British artist Anish Kapoor opened a major new exhibition at the Hayward Gallery in London on June 16, 2026 [1].
The show marks a significant return for the Turner Prize-winner to the Southbank Centre venue. By revisiting the space where he held his first solo UK show nearly 30 years ago [3], Kapoor bridges his early career with his current explorations of scale and mystery.
The exhibition features a collection of bold new works alongside older sculptures. These installations include dark, mirror-filled environments, and large, blood-red suspended sculptures designed to evoke the sublime [1, 2]. The use of mirrors and darkness is intended to challenge the viewer's perception of space and presence within the gallery.
Kapoor's work often focuses on the intersection of the physical and the metaphysical. The current installations at the Hayward Gallery continue this trend, utilizing massive forms to create an immersive experience for the public [2]. The scale of the pieces is designed to overwhelm the senses, a hallmark of the artist's approach to the sublime.
Organizers said the exhibition opened on June 15, 2026 [2], preceding the public opening by one day. The event draws visitors to the Southbank Centre to witness the evolution of one of the UK's most prominent contemporary artists [1, 2].
“The exhibition features a collection of bold new works alongside older sculptures.”
Kapoor's return to the Hayward Gallery serves as a career retrospective that emphasizes the continuity of his fascination with void and scale. By pairing new installations with historical references to his first solo show, the exhibition highlights the evolution of contemporary sculpture in the UK and reinforces Kapoor's influence on the use of industrial materials to create spiritual or psychological responses.
