After five years at the helm, Gregor Muir, the executive director of the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in central London, is exploring how best to refurbish its exhibition spaces in the Grade 1-listed Nash House on The Mall, which have been largely untouched since 2003 when Trevor Horne Architects modernised the lower and upper galleries.
“We are currently exploring a number of different options,” Muir says. “Central to our thinking is ensuring the ICA has a space that is fit for purpose and can best serve artists and visitors.” The ICA’s lease is secure until 2065 and Muir says there are no plans to reconsider its tenancy at this time. “We are committed to remaining in our location on The Mall; I want to see the ICA on The Mall 100 years from now,” he says.
Away from The Mall, the ICA has produced a number of off-site exhibitions both in London and beyond since 2012. Last year it organised its first project in Birmingham, as well as a pop-up exhibition in Duddell’s restaurant in Hong Kong—the first in the ICA’s off-site programme to be held overseas.
Muir was appointed in January 2011 after a period of turmoil at the institution, which at one point faced closure over its financial problems. Muir’s predecessor, Ekow Eshun resigned in 2010 following the crisis, as did the chairman Alan Yentob. Predicted attendance for the year ending April 2016 is set to beat the record of 440,000 visitors. The Arts Council England also deemed the ICA no longer at risk in its latest year-end review.
“The ICA is now in a position of renewed strength, with great visitor figures and stable finances, and as we look to the future we recognise that we need to act now to secure an equally strong future for the organisation,” Muir says.
