This episode of The Art Newspaper's podcast 'The Week in Art' covers three major museum developments. Ben Luke tours the V&A East Storehouse in London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, a new facility offering unprecedented public access to the Victoria and Albert Museum's collection, speaking with deputy director Tim Reeve, lead technician Matt Clarke, senior curator Georgia Haseldine, and director of collections care Kate Parsons. Ben Sutton visits the Metropolitan Museum of Art's newly revamped Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, which houses collections from Africa, the Ancient Americas, and Oceania, interviewing curator Alisa LaGamma and contemporary artist Taloi Havini. The episode also features Rachel Whiteread's new work 'Down and Up (2024-25)' as Work of the Week, part of her debut exhibition at the Goodwood Art Foundation in West Sussex.
These openings matter because they represent significant shifts in how major museums engage with their collections and audiences. The V&A East Storehouse redefines museum storage as a public experience, making vast holdings accessible in a radical new model. The Met's Rockefeller Wing reopening showcases a major reinstallation of non-Western art with contemporary interventions, reflecting ongoing efforts to decolonize museum narratives. Rachel Whiteread's show at the Goodwood Art Foundation marks the launch of a new not-for-profit contemporary art space, expanding the UK's sculpture park landscape.