The UK Government Art Collection is launching a new 5-year acquisitions project with contemporary visual arts networks from across the country.
Known as Art X-UK, the project will acquire works by exciting British artists to go on display in more than 125 countries.
The collection will work with networks to support standout artists to showcase the best of Britain to the world.
Contemporary British artists are set to benefit from a new scheme which will see their work displayed in the country’s network of embassies and government buildings around the world.
The Government Art Collection (GAC), which is part of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), is launching a five-year acquisitions project to acquire works from exciting talent and showcase the best of British creativity – promoting further interest in the country’s globally renowned creative sector.
GAC will work with the Contemporary Visual Arts Network in England, the Scottish Contemporary Art Network, and networks in Wales and Northern Ireland to identify the next generation of potential artistic stars.
The X-UK project initially ran as a successful pilot scheme in 2020-21 when more than 90 pieces by 45 contemporary visual artists were acquired for the collection. These works are now on display in government buildings around the country and internationally in British embassies and residences including Paris, Ankara, The Holy See in Rome, and 10 Downing Street.
The pilot revealed the impact that an acquisition by the Government Art Collection can have on an artist’s career by helping to bring their art to new audiences and raising their profiles.
The full press release about X-UK can be found on the GOV.UK website, while further details about Art X-UK is available on the Government Art Collection website.
