The Victoria and Albert Museum Today

The Museum now has about three million objects. Many are on display in the main building in South Kensington or in the Museum of Childhood in the East End of London. Others can be seen by special appointment, or are on loan to other institutions.

Design is still central to the Museum’s activities. The galleries are being refurbished to the highest modern standards, with beautiful lighting, showcases and displays. Many of the exhibitions and events are linked to contemporary design. In Fashion in Motion, for example, fashion designers from around the world display their work in live catwalk shows.  

The art of the past is equally important. The recent Medieval & Renaissance galleries, with their sculpture, paintings, stained glass and metalwork, have been described as an ‘aesthetic and intellectual triumph’. The new Ceramics galleries cover the entire history of ceramics, from ancient Asia to modern Europe.

It is this dialogue between historic and contemporary, east and west, fine art and design, that gives the Victoria and Albert Museum its unique character.