Hayward Gallery past exhibitions

Hayward Gallery has an esteemed history with almost 50 years of thought-provoking contemporary art exhibitions. Relive some highlights below.

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2019

Kate Cooper, We Need Sanctuary, 2016. Image courtesy of the artist.

Kate Cooper
A free HENI Project Space exhibition exploring gender, technology and the body

diane arbus: in the beginning

An exhibition exploring the formative first half of the influential photographer’s career
Kader Attia, Measure and Control, 2013

Kader Attia: The Museum of Emotion

The first UK survey exhibition of Kader Attia’s urgent, poetic and political work
Kader Attia, Reflecting Memory, 2016

Reflecting Memory
A free HENI Project Space exhibition of an arresting and emotionally affecting video work by Kader Attia
Aleksandra Mir Presents the Pre-Presidential Library

Aleksandra Mir
A free HENI Project Space exhibition featuring US tabloid coverage of Donald Trump from 1986 to 2000

2018

Installation view of Anish Kapoor’s Sky Mirror, Blue 2016, at Space Shifters, Hayward Gallery 2018

Space Shifters

A major group exhibition of sculptures and installations that explored perception and space

Emmanuelle Lainé
A free HENI Project Space exhibition showcasing Emmanuelle Lainé's disorienting site-specific installation

DRAG: Self-portraits and Body Politics
A free HENI Project Space exhibition of work by artists who have used drag to explore identity, gender and politics
Lee Bul, Via Negativa II (interior detail), 2014. © Lee Bul 2018. Courtesy: Lehmann Maupin Gallery, New York and Hong Kong. Photo: Mark Blower.

Lee Bul

Lee Bul transformed Hayward Gallery into a spectacular dream-like landscape
Yuan Goang-Ming Tomorrowland

Yuan Goang-Ming: Tomorrowland

A free HENI Project Space exhibition of recent work by pioneering Taiwanese video artist Yuan Goang-Ming

Adapt to Survive: Notes from the Future
A free HENI Project Space exhibition of works that addressed how our world might look and feel in the future
© Andreas Gursky/DACS, 2017. Courtesy: Sprüth Magers

Andreas Gursky
The first major UK retrospective of the work of acclaimed German photographer

Darbyshire Gander Pica Starling
A free HENI Project Space exhibition featuring acquisitions from the Arts Council Collection

2015 - 2016

Noémie Goudal Station III, 2015

Hayward Gallery Waterloo Billboard Commissions
A series of large-scale billboard artworks by international artists
The Infinite Mix. .Photo by Linda Nylind. 3/9/2016.

The Infinite Mix
A pop-up exhibition of soulful and audacious audio-visual artworks
Carsten Holler at the Hayward Gallery in London. .Photo by Linda Nylind. 6/6/2015.

Carsten Höller: Decision
An interactive exhibition of large-scale installations, exploring perception and decision-making
History Is Now: 7 Artists Take On Britain at Hayward Gallery. .Photo by Linda Nylind. 8/2/2015.

History is Now: 7 Artists Take On Britain
An artist-curated exhibition exploring 70 years of British cultural and social history

2014

Martin Creed at Hayward Gallery, London. .Photo by Linda Nylind. 26/1/2014.

Martin Creed: What's the point of it?
The first major survey of Martin Creed’s playful, thoughtful art

The Human Factor: The Figure in Contemporary Sculpture
An exhibition of sculptures featuring the human form by 25 contemporary artists
Mirrorcity at Hayward Gallery, London. .Photo by Linda Nylind. 11/10/2014.

Mirrorcity: London Artists on Fiction and Reality
An exhibition addressing the challenges of looking at reality in our digital age

2013

Light Show at Hayward Gallery, London. .Photo by Linda Nylind. 27/1/2013.

Light Show
A group exhibition exploring the experiential and phenomenal aspects of light
Remote Controlled Cart with Clothing (Yao Kong Chuan Yi Xiao La Che) (2013) Installation view ‘Alternative Guide to the Universe’, Hayward Gallery 2013 © the artist Photo: Linda Nylind

Alternative Guide to the Universe
An exhibition offering unorthodox perspectives on science, architecture and human thought
Ana Mendieta at Hayward Gallery, London. .Photo by Linda Nylind. 22/9/2013.

