Colchester Priory and Firstsite Gallery
Firstsite is the East of England's contemporary visual arts organisation. From its spectacular golden building designed by world-renowned architect Rafael Viñoly, firstsite presents a varied and challenging programme of exhibitions, commissions, residencies and screenings, in a broad range of media and art forms, by nationally and internationally acclaimed artists - so the blurb goes. Or, as the Telegraph commented, "A £28m art gallery has been condemned as a waste of public money amid claims more than half of its visitors only entered to use the lavatory. The Firstsite art gallery in Colchester, Essex, first opened its doors to the public in September 2011 with the aim of attracting 150,000 visitors every year. But the attraction - which aims to make "contemporary art relevant to everyone" - has now come under the spotlight amid claims the majority of people were leaving within two minutes of coming through the doors. Instead of coming to see the artworks ...