Keith Piper commissioned to respond to controversial Rex Whistler mural at Tate Britain
Keith Piper will present a new work adjacent to Rex Whistler's 1927 mural at Tate Britain, which features offensive depictions of enslaved Black children. The museum's restaurant closed in 2020 following an ethics committee report that unequivocally deemed the imagery offensive. Some interpretations suggest Whistler intended the slave imagery as a critique of human evil within bucolic settings. Piper, a founder of the 1980s BLK Art Group, finds the interwar period fascinating for its creative rebellion alongside racist ideologies and anti-black riots of 1919. He views Whistler's mural as a window into that complex era, sitting at the confluence of multiple influences. The commission is currently in production and scheduled for unveiling in autumn 2023.
Key facts
- Keith Piper will create a new work to be shown alongside the controversial Rex Whistler mural
- The mural dates to 1927 and includes a scene showing black children enslaved and led on a leash
- In 2020, a Tate ethics committee said the mural was offensive
- The restaurant housing the mural was subsequently closed
- Some critics argue Whistler intended the slave imagery to critique humanity's propensity for evil
- Piper was a founder member of the 1980s BLK Art Group
- Piper's commission is due to be unveiled in autumn 2023
- The mural is titled 'The Expedition in Pursuit of Rare Meats'
Entities
Artists
- Keith Piper
- Rex Whistler
Institutions
- Tate Britain
- BLK Art Group
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom