By Romy Brill Allen
Romy is a student at the Courtauld Institute, in her third year of our BA History of Art. She directed RE:VISION, the 16th edition of the East Wing Biennial. The East Wing Biennial is an exhibition of contemporary art established in 1991, organised entirely by Courtauld Institute students. The exhibition reflects the ideas, concerns, and creative ambitions of the Courtauld student body.
In August 2024 I received an email saying my application to be part of the next East Wing Biennial team had been successful. What followed was two years of working with the most incredible people on a dream project.
The East Wing Biennial is the Courtauld’s student-led exhibition of professional contemporary art. In 1991, then-student Joshua Compston was dismayed by the empty walls of the teaching rooms at Somerset House. In response, he established the East Wing Collection to bring the Institute’s student body into direct contact with works of contemporary art.
Over the last three decades the exhibition has grown and shifted. The cultural landscape has changed (as they tend to do), 34 classes of students have passed through the halls of the Institute, and even those halls have moved from Somerset House to Vernon Square. However, the ethos of the project has remained the same. Connection, collaboration, community. The exhibition continues to reflect the concerns and creative ambitions of the Courtauld’s student body. It offers students the opportunity to shape curatorial narratives, gain hands-on professional experience, and engage directly with the art of their time.
After an initial briefing with the outgoing team, we were ready and raring to go. Madeline Cheeseman, Maria Cicala, Will Fairfax and I began to think about the imprint we wanted to make on the Courtauld’s walls for the next two years. Now in its 16th edition, the East Wing Biennial carries with it a legacy of bolstering emerging and established artists across disciplines. Art history itself, particularly at the Courtauld, is currently in a process of self-reflection and development to complicate the traditional canon. In a building dedicated to the study of the past, how do we grapple with the contemporary? With these ideas swirling in our heads, after six-months of work on our curatorial statement and theme, RE:VISION was born.
The next step was one that I had honestly been equal parts excited and apprehensive about. Acquiring the artworks themselves. I had been concerned that the lengthy two-year loan period might mean that we would struggle to secure works. But I had nothing to worry about. We were met with such openness and generosity from all the artists and galleries we approached.
In the Spring, we used social media to launch an Open Call for works of any medium. The response was overwhelming, with very high-quality work submitted by a huge number of applicants. After a difficult decision-making process, we began to finalise loan agreements, organise transportation, book installation dates and, most excitingly, map out the layout of the show.
Over the summer we installed the exhibition, hanging the works and transforming each teaching room as we went. These months were also spent writing catalogue essays and wall texts and planning the much-anticipated opening night party. Ushering in the new academic year, RE:VISION opened in September 2026. With works by over 40 artists, a film programme, performances, and an innovative roster of workshops, publications and artist talks, the exhibition will run until August 2027.
Since the show opened, I have had the pleasure of watching students, faculty, artists and visitors alike interact with the exhibition. Every single day I get to listen to people engaging with, discussing, learning from and living alongside these wonderful works of art. I feel so lucky to learn and work in this environment.
But don’t just take my word for it! Why don’t you come see for yourself? Director-led tours of RE:VISION are held on the first Sunday of every month at 3pm. You can read more about the exhibition, including a digital copy of the catalogue and news about our upcoming events, and follow us on Instagram @eastwingbiennial.
