The show will highlight the duo’s evolution over the past 25 years
Gilbert & George are some of the most iconic artists working today. Having spent the last five decades being ‘living sculptures’, their work acts as a record of our changing society – by incorporating text and images from everyday life in their pieces, their art opens a dialogue about social norms and taboos, things that the pair aren’t afraid to challenge.
Gilbert & George: 21ST CENTURY PICTURES, opening at the Hayward Gallery in October, will look back over the past 25 years of their careers and explore the impact that technology and digital distortion has had on their reflections of today’s society. The exhibition will feature over 60 floor-to-ceiling installations; works from key series like NEW HORNY PICTURES, THE LONDON PICTURES, THE BEARD PICTURES, and CORPSING PICTURES; and two works from their new 2025 series THE SCREW PICTURES, featuring everyday objects sourced from around their home.
Speaking about the exhibition, Rachel Thomas, Roden Chief Curator of the Hayward Gallery, says: “Gilbert & George: 21ST CENTURY PICTURES reaffirms the artists’ singular position within the landscape of British art, exploring the complexities of human existence and confronting the social issues of our time. Speaking directly to the viewer, their images dismantle boundaries of class, culture, and taste, guided by an unwavering belief that art is for all. This exhibition is not only a celebration of their extraordinary practice across this millennium, but an invitation to step into the immersive and contradictory theatre of contemporary life—as only Gilbert & George can conjure it.”
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Key Information
Dates | Tues 7th October 2025 – Sun 4th January 2026
Address | Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX
For more information | southbankcentre.co.uk