talk about them to visitors and answer any questions they may have.

Here we have a talk being given in the Glazed Gallery at the British Embassy, Paris, where many contemporary works are hung, showcasing British artists.