Perspective

I would be the first to admit that though I love art and history, I'm an expert on neither. I do, however revel in learning about both. That's what made the Keith Piper installation about the Rex Whistler mural at the Tate Britain, "The Expedition in Search of Rare Meats" so appealing to me.

The mural, painted by Whistler in 1927, was commissioned for the dining room at the Tate gallery and depicts, among other things, black slaves on a leash and caricatures of Chinese figures. These depictions wouldn't have been controversial in the 1920s, but 100 years on, they were deemed unequivocally offensive and the room was sealed off from the public in 2020. There has been fierce debate about whether the mural should be destroyed or if it's a sort of artistic time capsule, giving a valid look into the attitudes of that time. Art critics and art historians continue to argue both sides.

In 2022, it was announced that the Tate would be commissioning an installation to "be exhibited alongside and in dialogue with the mural, reframing the way the space is experienced". This installation takes the form of a split screen video, "Viva Voce," which imagines an academic challenging Whistler about his mural and exploring the social and political context of 1920s Britain. It's a fascinating film which compels the viewer to examine their own view of an issue which is so common these days: can art still be appreciated if it was created by an artist whose subject matter or behavior is/was offensive. (Think Woody Allen, Vladamir Nobokov, Roman Polanski, etc.)

photo by Joe Humphrys, Tate Britain

There is, of course, no one answer to this question but I found the presentation of the video alongside the mural to be both brave and illuminating and I learned so much from it. I highly recommend visiting this installation. In fact, when I'm next in London I will return to the Tate to see it again.