On top of the portico the two classical statues by the American artist Malvina Hoffman, unveiled in 1925 to symbolise the friendship across the Atlantic Ocean between America and Britain, have been dressed in fashionable blue and white shirts, jazzy cravats and trendy glasses, Today the statues announce other links across time and space, joining the classical world of Greece and Rome 2000 years ago to the artists of the modern world in a partnership between King’s College London and the Musee d’Art Classique de Mougins in France.

Why do the perfect proportions and beauty of classical buildings and art such as the Parthenon and its statues still fascinate us?   Appropriately located in two iconic classical buildings, 1920’s Bush House with its grand portico terminating Kingsway and Sir William Chambers’ late 18^th century masterpiece Somerset House, ‘The Classical Now’ provides further references to classical architecture inside with Roy Lichenstein’s ‘Temple’, Ian Hamilton Findlay’s postcard ‘With the System of Greek Architecture’ and a post-modern classicial proposal for a Canary Wharf Island Museum by Pablo Bronstein.  Whatever happened to post-modern classical architecture. Has it died to be replaced by faceless glass tower blocks?

As an introduction, ‘Liquid Antiquity’ presents video interviews by six contemporary artists including Jeff Koons and Urs Fisher who discuss the impact and inspiration of classical art on their work.  Thereafter the exhibition shows work from the 1930’s by artists including Pablo Picasso, Yves Klein, Damien Hirst, Henry Moore and Grayson Perry, interspersed with classical antiquities.  The most interesting work is when the artists twist and reshape the classical image, tearing it apart and reassembling it, as Palladio did with the classical temple, including Martin Michael-Craig’s ‘Studies for Constructions Entitled Modern(e) Muses 1 & 2’, Alex Israel’s empty ‘Self-Portrait (Wetsuit)’, Marc Quinn’s ‘All About Love: ‘Heaven’’ and George Henry Longly’s ‘Doryphoros’.   

This is a university exhibition as it should be, embedded in a research project ‘Modern Classicisms’ within the Department of Classics and linked to an art competition across the College and the Courtauld Institute of Art, also based in Somerset House, some entries for which are on display also.