It is a great pleasure to announce that on the 27th of November 2018 the famous Victoria and Albert Museum in London has re-opened their Cast Court Galleries after several years of restoration. Thanks to the generous donation from the N.Sethia Foundation, the new Central Cast Gallery has been unveiled which has been closed since the Victorian times and it is now permanently named as “The Chitra Nirmal Sethia Gallery”.
The Chitra Nirmal Sethia Gallery is dedicated to history casting and teaching the public about different historic and modern techniques of recreating historic sculptures and art objects in order to preserve them from destruction for various reasons like natural disasters and wars. We are very proud to be a part of this amazing project which will bring the name of Mr. and Mrs. Sethia and N.Sethia Foundation to millions of people visiting the V&A museum every year.
For more information contact: Hilde Lystad hilde@chitra.no
From V&A Press Release
On 1 December 2018, the V&A will open the second and final phase of its redevelopment of the Cast Courts, returning these iconic galleries to their original splendour. The renovation will also feature a brand-new gallery exploring the history, processes and significance of casts and copies as well as looking to their contemporary relevance and future in the digital age. Following the completion of the Weston Cast Court in 2014, the opening of these two galleries will conclude this major project, which began in 2011.
After extensive restoration and conservation work, the West Court - now renamed the Ruddock Family Cast Court, in recognition of the generosity of the Ruddock Foundation for the Arts - will reopen to the public revealing historic features, including original 19th-century floors and wall colours. The Central Gallery will be renamed the Chitra Nirmal Sethia Gallery to acknowledge the generous support of the N. Sethia Foundation. This gallery features a new exhibition exploring the history, significance and contemporary relevance of casts, which has been kindly supported by the Henry Moore Foundation.
