Letter:Past and present key to art

HOW extraordinary that your art critic Tim Hilton failed to see the point of the exhibition "Time Machine'', organised by the British Museum in collaboration with the Institute of International Visual Arts. How can he have failed to notice the wor k of so many exciting young artists intervening in the traditional space of the museum? The past and present are not easily separated, as the artists demonstrate. It is the conjuncture of ancient and modern, Europe and Africa which has fuelled the most e xciting art of our century, from Wilfredo Lam to Pablo Picasso.

Gilane Tawadros Director, Institute of International Visual Arts London W1