The echoes of historic conflicts continue to resonate in the scenes we witness each day in the news — and the Imperial War Museums (IWM) contribute to our understanding of not just history, but of present-day war and conflict.
Just since the last election, it’s been a time of extraordinary change — in the U.K. we’ve had significant political change, three prime ministers and five secretaries of state for culture. We have war on the continent of Europe and a brutal conflict in Israel and Gaza. Globally we’ve dealt with the pandemic and its aftermath including a cost of living crisis. And anyone visiting our museums will be struck by some of the similarities of the world that we live in today with the world of the 1930s.
Against this backdrop, the IWM Trustees and leadership team invested significantly in our museums. A refurbished HMS Belfast, an enhanced Churchill War Rooms, the launch of the IWM Institute, a game changer in our ability to increase and diversify our audiences, and three brand new galleries at IWM London.
The Holocaust and World War II galleries opened to great acclaim in 2021 — but no one could have foreseen their terrible relevance today with the events that are taking place in Ukraine and in the Middle East.
Our most recent gallery, IWM London’s new Blavatnik Art, Film and Photography Galleries, opened in November to coincide with Remembrance. For the first time in our over 100 year history we have dedicated galleries to showcase our art collections.
Museums are not just guardians of history, preserving the stories, sacrifices, and legacies of the past. They also serve as a necessary link between the past, present and future, offering invaluable insight that can help us make sense of difficult, complex and challenging subjects.
Through objects, personal testimonies and exhibitions IWM furthers empathy and understanding of the human cost of conflict
At the centre of the remarkable new art galleries is John Singer Sargent’s monumental painting Gassed, depicting the aftermath of a mustard gas attack on the Western Front in August 1918. The inclusion of soldiers playing football in the background reminds viewers that life carries on amidst horror. Art sometimes can elicit and convey emotions more strongly than facts …
Through objects, personal testimonies and exhibitions across its five sites, IWM furthers empathy and understanding of the human cost of conflict, the complexities of war and its consequences. This provides crucial perspective for the public, academics and policymakers alike – a perspective which can be too readily overlooked when debate is febrile and polarised. “In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies,” is the quotation, from Winston Churchill, that meets visitors to the our new exhibition Spies, Lies and Deception.
As a result of the response we received to the exhibition at IWM London, we will open Northern Ireland: Living With The Troubles at IWM Manchester next month, exploring diverse perspectives on events that took place — visitors inevitably have deeply held and polarised views about the rights and wrongs of nearly 30 years of conflict, including visitors from the UK and overseas, and politicians from all sides of the political divide. Against such a starkly divided backdrop, the response to the exhibition was calm, measured, thoughtful and reflective.
IWM has been proudly and sensitively helping people make sense of their place in the world since we were formed in 1917, amidst the most devastating global conflict the world had seen. So it’s no surprise that today — with conflict raging in so many countries across the world — IWM is more pertinent than ever. The number of foreign dignitaries who prioritise a visit to Churchill War Rooms among their busy schedules are there — at least in part — to learn from the lessons of history.
By promoting a better understanding of cause, course and consequences of war and conflict, IWM serves as a catalyst to greater understanding and empathy. As we navigate the complexities of our time, these are essential building blocks towards a more peaceful, informed and compassionate future.
