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The Barbican and Associate producer Serious present Ryman in Rhythm, a series of live jazz performances inspired by the late American painter Robert Ryman – the subject of a new major retrospective in Barbican Art Gallery. Moved by Ryman’s love of jazz, alumni from Serious’ Take Five talent development programme including Sarathy Korwar, tyroneisaacstuart and Soweto Kinch, will respond to the exhibition with live performances in the gallery.

Ryman in Rhythm will showcase some of the most versatile names in British jazz today. With sounds ranging from traditional bebop and acoustic jazz through to hip-hop and Indian folk, each artist will present a special live performance inspired by Robert Ryman’s lifelong relationship with music and improvisation. An exclusive exhibition viewing will be included in the ticket for each performance. 

Renowned percussionist, composer and producer Sarathy Korwar brings his compelling voice and South Asian diasporic soundscapes to the gallery (Wed 18 Nov), while London-based interdisciplinary artist tyroneisaacstuart responds through song, dance, text and installation to create work that reflects diaspora, industry, trauma and movement systems (Fri 11 Dec). Award-winning alto saxophonist and MC Soweto Kinch closes the series (Fri 26 Feb), drawing on a body of work that moves fluidly between jazz and hip hop, combining virtuosic musicianship with explorations of history and social justice. 

Robert Ryman’s approach to painting was informed by his early love of jazz and bebop. After moving to New York to pursue a career as a saxophonist, he dedicated his life to art but continued to be influenced by the spirit of jazz. He understood painting as a form of improvisation, with each brushstroke building on the last like successive notes in jazz. 

In Autumn 2026, the Barbican will present a major new retrospective recognising the extraordinary career of Ryman (1930-2019). Robert Ryman: The Real Thing runs 8 October 2026 to 28 February 2027 in Barbican Art Gallery and is the first exhibition in the UK to take an in-depth look at Ryman’s work in over 30 years. 

The exhibition is generously supported by Lead Supporter Kenneth C. Griffin & Griffin Catalyst with additional support from the Panoptès Collection.

To accompany the exhibition, a public programme will run from October 2026 to February 2027. It includes the Ryman in Rhythm jazz series, co-produced with Barbican Associate Producer Serious and featuring alumni from Serious’ Take Five talent development programme. 

Ryman in Rhythm is produced by the Barbican in association with Serious

Find out more 

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ABOUT TAKE FIVE: 

The Take Five initiative is aimed at British and UK based composer-performers and is designed to give some of the UK’s most talented emerging creative jazz musicians the opportunity to take time out to develop their craft, build their careers and get their music out into the world.  Since launching, the programme has supported over 160 artists, many of whom have gone on to define modern UK jazz, including Moses Boyd, Emma-Jean Thackray, Soweto Kinch, Nubya Garcia, Yazz Ahmed, Seb Rochford, Sarathy Korwar, and Abel Selaocoe. 

ABOUT ROBERT RYMAN: THE REAL THING:

In Autumn 2026, the Barbican will present a major new retrospective recognising the extraordinary career of American painter Robert Ryman (1930-2019). Robert Ryman: The Real Thing is the first exhibition in the UK to take an in-depth look at Ryman’s work in over 30 years and will be a key highlight of the Barbican’s Autumn 2026 season. The Real Thing will feature over 60 works from Ryman’s prolific career from the mid-1950s up to the early 2010s. Arranged thematically, the exhibition will celebrate Ryman’s legacy as a painter who rejected the categories of representation and abstraction, choosing instead to ‘paint the paint’.  

This exhibition is generously supported by Lead Supporter Kenneth C. Griffin & Griffin Catalyst. Additional support from the Panoptès Collection.