The Origins and Exhibition of Rachel Whiteread's 'Untitled (Room 101)'

MA.NOV.Lawrence.pg.proof.corrs:Layout 1 15/10/2010 16:18 Page 736 A substitute for history: the origins and exhibition of Rachel Whiteread’s ‘Untitled (Room 101)’, 2003 by JAMES LAWRENCE IN NOVEMBER 2003, Untitled (Room 101) (Fig.46), by Rachel Whiteread, appeared in the Italian Cast Court at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, where it remained until the following summer. In contrast to the ornate surfaces, elegant contrapposto and fluid modelling of the surrounding casts, the new object presented a rectilinear mass of pockmarked planes and stodgy architectural details. The parenthetical title alludes to the place of final torture in George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) but refers specifically to the real source of the sculpture: Room 101 at Broadcasting House (Fig.45), the headquarters that George Val Myer and Francis James Watson-Hart designed for the British Broadcasting Corporation. A widespread legend held that Room 45. Broadcasting House, 2–22 101 served as Orwell’s office when he worked for the Eastern Portland Place, Service during the Second World War. Early coverage and sub- London W1. sequent discussion of Untitled (Room 101) emphasised this unsub- 1932. Designed by George stantiated literary connection – all the more resonant in 2003, the Val Myer and centenary of Orwell’s birth – and the connotations of authoritar- Francis James ian menace that flow from it.1 This article focuses on less allusive Watson-Hart. (Photograph by aspects, including the circumstances that led to the creation of the Janet Hall, 1995; sculpture; the physical conditions of its origins, form and public RIBA Library display; and the interpretive consequences of those physical traits. Photographs The idea behind Untitled (Room 101) arose from a major Collection). redevelopment project involving Broadcasting House and its surroundings. The ‘W1 Project’, as it was known, reflected the the construction of the Egton Wing on the site – concluded in aims of the BBC’s ‘three site strategy’ to rationalise its activities January 2006. The second phase, the construction of a new and property portfolio in London.2 By 2001, the BBC was extension that unifies the north end of Broadcasting House and operating out of twenty-three buildings spread across the city, the Egton Wing, is due for completion in 2012.5 each of which held its own conditions and restrictions – includ- The BBC’s planning statement promised a public art pro- ing heritage designations that severely limited changes to the gramme in accordance with the Council’s Unitary Development buildings. Related to this were two long-standing operational Plan and cited the ‘precedents set by Broadcasting House in the problems: an inflexible technological infrastructure that could 1930s’. An ‘externally advised Public Art Group’ within the BBC not be easily revised once in place; and boundaries that sepa rated was to provide a Public Art Plan at the determination stage of the activities according to bureaucratic habit and obsolete require- application.6 Primary responsibility for devising the programme ments. At the heart of the ‘W1 Project’ was the intention to of art rested with Modus Operandi, a firm of public art consult- bring all the BBC’s national and international news divisions to ants that formed part of the consultancy team for the proposed Broadcasting House, along with the World Service and national redevelopment.7 In January 2002 the Council’s Public Art radio.3 In November 2001 the BBC filed a planning application Advisory Panel approved the BBC’s draft proposals for a public with Westminster City Council for the extensive refurbishment art programme.8 This comprised five permanent commissions; of Broadcasting House, and the redevelopment of surrounding temporary works, mostly huge vinyl banners that concealed land. Conditional approval followed in November 2002.4 The the south elevation, or ‘prow’, of Broadcasting House during first phase of the project – the refurbishment of Broadcasting construction; education and outreach projects in which creative House, the demolition of Egton House in Langham Street and artists worked with local schools and colleges; and ‘artists-on- The author thanks Rachel Whiteread; Hazel Willis and Eoin Taylor at Rachel Proceedings of the 3rd Conference of the Interior Design/Interior Architecture Educators Whiteread’s studio; Cristina Colomar and Chloe Barter at Gagosian Gallery, Association, Wellington 2007, pp.17–25. London; Marjorie Trusted at the Victoria and Albert Museum; Jack Fortescue and 2 ‘The BBC’s management of three major estate projects’, London, National Audit Roger Kite at Acme Studios; Mark Wainwright at the Barbican Arts Group Trust; Office, Report to the BBC Trust (13th January 2010), p.12. and Richard Robinson at MJP Architects Ltd. 3 ‘BBC planning statement’ (23rd November 2001), pp.6–9; London, City of 1 See esp. C. Townsend: ‘Live As If Someone is Always Watching You’, in idem, Westminster planning application no.01/09569/FULL (cited hereafter as CWPA). ed.: The Art of Rachel Whiteread, London 2004, pp.197–213; R. Cork: ‘Rachel Broadcasting House is a Grade II* listed building. Whiteread and “Room 101’”, in E. Schneider, ed.: exh. cat. Rachel Whiteread. 