Tate Modern is one of the world’s headliners when it comes to rare art jewels on display. As we’re firmly heading to the middle of 2024, the art gallery has already revealed its 2025 program for all art enthusiasts and appreciators of one-of-a-kind artwork to get ready and anticipate the audacious exhibitions. So, what does the gallery have in store for picky art aficionados in the coming year?
Tribute to Leigh Bowery
An exhibition scheduled to open for visitors in February 2025 will celebrate the legacy of Leigh Bowery, a charismatic performance artist of Australian origin who shook the foundations of art in the second half of the 20th century. Bowery inspired many masterpieces of Lucian Freud, Michael Clark, and Nick Knight, the musical works of Lady Gaga, and the fashion collections of Alexander McQueen. The exhibition is organized in partnership with Nicola Rainbird, the present-day director and owner of the Estate of Leigh Bowery.
The Picasso Display
After a series of criticisms and bans, Picasso’s art is regaining ground in European galleries. Another centerpiece of the 2025 program at Tate is the display of Picasso’s world-famous paintings and selected works illuminating his attitudes to sex, death, and dance as a political tool. The exhibition is titled Picasso: Three Dancers after the artist’s audacious 1925 painting.
Aboriginal Art
As Tate Modern is dedicated to celebrating the versatility of global art, it also reserves a spot for the exhibition of a well-known Aboriginal artist of Australian descent, Emily Kam Kngwarray. Starting to paint only at the dawn of her life – in 1988 – Kngwarray left an immense legacy of 3,000 paintings that depict the vibrance of Australian native people’s culture. This exhibition will become the first display of Kngwarray’s works ever held in Europe, so it is definitely worth visiting.
Nigerian Modernism
A special exhibition of Nigerian modern art will be held starting in October 2025 to familiarize the attendees with Nigerian artwork created within a specific historical period – 1950-1970. This period embraces one decade before and one decade after Nigeria’s liberation from British colonial rule, aiming to explore the cultural and artistic change in the Nigerian community of artists. Special highlights of this collection include the works by Ladi Kwali and Ben Enwonwu.
What Else to Expect at Tate Modern?
Tate is a leader in holding non-trivial art exhibitions where no visitors will get bored. Knowledgeable gallery attendees will surely be pleased to find a large collection of Ed Atkins’s paintings, the UK surrealist genre’s representatives, and an art “battle” of JMW Turner’s and John Constable’s approaches.