Ana Mendieta: Traces
The first UK retrospective of Mendieta’s groundbreaking and provocative work

Dayanita Singh: Go Away Closer
The first UK retrospective of this internationally acclaimed artist challenging traditional photography

2012

David Shrigley exhibition at Hayward Gallery, London. .Photo by Linda Nylind. 29/1/2012.

David Shrigley: Brain Activity
A survey exhibition featuring drawings, photography, taxidermy, animation, painting and music
Jeremy Deller: Joy in People. .Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, London. .Photo by Linda Nylind. 19/2/2012.

Jeremy Deller: Joy in People
Mid-career survey of the publically engaged British artist
Invisible Art at Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, London. .Photo by Linda Nylind. 9/6/2012.

Invisible: Art about the Unseen
A survey exhibition featuring artworks that explore the invisible and unseen

2011

Neon..Tracey Emin: Love Is What You Want.Hayward Gallery..London.By David Levene.15/5/11.....

Tracey Emin: Love is What You Want
A retrospective exhibition featuring seldom-seen early works alongside recent large-scale installations
Lobe Of The Lung, 2009 Installation View of PIPILOTTI RIST: EYEBALL MASSAGE Hayward Gallery 2011 Photo Linda Nylind

Pipilotti Rist: Eyeball Massage
A survey exhibition exploring Rist’s immersive, innovative and site-specific video installations

George Condo: Mental States
A survey exhibition of imaginary portraits by the American artist

2010

Detail of 'Half Life', Jin Shi at The New Decor Exhibition at Hayward Gallery 2010 Photo David Levene

The New Décor

Featuring 30 artists who repurpose furniture and interior design to engage with contemporary culture
Ernesto Neto - Installation View at Edges of The World Exhibition at Hayward Gallery 2010 Image Credit Steve White

Ernesto Neto: The Edges of the World
An exhibition of Neto’s site-specific sculptures and installations designed for visitor participation
Move Choreographing You at the Hayward Gallery. The Fact of Matter by William Forsythe Photo Alastair Muir 2010

Move: Choreographing You – Art and Dance since the 1960s
An exhibition exploring the relationship between visual arts and dance, from 1960 to the present day

2009

Annette Messager: The Messengers
A retrospective exhibition devoted to the influential and groundbreaking French artist
Installation view of MARK WALLINGER: THE RUSSIAN LINESMAN at Hayward Gallery 2009

Mark Wallinger: The Russian Linesman
An artist-curated exhibition exploring borders and thresholds, navigating 2,000 years of history
Yayoi Kusama Guidepost to a New World, 2004 © Yayoi Kusama 2009 Photo: Roger Wooldridge Courtesy: Hayward Gallery, 2009

Walking In My Mind
Exploring the inner workings of the artist’s mind through immersive, large-scale installations

Ed Ruscha: Fifty Years of Painting
The first major UK retrospective of the pioneering West Coast artist

2008

Gimhonsok's The Bremen Town Musicians (2006-7)

Laughing in a Foreign Language
An exhibition exploring humour in contemporary art, featuring artists from around the world
PSYCHO BUILDINGS The Hayward 2008 Photo Stephen White

Psycho Buildings: Artists Take On Architecture
A group exhibition of large-scale installations exploring our relationship with the built environment
Installation View at ANDY WARHOL OTHER VOICES, OTHER ROOMS Exhibition at The Hayward 2009 Photo Marcus Leith

Andy Warhol: Other Voices, Other Rooms

A multimedia exhibition by the pop art master featuring moving image, archive material and paintings

2007

Blind Light 2007 by Antony Gormley at Blind Light Exhibition at The Hayward 2007. Photo copyright Stephen White

Antony Gormley: Blind Light
A major exhibition by the leading British sculptor
Installation View of THE PAINTING OF MODERN LIFE 2007 Exhibition at Hayward Gallery Photos by Marcus Leith

The Painting of Modern Life: 1960s to Now
A comprehensive survey on the use and translation of photographic imagery in contemporary painting