Tate Closes Rex Whistler Restaurant After Criticism of Racist Mural | Eater London

"The Pimlico gallery says it has been open about the deeply problematic racist imagery in the Rex Whistler mural and undertook a consultation to determine the dining room’s future; the findings, published in February 2022, state that directors and trustees had already agreed in 2020 that the room should no longer be used as a restaurant and that a new, bolder approach was needed. Tate has told the public it will reopen the room as a “display space” featuring a new site-specific installation by a contemporary artist exhibited alongside and in dialogue with the mural, plus a new display of interpretative material to critically engage with the mural’s history and content, while offering less detail on when or if fine-dining will return to Tate Britain and saying it will develop new dining offers in other spaces as and when viable. Eater has contacted Tate representatives repeatedly over 18 months about the mural and restaurant and was not informed of the directors’ 2020 decision until the consultation findings were published." - Adam Coghlan