LONDON — A formal letter of protest from Lord Roberts of Belgravia and more than 50 peers prompted the National Portrait Gallery in London to issue a statement defending freedom of artistic expression. The letter concerned Helen Cammock's Turner Prize-winning artwork, "Persistence", which is installed at the gallery and includes narration comparing Winston Churchill's policies to the "wilful starvation" of Indians.

Helen Cammock, a Turner Prize-winning artist, created the 40-minute moving image piece. In the video, Cammock states, "he starved people, en masse, a little like the wilful starvation of the Indian population by Winston Churchill." Lord Roberts of Belgravia, a biographer, described this claim as a "barefaced lie" and called the film an "ideologically motivated rant."

The National Portrait Gallery confirmed it received the letter and would respond. The gallery also stated it was not aware of any visitor complaints concerning the artwork, which was commissioned in 2023 and will be on display until August. A gallery spokesperson added that the institution stated the work was "created and narrated by the artist and includes her personal reflections on historical and current events" and that "We support freedom of artistic expression while not necessarily endorsing the opinions expressed by any of the artists shown at the gallery."

Cammock explained that the work "thinks about the role of the portrait historically and its relevance today." She further clarified, "It is not a documentary, it is a creative work that explores ideas and thoughts in response to the National Portrait Gallery, its collection and its archives."