| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
For the History of Post-War British art the most important exhibition to have been held at the Whitechapel Gallery was This is Tomorrow in 1956. Initiated by members of the Independent Group the exhibition launched Pop Art for the first time onto the general British public as well as introducing some of the artists, concepts, designers and photographers that would define the Swinging Sixties
Throughout its history the Whitechapel Gallery was base to a series of open exhibitions that were a strong feature for the area's artist community but in the early 1990s the open became less relevant as emerging artists moved to other areas.
In the later 1960s and through the 1970s the critical importance of the Whitechapel Gallery was displaced by newer venues such as the Hayward Gallery but in the 1980s the Gallery enjoyed a resurgence under the Directorship of Nicholas Serota. The Whitechapel Gallery had a major refurbishment in 1986 and there are plans for a further extension.