V&A East and LACMA Open New Buildings, William Blake Exhibition Launches in Dublin

The V&A East Museum in Stratford, London opens on 18 April 2024, with director Gus Casely-Hayford highlighting its community-driven programming and connection to East London. Its inaugural exhibition is titled The Music is Black: A British Story. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art has unveiled its new building designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, costing over $700 million. The structure has sparked debate regarding its scale, cost, and suitability for Los Angeles. LACMA member previews start on 19 April, with full public access in early May. Separately, the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin has launched an exhibition called William Blake: The Age of Romantic Fantasy, featuring the 1826 work Satan Smiting Job with Sore Boils by William Blake. Co-curator Anne Hodge discusses the piece. The exhibition runs until 19 July. These developments were covered in the 300th episode of a podcast in 2024, hosted by Ben Luke, who also spoke with Los Angeles correspondent Jori Finkel about LACMA.