Gilbert & George and the work core of their picture worlds
Published on 08/20/2026 at 11:06 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Gilbert & George have built a picture cosmos that now extends from their own Gilbert & George Centre in London to major museum exhibitions. Their long-term series, from The London Pictures to The Beard Pictures, continue to be shown in institutional contexts and discussed in specialist media.
Long-running exhibitions in London
The Gilbert & George Centre in Spitalfields presents the exhibition Our George Crompton, WORLDS and WINDOWS by Gilbert & George, described by the Centre as a moving tribute to the artists' close friend George Crompton and announced as now open with regular visiting hours Thursday to Sunday. The Gilbert & George Centre information
According to White Cube's museum exhibition listing, Our George Crompton, WORLDS and WINDOWS by Gilbert & George is framed as a museum exhibition at the Gilbert & George Centre, highlighting how the duo's own venue operates in dialogue with broader institutional programming in London. White Cube museum exhibition overview
Retrospective arcs from Hayward to Kyocera
The Hayward Gallery exhibition Gilbert & George: 21st Century Pictures, running from October 7, 2025 to January 11, 2026, brought together more than 60 floor-to-ceiling pictures from the last 25 years and emphasized how technology has scaled up their image practice. Hayward exhibition announcement
White Cube underlines that 21st Century Pictures introduced works from The Screw Pictures series and revisited groups such as NEW HORNY PICTURES (2001), The London Pictures (2011), The Beard Pictures (2016) and The Corpsing Pictures (2022), reinforcing the continuity of their serial approach.
More news and background on Gilbert & George
For further reporting on exhibitions, markets and institutional contexts around Gilbert & George, the AD HOC NEWS archive offers additional angles and updates.
The work core in serial pictures
Gilbert & George describe themselves as 'two people but one artist', and their practice revolves around large composite picture works that combine their own bodies with found text and images, often drawn from London street life and tabloid headlines, as highlighted in the Hayward exhibition texts.
Series such as The London Pictures reframe newspaper posters across hundreds of panels, while The Beard Pictures exaggerate facial hair as a graphic motif, showing how repetition, color saturation and grid structures underpin their image strategy over decades.
Position between center and periphery
The Gilbert & George Centre positions the duo in London's East End with a permanent base that both honors their long-term presence in the neighborhood and provides a dedicated space for their evolving picture cycles, open on a regular schedule with free highlight tours.
Parallel to London, the Kyocera Museum of Art in Kyoto has announced a Gilbert & George Art Exhibition for May 26 to August 29, 2027 at its Higashiyama Cube, signaling an ongoing institutional interest in their work in East Asia beyond current European shows.
Gilbert & George at a glance
- Artist: Gilbert & George
- Medium / Genre: Photography-based picture works and installation
- Place(s) of practice: Studio and Gilbert & George Centre in London
- Active since: Late 1960s, with early 'living sculpture' performances
- Key work groups: The London Pictures, The Beard Pictures, The Corpsing Pictures, The Screw Pictures
- Current/last exhibition: Our George Crompton, WORLDS and WINDOWS by Gilbert & George, The Gilbert & George Centre, London, open since May 2026
- Major collections: Tate (London), Guggenheim (New York), Centre Pompidou (Paris), various European museum collections
- Awards: Turner Prize (1986), multiple honors for their contribution to contemporary art
- Next date: currently no announced date in the 30-day window
Frequently asked questions about Gilbert & George
Where can Gilbert & George be seen in London right now?
The Gilbert & George Centre in Spitalfields shows Our George Crompton, WORLDS and WINDOWS by Gilbert & George, with opening times listed as Thursday to Sunday and free highlight tours on Saturdays, according to the Centre's official information.
Which recent museum exhibition summarized their work since 2000?
The Hayward Gallery exhibition Gilbert & George: 21st Century Pictures in London presented more than 60 large-scale pictures from the past 25 years, including groups like The London Pictures, The Beard Pictures and The Corpsing Pictures.
What defines the picture series such as The London Pictures and The Beard Pictures?
These series build on repeated image and text motifs, often combining the artists' own presence with found language from tabloids and urban signage, creating dense visual grids that comment on everyday life and social tensions.
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.
