Antony Gormley and the exhibition landscape in 2026
Published on 08/25/2026 at 12:32 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Antony Gormley has built a sculptural practice that reaches from intimate drawings to large-scale bodies in space. His current exhibition presence in 2026 stretches from the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition 2026 in London to the major survey Geestgrond at KMSKA in Antwerp, underlining how his work circulates between the studio, the gallery and public collections.
Exhibitions from London to Antwerp
In London, Antony Gormley is among the artists included in the Royal Academy of Arts’ Summer Exhibition 2026, which the institution presents as the 258th edition of its long-running open-submission show, exploring the theme of interconnectedness through contemporary art and architecture. The exhibition runs at the Royal Academy in London from June 16 to August 23, 2026, bringing together works by artists including Michael Armitage, Tracey Emin and Anselm Kiefer alongside Gormley’s contribution.
Further south in Europe, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) devotes a major exhibition titled Geestgrond to Gormley, described by the museum and associated commentary as the largest survey of his work to date staged on the European continent. According to the museum’s exhibition overview, Antony Gormley. Geestgrond is presented in Antwerp from May 23 to September 20, 2026, with the show structured as a broad retrospective of sculptures, drawings and models tracing his practice across several decades.
Auction and institutional attention around Gormley
While 2026 has been marked more by institutional projects than headline-grabbing auction records, Antony Gormley’s market remains closely watched through benefit auctions and secondary-market offerings that support public institutions and galleries. In June 2026, works by Gormley feature in the South London Gallery’s benefit auction at Christie’s London, in a sale framed by the gallery as a way to raise funds for its contemporary program and infrastructure.
Alongside these institutional and fundraising contexts, the artist’s earlier public works have also drawn scrutiny, as seen in reporting on the removal and sale of the sculpture Two Stones by Kent County Council, which disposed of the 1979–81 work outside a public library and later sold it back to Gormley. The case, highlighted by art media in April 2026, illustrates how local authorities sometimes reassess public art holdings for financial or planning reasons, adding a governance layer to the perception of his oeuvre.
All news and background on Antony Gormley
For further coverage of Antony Gormley’s exhibitions, public commissions and market developments, the AD HOC NEWS archive offers continuously updated context from the art desk.
The core of Gormley’s practice
Antony Gormley is widely associated with cast-iron and steel sculptures based on the dimensions of his own body, which he reworks into standing, crouching or suspended figures that test gravity and orientation. Alongside these iconic forms, he develops dense installations of lattice-like structures and Domain works, in which the body becomes a framework of intersecting lines occupying architectural space.
Where the artist stands now
Antony Gormley’s current institutional presence in 2026 is defined by the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition 2026 in London and the survey Geestgrond at KMSKA in Antwerp, underlining his continued visibility across the British and continental European museum landscape.
Antony Gormley – key facts in overview
- Artist: Antony Gormley
- Medium / Genre: Sculpture (installation and public art)
- Born: 1950, London, United Kingdom
- Place(s) of practice: Studio practice primarily in the United Kingdom
- Active since: Late 1970s, with early works such as Two Stones (1979–81)
- Key work groups: Angel of the North, Field, Event Horizon, Domain
- Current/last exhibition: Antony Gormley. Geestgrond, Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA), May 23 – September 20, 2026
- Major collections: Tate (London), British Museum (London), KMSKA (Antwerp), Nasher Sculpture Center (Dallas)
- Awards: Turner Prize (1994), South Bank Show Award for Visual Art (1999), Knighted for services to art (2014)
- Next date: Currently no announced date in the 30-day window
Frequently asked questions about Antony Gormley
Where is Antony Gormley on view in 2026?
In 2026, Antony Gormley is present at the Royal Academy of Arts’ Summer Exhibition 2026 in London and in the large-scale exhibition Geestgrond at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA), which runs across the summer season.
What is special about Antony Gormley’s exhibition Geestgrond at KMSKA?
Geestgrond is described by KMSKA and commentators as the largest survey of Gormley’s work to be staged in continental Europe, combining sculptures, drawings, models and archival material that trace his practice over more than four decades.
How does Antony Gormley engage with public collections and institutions?
Gormley’s works appear in major museum collections such as Tate, KMSKA and the Nasher Sculpture Center, while his public sculptures and participation in benefit auctions, including a 2026 sale supporting the South London Gallery at Christie’s London, link his practice to institutional funding and civic spaces.
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.
