What’s On

The first UK retrospective of the groundbreaking Colombian artist, Beatriz González, whose bold work explores the power and impact of the images we encounter every day.

Bringing together over 150 artworks, many showing in the UK for the first time, this major exhibition explores Beatriz González’s influential practice from the 1960s to now.

From her monumental paintings to repurposed furniture, wallpaper and installations, González draws from found images in popular postcards, reproductions of Western art, and newspaper clippings. In her distinctive graphic style and vivid palette, she transforms these images, playfully questioning ideas of taste, critiquing power structures, bearing witness to violence and offering moving reflections on grief, displacement and community.

£19

Tue–Wed 10am–6pm (last entry 5pm)

Thu–Fri 10am–8pm (last entry 7pm)

Sat–Sun 10am–6pm (last entry 5pm)

Bank Holidays 12–6pm (last entry 5pm)

Chiharu Shiota is best-known for her large-scale installations which engulf ordinary objects – such as shoes, keys, beds, chairs and dresses – within huge web structures made from woollen thread.

The resulting works are immersive and deeply emotive, often drawing from personal experience, which Shiota expands into universal human concerns such as life, death and relationships.

Accompanied by new large-scale sculptures, drawings, early performance videos and photographs, the artist’s signature works are woven from floor-to-ceiling across the Hayward Gallery’s top floor, responding to the gallery’s iconic brutalist architecture in a truly atmospheric presentation.

The exhibition features new iterations of Shiota’s past monumental installations, including During Sleep (2026), which is activated with performances throughout the run of the exhibition.

During Sleep performances are free with a ticket to the exhibition and take place on Saturday 7 March, 11 April & 2 May, 10am – 1pm.

£19

Tue – Fri, 10am – 6pm
Sat, 10am – 8pm
Sun, 10am – 6pm

This exhibition is on display alongside the exhibition Yin Xiuzhen: Heart to Heart.
Each ticket includes entry to both exhibitions.

The Courtauld presents the first ever exhibition dedicated to the seascapes of the French artist Georges Seurat (1859–1891). This major, focused display will be the first devoted to Seurat in the UK in almost 30 years. It will chart the evolution of his radical and distinctive style through the recurring motif of the sea.

The Courtauld holds the largest collection of works by Seurat in the UK. The artist is best known as the creator of the Neo-Impressionist technique, in which shapes and light are rendered by juxtaposing small dots of pure colour. Due to his early death at the age of 31, Seurat has a very small pool of works and exhibitions devoted to him are rare.

The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Seurat and the Sea will bring together 26 paintings, oil sketches and drawings made by Seurat during the five summers he spent on the northern coast of France, between 1885 and 1890. Working in port towns along the English Channel, including Honfleur, Port-en-Bessin and Gravelines, Seurat captured their seascapes, regattas and port activity in his distinctive Neo-Impressionist technique. He sought, in his words, ‘to wash his eyes of the days spent in the studio [in Paris] and to translate in the most faithful manner the bright clarity, in all its nuances’.

These works are an important counterpoint to his Parisian works, which are better known and more widely studied. This exhibition will therefore provide a unique opportunity to reassess an important but often overlooked aspect of Seurat’s career.

Adult £18 (£20 with donation)

Daily 10:00 – 18:00 (last entry 17:15)

Lucian Freud: Drawing into Painting will be the UK’s most comprehensive museum exhibition to focus on the artist’s works on paper, including some works seen on display for the first time.

Lucian Freud (1922-2011) achieved recognition as one of Britain’s foremost figurative painters, celebrated for his clinically raw and intensely observed portraits and nude studies. Freud’s working practice, artistic techniques and processes, alongside his dedication to the genre of portraiture all contribute to his popularity as an artist.

The exhibition explores the artist’s lifelong preoccupation with the human face and figure from the 1930s to the early 21st century, focusing on Freud’s mastery of drawing in all its forms – from pencil, pen, and ink to charcoal and etching. In addition, a carefully selected group of important paintings will reveal the dynamic dialogue between his practice on paper and on canvas.

Ahead of the exhibition in 2026, the National Portrait Gallery has acquired 12 new works from the estate of Lucian Freud. Among these are 8 etchings, including a trial proof, which are the first of their medium by Freud to enter the National Portrait Gallery’s Collection. One of the newly acquired etchings, which depicts the artist’s fashion-designer daughter, Bella Freud, will feature in the new exhibition, alongside archive research and previously unseen materials.

Lucian Freud: Drawing into Painting is the first exhibition of Freud’s work at the National Portrait Gallery since the major retrospective Lucian Freud Portraits held in 2012, shortly after his death.

