After a 20 year reign at the helm of the Tate Galleries, 'Sir' Nicholas Serota, whose contract was about to expire has been made a 'permanent employee.'
Trustees took advantage of a change in employment law to push through the permanent appointment on the quiet.The appointment does in fact have to have the approval of the Prime Minister.A 'source' from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said the department 'does not know anything about this, as far as I am aware' some thirty minutes after the trustees
took the decision.
Critics like Bevis Hillier had sent a petition calling on Gordon Brown to veto the appointment but it was ignored.
Serota has championed (controversially) Damien Hirst and the 'Modernist' artists and broke a charity law by buying a work for £600.000 by Chris Ofili, who was a trustee at the time.
Earlier this year too, the Tate stood accused of boosting the careers of its trustees in buying
paintings by members of the Board.


Contradiction, cool
conning but no contrition or contest
in so-called contract.

'A Nicholas is
for life, not just for Christmas.'
(Serota, that is.)