NSW bushfires: National Gallery closes its doors to protect priceless works
The National Gallery of Australia has taken the extraordinary step of closing its doors today, as deteriorating air quality in Canberra raises concerns about the safety of the public, the gallery’s staff, and the artworks themselves.
NSW
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The National Gallery of Australia has taken the extraordinary step of closing its doors today, as deteriorating air quality in Canberra raises concerns about the safety of the public, the gallery’s staff, and the artworks themselves.
Of particular concern to the gallery, beyond the human impact, are the artworks on loan from some of the world’s most prestigious art galleries for the current exhibition, Matisse & Picasso.
NGA director Nick Mitzevich said all international lenders to Matisse & Picasso are up to date on the situation his gallery is facing. At stake are countless millions of dollars of works by the two modern masters.
“All our lenders have been informed of what we have been doing and the way we have been protecting the collection,” Mr Mitzevich said.
Lenders to Matisse & Picasso include the Tate Modern gallery in London (where a Picasso painting was allegedly slashed by a member of the public last weekend), and the Musee Picasso in Paris, as well as many other leading galleries in other countries.
Mr Mitzevich said security staff remain inside the Canberra building, which houses the national art collection.
He believes the public will understand the difficult decision to close.
Reopening the building will be a day by day proposition that will depend on air quality as measured by EPA guidelines, Mr Mitzevich said.
“We’ve kept open until conditions have really worsened and the air quality outside is really compromising our ability to provide a safe environment in the gallery,” he said.
“Today we made the decision to shut. The decision was driven by the quality of the air in Canberra. The bushfire is really having an effect and we can’t guarantee the safety of our air quality in the building, with the movements of the doors opening and closing.
“So we are shutting today, which is unfortunate, but I think everyone can understand.”
Mr Mitzevich said security staff and artworks in the building are not at risk and air quality inside the gallery was currently at “an acceptable level” based on EPA guidelines, “but opening the building may compromise that”.
“At the moment the artworks are not under any threat at all,” he said.
Originally published as NSW bushfires: National Gallery closes its doors to protect priceless works