LETTER : State of the art at the Hayward

Tim Hilton's analysis of the state of the Hayward Gallery does not make it clear that Richard Rodgers's pounds 100m-plus proposals for the South Bank do not sufficiently redress the lack of space which limits the exhibitions the Hayward is able to envisage.

Regarding the history of the Hayward and its loss of auto- nomy and identity since its absorption into the South Bank Centre, Hilton is correct. When I was approached about the directorship on the retirement of Joanna Drew, I made it clear I would only be interested if the post was substantially more senior than that advertised. The downgrading of the Hayward into a subsidiary department of an amorphous arts centre is one of the great recent tragedies of the London art world. This must be addressed before an improvement in its fortunes can be expected.

David Elliott

Museum of Modern Art

Oxford