Gabriele Finaldi on the opening of the new wing of the new national exhibition

To celebrate the second centenary of its founding, the National exhibition in London recently renewed the Sainsbury wing, a three -year and $ 113 million transformation. It was an arduous process, a process that has not always received positive attention. But when I met Gabriel Finnie, the director of the National Exhibition in London, on Wednesday morning at the lobby of the comic wing, he seemed happy with the result. Finaldi described the renovated wing as “more friendly for anyone who believes the national exhibition is not for him.”

More than 3 million people wandered through the doors of the national exhibition last year, and continued its reputation as one of the most visiting museums in the world. Now, with this renewal and celebrations surrounding the surrounding centenary, the museum wants to enhance access and involve younger audience.

Finaldi, who was a knight this year, was waiting for me at the top of the big stairs. A tall character at a height of 6 feet and 4 inches high, the president seemed greatly in a strictly severed blue suit. I didn’t want to get the design of Annabel Sildorf for the new wing, which faced criticism. Dennis Scott Brown, who designed the original building with her husband Robert Ventury in 1991, accused Seldorf badly of making him “look like a circus clown wearing Toto” in A. 2022 interviews with Guardian. (Brown and Fontore’s design itself was flogging by the traditionalists, but it seems to grow on people over time. In 2018, the architect ParaNapas Caldr said that he was “first in international post -modern buildings.”

Renewal is a strong counter for any criticism aimed at seeing Selldor. The ground floor of the suite is immersed in light – it feels self and luxury, very similar to the Rehang (entitled “The Wonder of Art”) on one floor, which does not fully imagine the group but it is the most poetic novel for it. Luxurious works, including the masterpieces of Titian, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Jean Van Eyk, speak for herself; The national exhibition simply strengthened its quality by modifying some things. For example, Monet and Titian were given their own rooms so that you can sun in their genius, alone. The Sainsbury suite contains 17 exhibitions, and you are free to wander in any way, as there is no proposed path.

Finaldi looked comfortable because the construction was completed. I have been wine in overseeing modernization projects. As head of the PRADO Museum in Madrid, the Foundation’s extension opened in 2007, followed by a research center after a year.

He told me: “The Sensebury wing was about a third of the museum, so its closure for three years was a sacrifice.” “It was an opportunity to think about how we want the group to hesitate with the audience: How can we make the experience new and attractive to the visitor?”

One way to do this is to obtain a new art, in addition to the pavilions of the wing from the Renaissance and the art of ancient master’s degree. The National Exhibition recently cleared $ 20 million to the mysterious fees of an unknown artist entitled “Annit” entitled “” The Virgin and the Child with Saints Lewis, Margaret and two angels (1500-10). Sotheby mediated in the deal with a private mosque. The composition is the first in the show and you are walking at the second floor exhibition. It was called “the most important seizure of the water year”.

He said: “We are thinking about it as the master of the unknown unknown dragon,” noting the strange monster that was presented at the foot of the artwork. “It is a very important image in terms of its, its quality, and its condition of preserving it. The icons are convincing, and it has all the elements of the Netherlands in the early sixteenth century. He suggested that it might be an early work by Jean -Gusayrt. It is a plate with an unusual technical capacity.”

This ancient Dutch master is a good representative in the museum. Two paintings far away are impressive Love is from kings (1510-15).

Then Finaldi led me to the central showrooms, which were decorated with religious works, including the altar on a large scale, as if it was already vulnerable to the Florentine Church (as the intention of Venturei and Scott Brown) was. Steel by the fourteenth century Sini artist is especially remarkable. It appears suspended, and mimics the way in which the crosses were shown during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries in Italy. Further further is a compound altar that includes several different panels from the 1370s of Italian artist Jacobo de Sion. “It is one of the most amazing altar in the fourteenth century to survive outside Italy,” said Finaldi. “For the first time, we collected it in this new framework, and I think it is a real group moment in the exhibition. You will also notice that he is in front of him, we have one of these beautiful new bottles with Predella of a different altar of Fra Angelico.”

Then we oscillated about 180 degrees to look down at the opposite end of the full exhibition, where there is a huge altar from Florentin from a century, which was drawn by the brothers Antonio and Piero del Pollelo in 1470. The martyrdom of St. Sebastian. ))

For anyone who was concerned that some of the beloved museum works may be transferred or removed, be reassuring, all of whom still hold the court, such as Leonardo da Vinci Rock (1483-1486) and Pero del Della Francesca The baptism of Christ (1460). Re -installed The Battle of San Romano (1432) by Paulo Uccello is a personal favorite.

Let’s not forget, rehangs can make a mistake. Do you remember when Tate Britain stumbled with her own collection just two years ago? The museum was accused of developing politics early in art and faced a sharp decline in that. Rihan pushed the envelope. Is the national exhibition? Not really, but the works are now more prominent, and this is enough. The gambling has resulted.

The national exhibition hopes to attract the huge amount spent in renewing the Sainsbury suite for greater crowds at a time when British museums, especially the regional, are struggling. Ministers have reduced the UK art and culture budget in recent years. Since 2017 alone, local government financing in England has decreased by about 50 percent.

“The future is sure,” said Finaldi. “National museums are well supported, but we are expected to do more and more ourselves-the grant does not rise in active first aid, but the national exhibition has a certain amount of freedom to collect funding, either from our own commercial activities or from charitable work. The situation was more important in regional museums throughout the country. A real difficulty.

Unfortunately, Finaldi was the fact that it was difficult for the national exhibition to employ talented employees from abroad since Britain left the European Union. While he was on the issue of Britain’s exit from the European Union, I asked him if he had bought in the worn narrative that London is at risk of losing its position as a cultural power alongside New York, Paris and other artistic capitals. “The auction sales have become smaller, and there is more occurrence in Paris these days, for example, but with regard to the type of cultural experience that people can enjoy in London, we still have a surprisingly rich offer.

For the occupation in a more positive observation, she concluded with a Finaldi question about what is proud of him as director of the National Exhibition so far (he was appointed in 2015). “This is a difficult question, I am proud that we have presented some new works in the group, such as a major painting by Artemisia Gundileschi in 2018. It is a vital historical figure, so it is great to add more female artists.”