£23-25 / £25.50-27.50 with donation

Open daily: 10.30 – 18.00
Friday & Saturday: 10.30 – 21.00

Curated by Angela Thomas, this new exhibition will explore artistic expression and mental health. Through depictions of deeply personal and collective experiences, it examines the powerful ways in which artists capture vulnerability, resilience, and their search for solace.

Including the work of a diverse range of twentieth century and contemporary artists and their varying perspectives, The Weight of Being will showcase how artists have captured the psychological and emotional impact of societal pressures, resilience in the face of adversity, and existential uncertainty.

Alongside dozens of artworks drawn from galleries and collections across the UK, the portraits, landscapes, and figurative studies of the lesser-known artist John Wilson McCracken (1936–1982) are woven throughout. Denied the opportunity to return to the Slade School of Art following a period of hospitalisation for mental health reasons, McCracken spent much of his career in Hartlepool, producing work that reflects a profound sensitivity to the emotional and social pressures of his time. Shaped by personal and collective struggles, his art offers a deeply human perspective on the exhibition’s themes, revealing how external forces imprint themselves on the mind, body, and creative spirit.

Through the wide range of artists, mediums, and represented demographics, The Weight of Being is intended to spark meaningful conversations about resilience, identity, and emotional well-being, offering a profound reflection on the toll of existence and the strength found in shared experiences, ultimately fostering hope and deepening understanding.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a wide-ranging programme of cultural events for adults and children including talks, conversations, workshops, music and Wednesday Late openings until 9pm, as well as our acclaimed programme for state sector primary schools.

The Weight of Being is a Two Temple Place exhibition, conceived and curated by Angela Thomas, as part of our cultural programme. Angela Thomas has been curator at Hartlepool Art Gallery for four years, where she leads a varied exhibition programme featuring contemporary art, photography, and the historic collection of Hartlepool Borough Council.

Free

Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 11am – 6pm
Wednesday: 11am – 9pm
Sunday: 11am – 4.30pm
Last entry is 20 mins before closing

27 November 2025 – 12 April 2026

Tate Britain presents the first major exhibition to explore the intertwined lives and legacies of Britain’s most revered landscape artists: JMW Turner (1775–1851) and John Constable (1776–1837).

Radically different painters and personalities, each challenged artistic conventions of the time, developing ways of picturing the world which still resonate today. Marking the 250th anniversaries of their births, this exhibition traces the development of their careers in parallel, revealing how they were celebrated, criticised and pitted against each other, and how this pushed them to new and original artistic visions. It features over 190 paintings and works on paper, from Turner’s momentous 1835 The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons, lent by the Cleveland Museum of Art and not seen in Britain for over 60 years, to The White Horse 1819, one of Constable’s greatest artistic achievements, last exhibited in London two decades ago.

Monday to Sunday 10.00–18.00

£24

Victorious Cupid, on special loan from the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin and never-before-seen in public in the UK, is the centrepiece of this exhibition. It is presented with two ancient Roman sculptures that, more than four hundred years ago, belonged to the same distinguished collection.

All three works belonged to Marchese Vincenzo Giustiniani (1564–1637), one of the most celebrated collectors of his day. In his grand palazzo near the Pantheon in Rome, Caravaggio’s Cupid was displayed with other works by Raphael, Titian and Giorgione, as well as an extensive gallery of classical sculpture. Life-size and painted from nature, Cupid stands with wings spread, arrows in hand and with a playful smile, surrounded by the fallen symbols of human achievement.

This free exhibition invites visitors to enter the world of 17th-century Rome, where artists, scholars and collectors debated the merits of painting and sculpture. The exhibition recreates the spirit of Giustiniani’s palace, bringing together ancient sculpture and Caravaggio’s startling vision in the way his guests would once have experienced it.

7 November 2025 – 10 May 2026

‘Wright of Derby: From the Shadows’ is the first major exhibition dedicated to the British artist’s ‘candlelight’ paintings.

Illuminated faces gather around a variety of objects – from classical sculptures and scientific instruments to bones, bladders and animals. Through his unflinching scenes of people watching, Wright of Derby proposes moral questions about acts of looking. The strong light and deep shadows create drama, reminding us of great painters from earlier centuries like Caravaggio.

Challenging the traditionally held view of Wright of Derby as a figurehead of the Enlightenment, this exhibition contributes to the ongoing re-evaluation of the artist, portraying him not merely as a ‘painter of light’. More than virtuoso scenes of dramatic light and shade, Wright of Derby used the night-time to explore deeper and more sombre themes, including death, melancholy, morality, scepticism and the sublime.

With over twenty works, including other paintings, mezzotints, works on paper and objects the exhibition explores both Wright of Derby’s artistic practice and the historic context of scientific and artistic development in which they were made.

