Government art collection goes public

Never mind the Jackson Pollocks, it’s time for a spot of Turner: an exhibition of the Government Art Collection (GAC) – which comprises up to 13,000 works of British art – is due to go on show in three galleries next year. Touring London, Birmingham and Belfast, selected works from the GAC will be made accessible to the public for the first time. The collection, which spans 400 years of British art and includes rare pieces from Lucian Freud, Francis Bacon and David Hockney, is designed to display the best of British culture in official buildings. The artworks are usually only seen adorning the walls of government departments, ministers’ offices and British embassies across the globe. Selecting what to have where is a perk that has been enjoyed by politicians for 112 years; Margaret Thatcher reportedly favoured paintings of naval commanders while Tony Blair was a noted fan of the Brit art movement. Culture Minister Ed Vaizey recently caused a stink with artists Michael Landy and Mark Wallinger when he revealed he had chosen their works for his office walls.