Eleanor Bradshaw

Throughout my placement at the British Museum, I have become heavily involved with the representation of contemporary and modern material within the framework of a historical institution. Is there a place where the historical and the contemporary can intersect?


At the museum I have supported the active acquisition of the modern, as well as working on contemporary artists’ interventions, such as the upcoming Grayson Perry exhibition, Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman. The interpretation, the inevitable polemics and possibilities that can be found within the meeting of these very different discourses, is always inspiring. Curatorially, I believe that through the histories inherent within artefacts and historical collections, one can unlock the more profound elements of the contemporary and can provide deeper contextualisation. This dynamic exchange also enables a greater appreciation and intimate insight into historical artefacts, which are often relegated to the realm of non-art.


Working at the British Museum means I have dealt with different cultures, peoples and places. Over a two-year period, I helped to develop a curatorial exchange with a museum in Kampala, Uganda. During this exchange I carried out research that formed the basis of my dissertation, which is concerned with the creation of a cultural paradox within the visual art market in this unique corner of East Africa.


Host organisation: British Museum, London