Lead image:

Joseph Wright of Derby, A Philosopher Giving That Lecture on the Orrery in Which a Lamp Is Put in Place, 1764-1766

Derby Museum and Art Gallery (1884-168) © Derby Museums

7 November 2025 – 28 February 2026

Annely Juda Fine Art announces its inaugural exhibition at the gallery’s new space on Hanover Square with works by David Hockney.  Opening in early November 2025, the exhibition will debut a series of new paintings alongside the first full presentation in the UK of Hockney’s “The Moon Room”.

Hockney’s fourteenth exhibition at the gallery, and following his celebrated exhibition at Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris this summer, this show will debut never-seen-before paintings completed in his London studio over the last six months, underpinning Hockney’s unwavering commitment to and vigour for the act of painting and cementing him as perhaps the most iconic artist of today.

These very, very, very new paintings mark the most developed stage yet in Hockney’s dedication to ‘reverse perspective’ in paint. For decades, Hockney has observed that traditional linear perspective in art and photography doesn’t reflect how humans actually see: we have peripheral vision, we move and we constantly generate multiple viewpoints. Viewing is therefore not static, but dynamic and experiential. It’s not an inversion of perspective that interests Hockney, but an expansion of the possibilities of representation. In these recent canvases, which depict colourful interior scenes, he disrupts planar perspective and engineers multiple vanishing points in a single picture, bringing us closer to the lived experience of perception.

The show will also include “The Moon Room”, comprising 15 iPad paintings of the night sky. The moon works were created in 2020 outside Hockney’s Normandy studio in France throughout the seasons and, just as previous iPad works have, these works capture a joy in nature, this time brightly illuminated by moonlight.  Influences of Van Gogh are present, yet Hockney’s signature use of line and colour is unmistakable.  With the ability to paint easily en plein air, Hockney enjoys the speed with which he can capture light with the iPad, evident in the luminosity of these works.

Free

Tuesday – Friday 10am – 5.30pm. Saturday 11am – 5pm.

Celebrating four decades of ground-breaking contemporary art, The Long Now is an expansive group show presenting new works by iconic artists closely associated with the Gallery’s dynamic history, alongside fresh voices from a new generation.

Spanning two floors and nine major exhibition spaces, the exhibition features special commissions, installations, painting and sculpture, and culminates with Richard Wilson’s iconic 20:50. A landmark in Saatchi Gallery’s history, 20:50 has been shown at each of the Gallery’s past locations and now, for the first time, is presented on the top floor.

Filling the space with recycled engine oil, it creates a mirrored environment that both disorients and captivates. In the context of today’s climate crisis, the work takes on renewed resonance, inviting reflection on the fragility of our surroundings, community, and environmental uncertainty.

The Long Now takes its name from a concept of fostering long-term thinking and challenging throwaway culture. Newly created works appear alongside historic pieces that remain impactful and relevant, continuing Saatchi Gallery’s tradition of showing art of the present while giving artists the space to realise ambitious ideas.

The exhibition opens with works exploring process and mark-making – a fundamental human gesture reimagined by Alice Anderson, Rannva Kunoy and Carolina Mazzolari. This spirit of experimentation runs through works by Tim Noble, André Butzer, Dan Colen, Jake Chapman and Polly Morgan, who push subject, style and scale.

At the centre stands Jenny Saville’s monumental Passage (2004). Combining strength and beauty, it exemplifies her ambition to “be a painter of modern life, and modern bodies.” The work anchors the exhibition’s energy, inviting a powerful and intimate encounter with the human form.

Painting, a constant in Saatchi Gallery’s programme, is further represented by Alex Katz, Michael Raedecker, Ansel Krut, Martine Poppe and Jo Dennis, alongside new and emerging voices who continue to expand the medium’s possibilities.

Immersive installations shift the focus from viewing to participation. Allan Kaprow’s YARD, with its chaotic arrangement of tyres, encourages movement and play, while Conrad Shawcross’s suspended Golden Lotus (Inverted) transforms a vintage car into a kinetic sculpture, prompting reflection on transformation, agency and the role of the viewer.

The exhibition raises questions of technology and the future, with Chino Moya, Mat Collishaw and Tom Hunter reflecting on surveillance, automation and AI – considering how the digital world permeates contemporary life.

Themes of fragility and climate change weave throughout. Gavin Turk’s fractured Bardo suggests cultural decay and the precarious balance between permanence and collapse, while works by Olafur Eliasson, Chris Levine and Frankie Boyle use light to create moments of contemplation. Environmental concerns are explored by Edward Burtynsky, Steven Parrino, Peter Buggenhout, Ibrahim Mahama, Ximena Garrido Lecca and Christopher Le Brun, who address extraction, waste and renewal.

