I was already aware of Goldsmiths, the well-known creative college of the University of London whose alumni include Vivienne Westwood, Sam Taylor-Wood, Lucian Freud, Steven McQueen and Damien Hirst. However, I just learned today that the British government possesses a relatively new branch called the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, or DIUS, which is responsible for pretty much what it sounds like it would be. The two organizations were recently brought together when Goldsmiths students were invited to display "contemporary and challenging artwork" like Seth Pick's painting Trunk at right in the DIUS offices. Anthea Lipsett talked to DIUS for the Guardian:
Delyth Morgan, the students' minister, said: "It's not because we are the department for universities, we asked because we want to have in our space and working environment, some work that will challenge us and help to make us think.
"Governments aren't always seen as particularly creative but we do believe we have a role to play in creating the right kind of environment for artists to thrive."
Former San Francisco supervisor Matt Gonzalez was famous for letting his office in City Hall double as an art gallery, and even though I'm not in government it's been scientifically proven that I work more creatively and happily when I have every available inch of my surrounding wall space plastered with reproductions. The Goldsmiths art better work its magic on the DIUS ministers quick though; it's coming down next Monday already after only having been up for three weeks.
