Artist Rene Matić discusses their multidisciplinary practice and cultural influences in the latest episode of the ArtReview Podcast. The conversation explores Matić’s background as a second-generation skinhead of St Lucian heritage, their status as the youngest-ever Turner Prize nominee, and the upcoming commission for the grand opening of the V&A East Museum in April 2026.
Artist Rene Matić discusses their multidisciplinary practice and the personal history that informs their exploration of British identity, race, and subculture. The conversation highlights Matić’s deep connection to skinhead culture—inherited from their father—and their use of an "ethnographic methodology of the Self" to document queer BIPOC communities and personal memories.
The V&A East Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum's second site in East London, opened to the public on April 18. The inaugural presentation features new site-specific commissions by artists Rene Matić, Carrie Mae Weems, and Tania Bruguera, with Thomas J. Price's monumental sculpture serving as a key anchor piece for the new institution.
The V&A East has officially opened in Stratford with its inaugural exhibition, 'The Music is Black,' a comprehensive survey of Black British music. Curated by Jacqueline Springer, the landmark show features over 200 items ranging from traditional African drums and a Ben Enwonwu sculpture to contemporary pieces by Rene Matić and iconic stage outfits from artists like Pauline Black and Stormzy. The exhibition marks the first major show for the new £135m O’Donnell & Tuomey-designed building, which joins the V&A’s expanding portfolio of sites.