Masterpieces in Miniature: The 2021 Model Art Gallery

More than 80 original – but miniature – works of art in three model art galleries.

With work by artists from Augustus John, Vanessa Bell, Paul Nash, Sir Peter Blake and Richard Hamilton to new pieces by Rachel Whiteread, Damien Hirst, John Akomfrah, Tacita Dean and Lubaina Himid, the galleries are a time capsule of 80 years of British art.

In 2020, we asked Wright & Wright architects to design a model art gallery to house original miniature artworks from over 30 of the most exciting contemporary British artists, including John Akomfrah, Tacita Dean, Lubaina Himid, Damien Hirst, Magdalene Odundo, and Gillian Wearing. These works were created during the 2020 coronavirus lockdown – a time when artists could not get to their studios, exhibitions were cancelled, and many people spoke of being creatively blocked.

Make your way around the building and discover these three miniature galleries. The 2021 Model Art Gallery is currently on display in Room 9, the Thirty Four Gallery can be found in Room 5 and the Model Gallery 2000 is in Room 11. Together, the galleries tell the story of Modern British art from the 1930s until today.

These models provided a fascinating insight into the evolution of styles and influences across the decades and show how different generations of artists approached the unique challenges of working in miniature.