Arnolfini, Bristol
The Arnolfini | |
Arnolfini Location map for Arnolfini | |
| Established | 1961 |
|---|---|
| Location | Bristol, England |
| Coordinates | 51°26′57″N 2°35′50″W / 51.4492°N 2.5972°W |
| Type | Art Gallery, Performance Arts, Cinema |
| Visitors | 500,000 (2013/2014) |
| Website | arnolfini |
Listed Building – Grade II* | |
| Official name | Bush House |
| Designated | 20 June 1973 |
| Reference no. | 1282181 |
Arnolfini is an international arts centre and gallery in Bristol, England. It has a programme of contemporary art exhibitions, artist's performance, music and dance events, poetry and book readings, talks, lectures and cinema. There is also a specialist art bookshop and a café bar. Educational activities are undertaken and experimental digital media work supported by online resources. Festivals are hosted by the gallery.
The gallery was founded in 1961 by Jeremy Rees, and was located in Clifton. In the 1970s it moved to Queen Square, before moving to its present location, Bush House on Bristol's waterfront, in 1975. The name of the gallery is taken from Jan van Eyck's 15th-century painting The Arnolfini Portrait. Arnolfini was refurbished and redeveloped in 1989 and 2005. Artists whose work has been exhibited include Paul McCartney, Bridget Riley, Rachel Whiteread, Richard Long and Jack Yeats. Performers have included Goat Island Performance Group, the Philip Glass Ensemble, and Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company. The gallery reached a new audience in April 2010, when it was chosen to host one of the three 2010 general election debates.