Gilbert & George and the biennial energy around the Backyard Biennial
Published on 08/28/2026 at 16:47 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Gilbert & George have turned the idea of a biennial appearance into an extension of their long-standing concept of living sculpture. Their own Gilbert & George Centre in London now functions as a semi-permanent node in that network, housing picture series like Our George Crompton, WORLDS and WINDOWS that echo a biennial’s survey logic while remaining firmly rooted in their neighborhood.
Biennial routes and the East End
The Gilbert & George Centre in Spitalfields opened in 2023 and has since staged major picture cycles that mirror the scale and ambition of museum and biennial presentations, while remaining free to visit for the public as the artists emphasize in their statements about keeping ‘Art for All’ accessible.
For the current multi-part presentation Our George Crompton, WORLDS and WINDOWS, running from May 1, 2026 through spring 2027, the centre reworks motifs and formats that previously appeared in itinerant shows and large-scale institutional exhibitions, but compresses them into a walkable narrative across the galleries.
From Venice to local circuits
Gilbert & George’s long arc in the biennial field includes the British Pavilion at the 51st Venice Biennale in 2005 and a history of participation in international survey formats, a trajectory that Japanese coverage recently summarized when announcing a large 2027 touring show in Kyoto and Tokyo.
That upcoming Japanese exhibition at Kyoto City Kyocera Museum and the National Art Center, Tokyo is framed as a comprehensive survey that links early living sculpture works such as The Singing Sculpture (1969) with later picture groups, echoing the structure of Venice and other biennials while re-siting it in East Asia.
Exhibitions and biennials with Gilbert & George
For readers tracking Gilbert & George’s institutional shows and biennial contributions, our news search bundles background on past exhibitions, market milestones and museum presentations.
The work core in pictures
Gilbert & George work primarily with large-scale photo-based picture panels that merge their own bodies, found text and urban imagery into grid structures, a format that remains central from NEW HORNY PICTURES (2001) and THE LONDON PICTURES (2011) to THE BEARD PICTURES (2016) and THE CORPSING PICTURES (2022).
Where the artists stand now
Gilbert & George continue to operate from their long-time East London base, with the Gilbert & George Centre acting as both a local anchor and an informal biennial node that connects their picture cycles to global museum and fair circuits.
Gilbert & George at a glance
- Artist: Gilbert & George
- Medium / Genre: Photography-based picture panels and installation
- Born: 1943, Dolomites region (Gilbert Proesch); 1942, Plymouth, United Kingdom (George Passmore)
- Place(s) of practice: Studio and home in East London
- Active since: Late 1960s, with early living sculpture works around 1969
- Key work groups: The Singing Sculpture, THE LONDON PICTURES, THE BEARD PICTURES, THE CORPSING PICTURES
- Current/last exhibition: Our George Crompton, WORLDS and WINDOWS, The Gilbert & George Centre, London, since May 1, 2026
- Major collections: Tate (London), MoMA (New York), Centre Pompidou (Paris), Guggenheim Museum (New York)
- Awards: Turner Prize, 1986; representatives for the British Pavilion, Venice Biennale, 2005
- Next date: currently no announced date in the 30-day window
Key questions on Gilbert & George
Where can visitors see Gilbert & George’s recent work?
The Gilbert & George Centre in Spitalfields, East London, shows the ongoing exhibition Our George Crompton, WORLDS and WINDOWS, which opened on May 1, 2026 and is scheduled to remain on view into spring 2027.
How are Gilbert & George linked to biennials?
The duo represented Great Britain at the Venice Biennale in 2005 and remain reference figures in survey-format exhibitions, with a large touring show planned for Kyoto City Kyocera Museum and the National Art Center, Tokyo in 2027.
What defines the picture series at the Gilbert & George Centre?
The centre’s exhibitions extend their long-running picture format, combining photographic self-portraits, street imagery and typographic fragments into large grid-based panels that address religion, sexuality, urban life and mortality in a deliberately accessible visual language.
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.
