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Until 22 April
In January, the much-loved brutalist staple of London's art scene, the Hayward Gallery, reopened after being closed for two years. Long-planned, the closure took place in order for the shuttered concrete galleries to get a much-needed renovation, with an upgrading of infrastructure and renewed building services.
More critically, there was a low-intervention, high-impact transformation in the upper galleries, overseen by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (FCBS). Taking pride of place in these newly bright and spacious galleries are monumental, large-scale images from German photographer Andreas Gursky (born 1955), whose retrospective has reopened the Hayward with a bang.
As many will know, the Hayward is marked by a crown of 66 pyramid-like skylights. Part of the gallery's original design by LCC architects Norman Engleback, Ron Herron and Dennis Crompton, their internal effect was blocked by the early construction of a dropped false ceiling, there for decades. Under the Southbank Centre's direction, FCBS removed this ceiling in the upper galleries and restored the original tall spaces flooded with natural light from the skylights, which from below appear as square windows at the end of new deep acoustic coffers. Adjustable, subtle, skylight blinds allow for the complete control of natural daylight in the space.
Speaking at the reopening, gallery director Ralph Rugoff described how it felt like 'the genius of the building can fully be seen for the first time'. A genius, one senses, he feels well articulated by the presence of Gursky's work.
Gursky's images are addictive, at times hypnotic - visually satisfying and fascinating to study, they have great popular appeal. What's more, large-scale photographs are relatively easy to curate; as such, I can't help but feel the Gursky show is somewhat of an easy win for the Hayward - but that doesn't mean it's not an excellent exhibition despite this.
In a culture where most images are viewed...