National Gallery is banning visitors bringing liquids into the building
Following recent attacks on artworks by protestors, the National Gallery has decided to ban visitors bringing liquids into the building from Friday until futher notice.
Since July 2022, the National Gallery has been the victim of five separate attacks on paintings, including Vincent van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’, John Constable’s ‘The Hay Wain’ and Velázquez’s ‘Rokeby Venus’. Two of the attacks took place within the past couple of weeks, and now the gallery has decided to take action to prevent more.
The National Gallery said in a statement: “The collection we hold is irreplaceable, and with each attack, we have been forced to consider putting more barriers between the people and their artworks to preserve these fragile objects for future generations.”
“Unfortunately, we have now reached a point where we have been forced to act to protect our visitors, staff and collection.”
As a result, visitors won’t be able to bring liquids into the gallery from tomorrow (Friday, October 18th, 2024), with an exemption for baby formula, expressed milk, and prescription medicines.
They warn that the additional bag checks will likely mean longer queues to enter the gallery.
The Gallery added that they are “sorry that visitors are, for the time being, not going to receive the welcome we would very much like to extend to them, but we hope they understand why it is necessary for us to do this.”
If you are visiting, I’d strongly recommend booking a free ticket in advance, as there are often two queues, and the ticket holder queue tends to be faster.
I like to drink. I guess I won’t be going!
Thanks for the silly comment.
They should get some lockers. Tea and coffee left in a locker doesn’t represent any possible danger to the exhibits. And they’re more convenient (and usually less expensive, both to operate and for the users) than cloakrooms.
Civic life is being slowly eroded by terrorism and activists. One day our entire public realm will have to be like a McDonalds – all wipeable surfaces, everything bolted down, nothing of value left unguarded.
Frankly, I am surprised that a No Liquids rule hasn’t been put in place before. However, the NG does need to figure out a way to safely process security checks more quickly.
As Tom says, civilised life seems to be disappearing in the age of social media. A terrible shame.
Like Lizebeth, I am surprised at the NG’s prolonged tolerance of liquids in the building. But surely no-one visiting the Gallery can miss the fact that it is undergoing a huge building project, which has resulted in a squeeze on space. What the NG has achieved in this partial closure is remarkable. Rather than grumble at the inevitable low level of inconvenience, it would be better to remember that the entire collection is ours free of charge. Do pay to see the staggering Van Gogh show – a world-class event. But remember that thousands of world-class paintings are free to see on the walls every day. And direct the grumbles at the protestors.
It was not “a low level of inconvenience” on Friday for the hundreds of guests wanting to enter the NG, many of them who’d booked tickets for the (paid) blockbuster Van Gogh exhibition, made to stand for more than an hour to enter.
Despite the NG having contact details for all members and (probably) those who’d bought time-slotted tickets, no texts or emails were sent. I suspect – on my “lived experience” – management did not manage this change in security protocols at all well. Embarrassing for the NG and annoying and disappointing for many hundreds of would-be art appreciators.
Just to say stopping liquids being brought in does not stop people from buying liquids within the
building itself from its cafes,nor from concealing
fluids on the person.Strip search may be the next step & long prison sentences!
The gallery statement said the attacks had caused “physical damage to the artworks”. Is this true? They all seem well protected to me.