Gilbert & George and the long arc of their picture series
Published on 08/22/2026 at 10:06 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Gilbert & George have built their reputation on vast picture series that treat London’s East End as both stage and subject. Their own Gilbert & George Centre in Spitalfields now anchors that history with long-running displays of works that span several decades, emphasizing their motto of 'Art for All'.
The picture series over decades
Many of Gilbert & George’s most discussed works appear in long, carefully structured series, including NEW HORNY PICTURES (2001), THE LONDON PICTURES (2011), THE BEARD PICTURES (2016) and THE CORPSING PICTURES (2022), which were brought together in the Hayward Gallery’s show 21ST CENTURY PICTURES in London from October 7, 2025 to January 11, 2026, as the Hayward and Southbank Centre detail.
These series combine street signage, newspaper headlines, portraits and symbolic motifs like skulls or leaves into floor-to-ceiling panels that read almost like stained glass windows of contemporary life, with repeated titles and color structures guiding viewers through themes of fear, hope, sex, religion and corruption.
Our George Crompton and the centre in Spitalfields
The duo’s current long-run exhibition Our George Crompton, WORLDS and WINDOWS by Gilbert & George at The Gilbert & George Centre in Spitalfields opened on May 1, 2026 and is scheduled to remain on view into 2027, according to an announcement by the centre and a detailed overview by Thaddaeus Ropac.
This tribute to their close friend George Crompton assembles large-scale pictures, postcard-based works and newer compositions that revisit their long-standing interest in friendship, mortality and the changing fabric of the East End, with the centre offering free entry and regular tours in line with their 'Art for All' approach.
All news and background on Gilbert & George
Readers can follow how Gilbert & George’s picture series, exhibitions and institutional projects have evolved over time via further news coverage and official information from their London centre.
The work core and living sculpture
Gilbert & George describe themselves as 'living sculptures', a term that links their daily routines in London’s East End to the staged presence that underpins their pictures, as noted in recent interviews with the duo.
Working primarily with photo-based digital collage printed on large panels, they fuse portraits of themselves with found language and urban material, turning their own bodies into recurring motifs and insisting that art should speak directly to broad audiences rather than only to insiders.
Where the artists stand now
Against this backdrop, Gilbert & George’s current emphasis lies in consolidating their long-picture series within their own centre in Spitalfields, while Our George Crompton, WORLDS and WINDOWS continues as an extended run without a fixed closing date in 2027.
Key facts on Gilbert & George
- Artist: Gilbert & George
- Medium / Genre: Digital picture works and photo-based collage
- Born: Gilbert Proesch 1943, San Martino, Italy; George Passmore 1942, Plymouth, United Kingdom
- Place(s) of practice: Studio and The Gilbert & George Centre in London’s East End
- Active since: Late 1960s, with key early recognition in the 1970 Venice Biennale and subsequent exhibitions through the 1970s.
- Key work groups: THE LONDON PICTURES, THE BEARD PICTURES, THE CORPSING PICTURES, DEATH HOPE LIFE FEAR...
- Current/last exhibition: Our George Crompton, WORLDS and WINDOWS by Gilbert & George, The Gilbert & George Centre, London, on view from May 1, 2026 into 2027.
- Major collections: Works by Gilbert & George are held in major collections including Tate in London, MoMA in New York and other European institutions, as collection listings and institutional biographies show.
- Awards: Their career includes major international recognitions such as the Turner Prize in 1986, documented in art historical overviews and museum biographies.
- Next date: currently no announced date in the 30-day window
Frequently asked questions about Gilbert & George
Where can I see Gilbert & George’s work right now?
The most sustained presentation is at The Gilbert & George Centre in Spitalfields, where Our George Crompton, WORLDS and WINDOWS remains on view with regular opening hours from Thursday to Sunday.
Which picture series define Gilbert & George’s recent practice?
Key recent series include THE LONDON PICTURES, THE BEARD PICTURES and THE CORPSING PICTURES, several of which were brought together in the Hayward Gallery’s exhibition 21ST CENTURY PICTURES in late 2025.
What is special about the Gilbert & George Centre in London?
The centre is a dedicated space in Spitalfields that offers free entry, long-running exhibitions like DEATH HOPE LIFE FEAR... and Our George Crompton, WORLDS and WINDOWS, and regular highlight tours, embodying the duo’s 'Art for All' ethos.
This article was produced with a.i. support and editorially reviewed. All statements without guarantee; auction results, exhibition dates and awards may change at short notice.
