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A group of artists have demanded that their work is removed from the Design Museum in London after it hosted a controversial arms event.

Thirty artists, designers and activists wrote a letter to the museum demanding that their work is removed from the Hope to Nope exhibition, which is about political art.

The unprecedented move came after they discovered that the Kensington museum had hosted a private arms event.

The artists described it as “deeply hypocritical for the museum to display and celebrate the work of radical anti-corporate artists and activists, while quietly supporting and profiting from one of the most destructive and deadly industries in the world”.

They have called for the works to be removed by August 1. The museum has said it is responding to each signatory and has asked them to reconsider their demands.

It said the event, which was held on July 17 and organised by Leonardo – one of the biggest arms companies in the world, was a commercial event at a private property and "formed no part of the museum programme".

But it also said it would be reviewing its policies for commercial hire in the future.

According to Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), Leonardo has armed and supported human rights abusing regimes and dictatorships including Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the Philippines.

The campaign group said that the artists only learned about the event because it coincided with a talk at the museum about Jeremy Corbyn.

A participant in the talk learned the other event happening in the building was an arms reception and tweeted about it.

The artists have suggested that the museum was aware the booking of the arms event would be controversial so was “secretive” about it.

But the museum has said that using different entrances for different events is standard process "regardless of the content".

Sarah Waldron of CAAT said: “Companies like Leonardo have armed and supported human rights abusers and dictatorships across the world.

“When they host events in cultural institutions and museums it is because they are seeking a veneer of legitimacy for their terrible business.

“By hosting them the Design Museum is giving both moral and practical support to an industry based on death and destruction.”

A museum statement said it was "proud of the Hope to Nope: Graphics and Politics 2008-18 exhibition" and said: "We believe that it is important to give political graphics a platform at the museum.

"The museum has clearly shown that it believes in the importance of giving the views expressed in the exhibition a hearing, without suggesting that it is taking a position on them itself," the statement said, adding: "The museum puts the visitor at the heart of everything it does, so we have urged exhibitors who have asked to have their work removed from display to reconsider their decision – in the interests of our visitors."

The spokesman said the arms event was "a private party" which "formed no part of the museum’s programme or had any endorsement from the museum".

"Having listened to the concerns of those exhibitors, the Design Museum is undertaking a thorough review of its policies and is extending it to its commercial activities.

"We have entered a dialogue in the hope of ensuring that the exhibits remain in place until the exhibition closes to the public on 12 August, to make sure as many people as possible have the opportunity to see the variety of work on display.

"In light of this, we are committing not to have any private event hires from defence, fossil fuels and tobacco companies while we undertake our policy review.”

The Evening Standard has approached Leonardo for comment.