Vincula began with a challenge to all current students at the Slade to develop their own practices while taking the time to consider and appreciate what has gone before.

Over one term students were given special access to thousands of remarkable and historically important artworks from the Museum’s collections. They excavated deep to discover a number of hidden treasures: a rare portrait print by William Blake of the physiognomist Johann Caspar Lavater, an early chalk drawing of a lion clearly based on hearsay, carefully delineated elevations of UCL’s main building by the architect William Wilkins, a bird’s eye view of 17^th-century Rome, a hand-coloured Japanese woodblock print of a flying bat – and more.

UCL Art Museum presented the work of twelve Slade students – all of whom appropriated, undermined and/or re-interpreted past masters to create individual, contemporary works in a range of media, including painting, print, sound and video.

Vincula marked the fourth annual collaboration between the Slade School of Fine Art and UCL Art Museum. Previous collaborations include Sequel (2009), Transfer (2010) and Moreover (2011).

Slade artists included: Katie Aggett, Alan Chan, Philippa Connolly, Robert Crosse, Yvonne Feng, Ian Giles, Estelle Holland, Laura Kuch, James Ng, Ninna Pedersen, Kristan Saloky, Freddy Tuppen.

The exhibition was located at UCL Art Museum, South Cloisters, University College London, Gower Street, WC1E 6BT.

www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/May2012/02052012-vincula-slade-revisits-ucl-art-collections