Flaxman Exchange offers new perspectives on UCL collections

A unique collaboration between UCL Art Museum and performance artist Marcia Farqhuar will explore the UCL Flaxman Gallery and the stories connected with renowned neoclassicist John Flaxman. Taking the form of a guided tour, the Flaxman Exchange project includes nine live performances throughout March and a multi-platform audiovisual guide. The project will also be accompanied by a series of limited edition works, a lecture given by the artist and a pair of one-hour 'pop-up' displays curated by UCL academics Jane Darcy and Tom Gretton. "Following the recent refurbishment of the Flaxman Gallery, Marcia's performance will provide a unique way to explore the space and also themes - such as death, art education and popular culture - associated with it," said Nina Pearlman, manager of UCL Art Museum. A rare surviving 19th century sculptural installation, the UCL Flaxman Gallery was reopened last year following a bold transformation. This included placing Flaxman's plaster study 'St Michael Overcoming Satan' on a new glass plinth, offering views of the Octagon Gallery below. The Octagon Gallery has also been radically changed with new cases, animations and interactive screens to display treasures from UCL's collections.