Our programme

Visual arts

A photo of The Japanese House, Architecture and Life after 1945, Installation at Barbican Centre.
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Our visual arts programme embraces art, architecture, design, fashion, photography and film. 

Many of our exhibitions explore the interconnections between disciplines, periods and cultures, and aim to imagine the world in new ways. Designers, artists and architects are our collaborators in this process.

We invest in the artists of today and tomorrow; The Curve gallery is one of the few galleries in London devoted to the commissioning of new work. Through our activities we aim to inspire more people to discover and love the arts. Entrance to The Curve is free. Through Young Barbican we offer £5 tickets to 14-25 year olds for our paid exhibitions, children under 12 are free.

Our exhibitions are complemented by comprehensively researched catalogues and a full range of public events. We develop engaging online content for audiences and offer special tours for schools. In partnership with renowned museums and art galleries, many of our exhibitions travel to reach both national and international audiences.

Current & future exhibitions

Exhibition Archive

Archive photo of man looking at art in the Barbican Art Gallery

Browse previous exhibitions

Since the Barbican Art Gallery opened in March 1982, our visual arts programme has embraced art, architecture, design, fashion, photography and film. The Art Gallery Archive allows you to look back through the decades to discover past exhibitions and learn more about our programme and its legacy beyond the Barbican.

Browse archive

Exhibition catalogues

Browse more catalogues

Touring

In partnership with renowned museums and art galleries, many of our exhibitions travel to reach both national and international audiences.

Our current and forthcoming programme includes:

Basquiat: Boom for Real
Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt: 16 Feb–27 May 2018

John Akomfrah's Purple
Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid: 20 Feb–25 Mar 2018

The World of Charles and Ray Eames
The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Detroit, USA: 5 May 2018–3 September 2018
Oakland Museum of California, USA: 13 October 2018–Jan 2019

For more information about our future programme and opportunities to collaborate please contact art@barbican.org.uk

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Get closer to our programme with priority booking, free art gallery entry, selected discounts on events, access to an exclusive members’ bar and more
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Immunity from Seizure Part 6 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 provides immunity from seizure for cultural objects which are loaned from overseas to temporary public exhibitions in approved museums or galleries in the UK where conditions are met when the object enters the UK.

The conditions are:

  • the object is usually kept outside the UK
  • the object is not owned by a person who is resident in UK
  • the import of the object does not contravene any law
  • the object is brought into UK for purpose of a temporary public exhibition at an approved museum or gallery
  • the museum or gallery has published information about the object

For further information, please refer directly to the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 or the DCMS website.

Dorothea Lange: Politics of Seeing: list of protected items

Modern Couples: Art, Intimacy and the Avant-garde: list of protected items