Glenn Brown - double institutional show in Bath and beyond
Published on 08/26/2026 at 17:08 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Glenn Brown shapes the institutional summer in Bath with a two-part museum project. As the Holburne Museum confirms, the exhibition Glenn Brown in Bath: Arrows of Desire runs from May 16 to September 6, 2026 across the Holburne and No.1 Royal Crescent, with reduced combined tickets for visitors to both venues. Holburne Museum exhibition page
Brown in Bath across two museums
The Holburne Museum describes Arrows of Desire as part of Glenn Brown in Bath, a coordinated presentation spanning its galleries and No.1 Royal Crescent. Visitors who show a valid No.1 Royal Crescent ticket pay a reduced 14 pounds to enter the Holburne show, underlining the institutional cooperation. Holburne Museum exhibition page
Galerie Max Hetzler, which represents Brown, notes that Grottoesque at No.1 Royal Crescent runs from May 22 to September 6, 2026, transforming one gallery into a grotto with shell-encrusted frames around multi-headed paintings. The gallery emphasizes that Grottoesque and Arrows of Desire function as a double presentation across Bath. Max Hetzler exhibition announcement
Museum & collection perspective on Brown
Max Hetzler’s artist overview lists Arrows of Desire at the Holburnne Museum and Grottoesque at No.1 Royal Crescent as ongoing institutional exhibitions, framed as part of Brown’s wider museum trajectory that includes the forthcoming solo show Glenn Brown: Anatomy of Trees at Gainsborough’s House in Suffolk. Max Hetzler artist page
In the same institutional strand, Gainsborough’s House will present Glenn Brown: Anatomy of Trees from November 8, 2026 to April 18, 2027, focusing on works from the past decade. This deepens Brown’s presence in UK collections and signals continuous curatorial interest beyond London and Bath. Gainsborough’s House exhibition notice via Max Hetzler
Institutional shows and background on Glenn Brown
For a broader view of Glenn Brown’s exhibitions, market moments and critical reception, the AD HOC NEWS archive offers structured updates on his museum projects and curated shows.
The work core in the Bath presentations
At No.1 Royal Crescent, Grottoesque concentrates on paintings and drawings that respond to the Georgian shell grotto and the grotesque nature of trees, with multi-headed figures set into elaborate frames. Brown’s characteristic illusionistic brushwork complicates the historical setting of the house museum. Max Hetzler exhibition announcement
The Holburnne’s Arrows of Desire places Brown’s works in dialogue with the collection’s historic holdings, continuing a pattern seen in earlier projects such as his Tate Liverpool retrospective, where more than sixty paintings and sculptures were arranged to reveal different strategies of appropriation and transformation. Tate Liverpool exhibition archive
Where the artist stands now
Against this backdrop, Glenn Brown’s current institutional presence is defined by the twin Bath exhibitions Arrows of Desire and Grottoesque, running through September 6, 2026, with the next major museum project Glenn Brown: Anatomy of Trees scheduled at Gainsborough’s House from November 8, 2026.
Key facts on Glenn Brown
- Artist: Glenn Brown
- Medium / Genre: Painting and sculpture (appropriative, art-historical)
- Born: 1966, Hexham, United Kingdom
- Place(s) of practice: Studio practice centered in London, with curatorial activities at The Brown Collection
- Active since: Early 1990s, with major visibility from the Young British Artists generation
- Key work groups: History painting adaptations, Fantastical portrait heads, Reimagined landscapes, Baroque-inspired sculptures
- Current/last exhibition: Glenn Brown in Bath: Arrows of Desire, Holburnne Museum and No.1 Royal Crescent, Bath, May 16 - September 6, 2026
- Major collections: Tate (London), MoMA (New York), Centre Pompidou (Paris), Nationalgalerie (Berlin), The Brown Collection (London)
- Awards: Turner Prize nominee (2000), other distinctions in European institutional programs
- Next date: November 8, 2026 - Glenn Brown: Anatomy of Trees, Gainsborough’s House, Suffolk
Frequently asked questions about Glenn Brown
Where can Glenn Brown’s work be seen in 2026?
Glenn Brown’s works are on view in Bath in the linked exhibitions Arrows of Desire at the Holburnne Museum and Grottoesque at No.1 Royal Crescent, both running until September 6, 2026.
What is the focus of Glenn Brown’s upcoming show at Gainsborough’s House?
Glenn Brown: Anatomy of Trees at Gainsborough’s House, opening November 8, 2026, will present paintings and drawings from the past ten years, with a particular emphasis on arboreal motifs and structural transformation.
How does Glenn Brown engage with museum collections in his exhibitions?
Projects such as Arrows of Desire and earlier retrospectives at Tate Liverpool embed Brown’s work within existing collections, highlighting how his appropriative paintings and sculptures reframe historical images and narratives.
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.
