I went to Leicester last night to celebrate the fact that the Royal Academy’s exhibition on Bronze, now some time ago (it took place in autumn 2012), had been shortlisted for a so-called Research Impact award in which it was pitted against two other socially improving public projects, in which academics at the university had been prominently involved. Bronze didn’t win, but it reminded me of the tour de force whereby David Ekserdjian pulled together an astonishing assembly of bronze artefacts from all over the world at very short notice because our planned exhibition on Syria had had to be cancelled owing to the so-called Arab spring. I was glad that his public achievement was recognised.
| Charles | Saumarez | Smith | 
It was indeed an exceptional exhibition. I hadn’t realised that it was put together at such short notice : it certainly didn’t look like that.
That was such a good exhibition! It opened my eyes to the amazing range of images which could be created. I look through the catalogue frequently. I hadn’t realised that it had been organised at such short notice.