National Portrait Gallery reopens in London after three-year renovation

The National Portrait Gallery in London has reopened after a three-year closure, following a major renovation project called Inspiring People, designed by Jamie Fobert Architects. The £44 million redevelopment was funded by the Blavatnik Family Foundation, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Ross Foundation, and David and Molly Lowell Borthwick. The project created new public spaces, a new entrance on Charing Cross Road, Ross Place (named after the Ross Foundation donation), and a new learning center. The exhibition spaces were transformed, including the new Weston Wing, and the entire portrait collection was reinstalled. The collection now includes more works by or about women, alongside over 250,000 photographs from the mid-19th century to the present. Artist Tracey Emin created a new work, The Door, for the gallery's entrance, depicting herself as a model but intended to represent women of all ages and cultures. The reopening programming includes Eyes of the Storm, an exhibition of photographs by Paul McCartney taken between December 1963 and February 1964, capturing the Beatles' rise to global fame. Other events include the First Look Festival, the Yevonde: Life and Colour exhibition (supported by Chanel Culture Fund), and the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize 2023.