Modern Classicisms, a new project which sets out to explore the contemporary relevance of classical visual traditions, was launched on Friday 10 November with a one-day workshop bringing collectors, critics, art historians and artists together in dialogue.


See all the photos from the launch event on the Modern Classicisms website.

Over the course of five thematic discussion sessions and three artistic interventions, the launch event examined what it is about Greek and Roman art that still captivates the modern imagination, how contemporary art can help us to see the classical legacy with new eyes, and what such modern-day responses can reveal about current cultural preoccupations.



The workshop was filled with thought-provoking discussion among guest speakers and respondents including Tiphaine Besnard, Bruce Boucher, James Cahill, Léo Caillard, Michael Craig-Martin, Nick Hornby, Jessica Hughes, Patrick & Mary Reid Kelley, Christian Levett, Elizabeth Prettejohn, Marc Quinn and Sarah Wilson. And the day's dialogue was given an added dimension by the active participation of the audience throughout - both in person and online via the #modernclassicisms hashtag. You can explore the online discussion around the Modern Classicisms launch event on Storify.



Modern Classicisms sees King's host a range of events exploring contemporary responses to classical visual traditions during the 2017–2018 academic year, culminating in an exhibition at Bush House in Spring 2018, organised in collaboration with the Musée d’Art Classique de Mougins (MACM). 

The project, led by Dr Michael Squire, comes about thanks to the generous financial support of the MACM and Christian Levett, and the launch event was co-organised with the Courtauld Institute of Art in collaboration with the Musée d’Art Classique de Mougins and Minerva: The International Review of Ancient Art and Archaeology.