Mass resignation over Ben Uri Gallery art sell-off
Advisory panel resigns as gallery auctions off major works to focus on art of immigrants of all faiths
ALL ELEVEN members of the International Advisory Panel of the Ben Uri Gallery have resigned in response to the institution’s sell-off of major Jewish artworks, calling it “a grave mistake”.
In a joint statement the panel, including former director of the Tate Galleries Sir Nicholas Serota, and Sir Norman Rosenthal, former Exhibitions Secretary of the Royal Academy, said the works “make up the very heart of the Ben Uri Collection” and their sale would “undermine the ability of the trustees to secure future gifts and a future home for the Collection”.
As reported by the JC two weeks ago, the Ben Uri Gallery, which was founded to showcase Jewish artists’ work, plans to sell around 700 works of art as part of efforts to rededicate itself to the art of immigrants of all faiths and nationalities.
Among the works being sold are pieces by Mark Gertler and David Bomberg. Five by the latter were auctioned off at Sotheby’s on Tuesday night. Four of those were sold for a combined total of more than £1 million.
As they announced their resignation, the advisory panel members said another nine works would be sold on Wednesday, including paintings by Mark Gertler and Alfred Wolmark and “important early drawings by Frank Auerbach”.
More works from the 19th century will be sold in December.
“We were not consulted in advance on the proposed sales and believe that sales of such important works from the Collection are a grave mistake,” they said.
David Glasser, the executive chair of the Ben Uri, had described the “overall response” to the planned developments as “incredibly positive and heartening”.
He said: “Obviously we consulted quite widely during the last number of years when we were developing this strategy”.
But the advisory panel’s members, who include artists, academics and commentators such as Shulamith Behr, Andrew Renton and Norman Lebrecht, wrote: “Despite our efforts to persuade the trustees to postpone the sale so these matters could be discussed more fully, they have decided to proceed.”
They said they had “no choice” but to resign. They continued: “We admire and are grateful for the way that the trustees of the Ben Uri have sustained the organisation over the past 15 years. There have been many achievements with some important exhibitions and publications.”
Mr Glasser did not comment.