Curated by Philippa Adams (Senior Director, Saatchi Gallery 1999- 2020).

Featured artists:

Alice Anderson, Olivia Bax, Frankie Boyle, Edward Burtynsky, Peter Buggenhout, André Butzer, Jake Chapman, Mat Collishaw, Dan Colen, John Currin, Jo Dennis, Zhivago Duncan, Olafur Eliasson, Rafael Gómezbarros, Ximena Garrido-Lecca, Damien Hirst, Tom Hunter, Henry Hudson, Alex Katz, Allan Kaprow, Maria Kreyn, Ansel Krut, Rannva Kunoy, Christopher Le Brun, Chris Levine, Ibrahim Mahama, Carolina Mazzolari, Jeff McMillan, Misha Milovanovich, Polly Morgan, Ryan Mosley, Chino Moya, Tim Noble, Alejandro Ospina, Steven Parrino, Martine Poppe, Michael Raedecker, Sterling Ruby, Jenny Saville, Conrad Shawcross, Soheila Sokhanvari, John Squire, Dima Srouji, Gavin Turk, Richard Wilson, Alexi Williams Wynn.

8 October 2025 – 10 May 2026

Explore the artists who revolutionised modern art in Nigeria in the mid-20th century.

Set against the backdrop of cultural and artistic rebellion, Nigerian Modernism celebrates the achievements of Nigerian artists working before and after the decade of national independence from British colonial rule in 1960.

Nigerian Modernism tells the story of artistic networks that spanned Zaria, Ibadan, Lagos, and Enugu, as well as London, Munich, and Paris. Through groups like the Zaria Art Society and Mbari Artists’ and Writers’ Club, they fused Nigerian, African and European techniques and traditions to create vibrant, multidimensional works.

Explore a diverse range of paintings, sculpture, textiles and poetry from over 50 artists including Uzo Egonu, El Anatsui, Ladi Kwali and Ben Enwonwu MBE.

List of artists:

Jonathan Adagogo Green, Tayo Adenaike, Jacob Afolabi, Adebisi Akanji, Justus D. Akeredolu, Jimo Akolo, El Anatsui, Chike C. Aniakor, Abayomi Barber, Georgina Beier, Alexander “Skunder” Boghossian, Jimoh Buraimoh, Avinash Chandra, Nike Davies-Okundaye, Ndidi Dike, Uzo Egonu, Ibrahim El-Salahi, Afi Ekong, Erhabor Emokpae, Ben Enwonwu, Sir Jacob Epstein, Clara Etso Ugbodaga-Ngu, Okpu Eze, Adebisi Fabunmi, Agboola Folarin, Buraimoh Gbadamosi, Sàngódáre Gbádégesin Àjàlá, Yusuf Grillo, Felix Idubor, Solomon Irein Wangboje, Ladi Kwali, Akinola Lasekan, Jacob Lawrence, Valente Malangatana, Naoko Matsubara, Demas Nwoko, Olu Oguibe, Rufus Ogundele, J.D Ojeikere, Emmanuel Okechukwu Odita, Simon Okeke, Uche Okeke, Olowe of Ise, Asiru Olatunde, Lamidi Olonade Fakeye, Oseloka Okwudili Osadebe, Aina Onabolu, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Ben Osawe, Muraina Oyelami, Ru van Rossem, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Gerard Sekoto, Twins Seven Seven, Ahmad Shibrain, F.N. Souza, Ada Udechukwu, Obiora Udechukwu, Etso Clara Ugbodaga-Ngu and Susanne Wenger.

17 September 2025 – 12 April 2026

Experience Picasso’s works in a new way with an exhibition staged by contemporary artists.

Pablo Picasso was fascinated by performers and their ability to transform. He was inspired by the dancers, entertainers and bullfighters he painted. He borrowed from them to create his own public persona: Picasso, the Artist.

Marking the centenary of his famous painting The Three Dancers, this exhibition, staged by celebrated contemporary artist Wu Tsang and author and curator Enrique Fuenteblanca, sheds new light on Picasso’s work. They will transform the exhibition space into a theatre for displaying over 45 works by Picasso from Tate’s collection, alongside key European loans. This includes paintings, sculpture, textile and works on paper, some never seen in the UK before.

Through his persona, Picasso cultivated a myth surrounding himself as both a celebrated artist and an outsider. The way that he did this can be examined through the contemporary idea of ‘performativity’ – how words and actions can effect change and form identity. This persona was always fascinated by alternative lives and the tension between popular culture and the avant-garde. It accompanied him throughout his life and continues to shape how we imagine the role of the artist today.