4 CWPA, decision notice (28th November 2002). Walls, Doors, Floors and Stairs, Bregenz (Kunsthaus Bregenz) 2005, pp.94–100; and 5 See the report cited at note 2 above, p.13. By January 2010, the project was more R. Carley: ‘The Foreign Body: Rachel Whiteread’s “Untitled (Room 101)” in than three years behind schedule and £58 million over budget. the Italian Cast Court’, in C. McCarthy and G. Matthewson, eds.: Inhabiting Risk: 6 Planning statement cited at note 3 above, pp.37–38. 736 november 2010 • cliI • the burlington magazine MA.NOV.Lawrence.pg.proof.corrs:Layout 1 15/10/2010 16:18 Page 737 RACHEL WHITEREAD’S ‘UNTITLED (ROOM 101)’ 46. Untitled (Room 101), by Rachel Whiteread. 2003. Jesmonite and mixed media, 300 by 500 by 643 cm. (Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; photographed by Mike Bruce in 2003 in the Cast Courts of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; courtesy of Gagosian Gallery, London). site’, six commissioned responses to the history and redevelop- are videos, including Flight (2002) by Catherine Yass, first shown ment of Broadcasting House. in the 2002 Turner Prize exhibition at Tate Britain.9 The sixth Intertwined themes of intangibility and interactivity ran project, Whiteread’s Untitled (Room 101), was imbued with a through the programme. Four of the five permanent com - different kind of intangibility, the aura of combined popular missions employ lights, from Jaume Plensa’s Breathing (2005), a myth and literary allusion. roof-mounted light sculpture dedicated to journalists who have The legend that Orwell used the number of a room at the been killed in action, to Ron Haselden’s Close-up (2004– ), an BBC for the torture site in Nineteen Eighty-Four is an enduring ever-growing archive of digital portraits of staff and visitors that one. The possibility that his office was Room 101 at Broadcast- a series of LED screens displays at random. Two of the six ‘artists- ing House was sufficiently tantalising to prompt Vivien Lovell, on-site’ projects are photographic series documenting the staff Director of Modus Operandi, to invite Whiteread to visit Room and architectural transformation of Broadcasting House. Three 101 prior to its demolition.10 An article by Richard Brooks in 7 Ibid., pp.3–4. Light work (2003–06), by Tony Cooper and Martin Richman; World (unfinished), by 8 CWPA, Major Planning Applications Committee report (27th June 2002), Mark Pimlott; and Broadcasting House interior colour scheme (2004), by Antoni pp.56–57. The general terms of the Public Art Plan formed part of a legal agreement, Malinowksi. The temporary programme included: Night light (2002–03), by David dated 28th November 2002, between the BBC and the City of Westminster; CWPA. Ward; Signal (2003), by Fiona Rae; Acts of inscribing (2004), by William Furlong; and Westminster, like other local authorities, prefers a public art component in major Kerfuffle (2004), by Liz Rideal. The artists-on-site and their works were: Flight, by planning applications. Several newspaper articles have criticised the Public Art Plan Catherine Yass; Presence (2002), by Brian Catling; Between stations (2002), by Tom without accurately presenting the financial or administrative arrangements of the art Gidley; architectural documentation (2002– ), by John Riddy; Radio with pictures commissions; see, for example, A. Barnett: ‘£4m price tag of BBC art collection’, (2003– ), by Nick Danziger; and Untitled (Room 101), by Rachel Whiteread. The Observer (26th March 2006), p.7. 10 Vivien Lovell (Modus Operandi) to Whiteread, 14th March 2003; London, 9 The permanent works are: Breathing, by Jaume Plensa; Close-up, by Ron Haselden; “Untitled (Room 101)” file, Rachel Whiteread studio (cited hereafter as RWS). the burlington magazine • cliI • november 2010 737 MA.NOV.Lawrence.pg.proof.corrs:Layout 1 15/10/2010 16:18 Page 738 RACHEL WHITEREAD’S ‘UNTITLED (ROOM 101)’ 47. Plan of the first floor of Broadcasting House showing original uses. (Drawing courtesy of MJP Architects Ltd.; annotations by the author). 48. Interior of Room 101 at Broadcasting House prior to The Sunday Times quickly presented the commission as a settled demolition. 2003. matter.11 This was premature, for the necessary logistics, (Photograph by Jeremy Young). resources and official approval from the BBC Public Art Group (chaired by Alan Yentob, then Director of Drama, Entertain- ment and Children’s BBC) were not yet in place. Brooks indicated that the BBC planned to display Whiteread’s piece in part of a flight of stairs leading to the balcony of the Radio The- ‘one of several new public spaces’ after the refurbishment, an atre, the massive concert hall that was the centrepiece of Broad- aspiration consistent with the BBC’s representations to West- casting House.

Load more