Gilbert & George: 21ST CENTURY PICTURES 10 Unmissable Museum Shows to Catch in London
By Jo Lawson-Tancred
Frieze Week approaches in London, and with it, a veritable buffet of incredible museum shows to see around the city. A bumper crop of summer exhibitions remains on view in the U.K.’s capital city that are worth seeing before they close.
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Gilbert and George: 21st Century Pictures, Hayward Gallery, October 7–January 11, 2026.
Are there many artists more London than Gilbert and George, the duo of “living sculptures” who have been stalwarts of Spitalfields for decades? Though in their smart, suited presentations they may seem like relics of a bygone age, it turns out the artists’ practice has long been evolving alongside new technologies.
This exhibition traces these changes over 25 years, but at their core, these some 60 floor-to-ceiling installations evince Gilbert and George’s enduring preoccupation with societal taboos and anxieties around sexuality, class, and nationalism. Their work excavates the everyday artifacts of modern life, from road signs to newspaper headlines, to reflect our world back at us but, always, with their characteristic wit.
Dedicated fans of the duo will be excited to see the debut of two new works from this year’s “Screw Pictures” series. With Gilbert and George behind the scenes, you just know the word “screw” is going to have all manner of meanings.
