Lunder Institute @ Royal Academy of Arts
Lunder Institute @ invites art institutions worldwide to critically examine American art—its history, future, and ongoing evolution—through internal, cross-departmental conversations, and to share their findings through public programming.
Lunder Institute @ Royal Academy of Arts looks at the mid-20th century's unprecedented rise in the global influence of American art. Artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe, Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, and, later, Faith Ringgold positioned the United States – and New York in particular – at the centre of a creative zeitgeist that left an indelible mark on contemporary art.
The American character of this moment was unmistakable: in O’Keeffe’s reverence for the New Mexico desert landscape, Pollock’s radical inventiveness, Warhol’s embrace of consumer culture and Ringgold’s activist practice.
Panelists
Carrie Scott is an American/English curator, art historian, TV presenter and art writer living in London. Over the past 16 years she has worked with numerous galleries, businesses, collectors and artists worldwide. While at the University of Washington, Seattle doing a Master’s in Art History, Scott was noted curator of the Hedreen Gallery at Seattle University's Lee Center, and Director of the James Harris Gallery also in Seattle, Washington. While working with James Harris she curated the first solo show of Rashid Johnson’s work outside of Chicago. From there she went on to be Director of Nicole Klagsbrun gallery in New York. In 2008, she opened Carrie Scott & Partners, a business that is at once an art consultancy, gallery, and curatorial endeavor. Scott has published numerous articles and essays on artists, and appeared as a presenter on The Art Show, where she interviewed artists in their studios. She continues to work with galleries and contemporary artists on groundbreaking exhibitions.
Zoé Whitley, PhD is an award-winning American curator and writer who lives and works in London. Named an honorary recipient of an OBE for Services to Art, Whitley led the vanguard arts space Chisenhale Gallery as Director (2020-2025). Her tenure resulted in artist commissions acquired by the Whitney Museum of American Art, Henie Onstad Kunstsenter, Norway and Mudam Luxembourg, among others. Curatorial projects span exhibitions and publications at the V&A (2003-2013); Studio Museum in Harlem (2013-14); Tate Britain (2013-15); Tate Modern (2014-19, notably co-curating Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power); and the Hayward Gallery (2019). She curated the British Pavilion at the 58th Venice Biennale by artist Cathy Wilkes. Internationally notable committee roles include the London Mayor’s Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm, Future Generation Art Prize (Ukraine), Preis der Nationalgalerie (Germany), Sam Gilliam Award (USA), Sobey Art Award (Canada), Suzanne Deal Booth/ FLAG Art Foundation Prize (USA), and Turner Prize (UK), as well as selection committee participation for the Scottish (2022) and British (2026) artist representatives at the Venice Biennale. Editor of solid!, the comprehensive Barkley L. Hendricks monograph, she has also authored children's books on Frank Bowling and Sophie Taeuber-Arp. Whitley is a trustee of Teiger Foundation, Gasworks and Sir John Soane’s Museum.
In 2026, Zoé Whitley participated in The Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center Residency, where she worked on a forthcoming new Thames & Hudson monograph on Barbara Kruger. She is Betye Saar’s official biographer.
Alvaro Barrington was born to Grenadian and Haitian parents and raised between the Caribbean and New York; and since graduating has spent time living between New York and London. Informed by his personal experience, Barrington’s practice explores interconnected histories of cultural production. His ‘GARVEY’ series examines the cultural exchanges of early 20th century London and the Harlem Renaissance – both sites of large-scale migration from the Caribbean at the height of Modernism – and their ongoing influence on artistic output and notions of self-hood, sexuality, the soul, identity, nurture and community. Considering himself primarily a painter, Barrington’s multimedia approach to image-making employs burlap, textiles, postcards and clothing, exploring how materials themselves can function as visual tools while referencing their personal, political and commercial histories.
Rebecca Jones is a journalist and broadcaster who worked for the BBC for nearly 30 years, as the Arts Correspondent and Chief News Presenter. She regularly chairs conferences and hosts talks and events for a range of organizations. She has judged arts awards, including Museum of the Year and serves on the board of Dancers’ Career Development. She is a former trustee of the Henry Barber Institute of Fine Arts.