Southport hosts major Gilbert and George exhibition this winter
The Atkinson in Southport has secured an artistic coup by becoming the first venue in the north west to host a major exhibition of the work of Gilbert & George for more than 30 years.
ARTIST ROOMS: Gilbert & George will run at the Lord Street venue from November 7 to February 20, 2027.
Entry is free.
The influential artistic partnership of 83-year-old Gilbert Prousch and George Passmore, 84, stretches back almost 60 years and is notable for vibrant large-scale works that combine photography, text and found objects, and which centre the human experience, and their radical expansion of the concept of sculpture.
Recurring themes include religion, sexuality, race and identity, and the tensions and desires generated by life in the modern metropolis.
The pair - who first met while studying sculpture at St Martin's College of Art in the late 1960s - won the Turner Prize in 1986, and enjoyed a major retrospective at the Tate Modern in 2007. They remain among Britain's most influential contemporary artists, with work held in major collections worldwide.
The Atkinson exhibition spans decades of practice from the rarely seen charcoal-on-paper sculpture The Nature of Our Looking 1970 and early video works including Gordon's Makes Us Drunk 1972 and In the Bush 1972, to larger multi-part, brightly coloured works such as EXISTSERS 1984 and FAITH DROP 1991.
Exhibitions and Learning Officer Jemma Tynan says: “To welcome the work of Gilbert & George to The Atkinson is a very special moment for us.
“Their bold vision has shaped contemporary art for decades, and we’re delighted to be working with ARTIST ROOMS to give our visitors the chance to experience these incredible works. I am sure everyone is going to enjoy seeing these ‘larger-than-life’ works in a truly memorable exhibition.”
Above: Gilbert & George The Nature of Our Looking 1970: Tate © Gilbert and George. Courtesy of The Gilbert & George Centre / Photo © Tate.
Top: Gilbert & George LIGHT HEADED 1991: ARTIST ROOMS Tate and National Galleries of Scotland © Gilbert and George. Courtesy of The Gilbert & George Centre / Photo © National Galleries of Scotland
ARTIST ROOMS tours single-artist exhibitions drawn from a national collection jointly owned by Tate and the National Galleries of Scotland.
Ceri Lewis, Senior Curator, ARTIST ROOMS at Tate & National Galleries of Scotland, adds: “Gilbert & George championed ‘art for all’, wanting their art to speak directly to people about their life. Connecting people with art is the mission of ARTIST ROOMS, and we're passionate that our national collections can be seen and shared right across the country because they exist for the benefit of everyone.
“We want more people to have the opportunity to experience world-class art by the leading artists of today, and through partnerships such as this with The Atkinson, create space for curiosity and imagination, delight and debate.
“This exhibition is an open invitation to enter the world of Gilbert & George – and to confront our own attitudes to the social norms and taboos of contemporary life in the company of the legendary cultural provocateurs, where their only ask is to think and feel for yourself.”
ARTIST ROOMS: Gilbert & George is at The Atkinson from Monday to Saturday from November 7 to February 20, 2027.