Julian Opie and the summer exhibitions across Dubai and Madrid
Published on 08/24/2026 at 15:02 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Julian Opie enters the 2026 summer season with a dense exhibition presence that spans Europe, Asia and the Middle East. In Dubai and Madrid, Opera Gallery positions his work inside the group format Summer Vibes and Summer Vibes IV, framing his graphic figures alongside names from modern and contemporary art, as the gallery program outlines.
Summer Vibes in Dubai and Madrid
At Opera Gallery Dubai, Summer Vibes runs from July 1 to August 31, 2026, presenting Julian Opie among a roster that includes Fernando Botero, Yayoi Kusama and KAWS, according to the gallery's exhibition page. The show lists his 2005 work Hirofumi with hat, a large vinyl-on-wood portrait that exemplifies his pared-down approach to depicting individuals.
Opera Gallery Madrid's Summer Vibes IV extends the format to the Spanish capital, on view from June 25 to August 29, 2026, with Julian Opie shown alongside artists such as Jeff Koons, Keith Haring and KAWS, per the exhibition listings compiled by MutualArt. These coordinated summer programs situate Opie's crisp outlines within a spectrum that ranges from modern figuration to contemporary pop-inflected aesthetics.
Fondation Cartier and the museum frame
Beyond the commercial summer shows, Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain devotes a focused exhibition to Julian Opie's recent work at its site in Jouy-en-Josas, running from October 25, 2025 to August 23, 2026, with viewing every Sunday as the foundation's program states. The institution emphasizes the presentation of his recent pieces, consolidating his presence in the French museum context.
Opie's official curriculum vitae lists further one-person exhibitions for 2026 at De Brock Gallery in Knokke, Cristea Roberts Gallery in London, Ulsan Art Museum in South Korea and the Museum of Art and Photography in Bengaluru, India, marking an extended institutional reach across Europe and Asia. This combination of gallery and museum formats underscores how his graphic language adapts to different scales and audiences.
Exhibitions and background on Julian Opie
Readers can follow how Julian Opie's exhibitions in Dubai, Madrid and museum contexts interlock with his long-running work groups and public installations.
How the artist builds his figures
Julian Opie works primarily with stylized portraits and figure groups that reduce faces and bodies to essential lines, blocks of color and flat surfaces. His curriculum vitae highlights work groups such as public installations in Tokyo's Ginza Six and ongoing sculptural programs in New Orleans.
At Ginza Six in Tokyo, the LED installation Marathon. Women. introduces airborne runners across the atrium, designed as a large-scale moving image that remains on view until autumn 2026, as Time Out Tokyo reports. The piece builds on Opie's long interest in representing walking and running figures with minimal detail yet recognizably human gestures.
Where the artist stands now
Against this backdrop, Julian Opie's work is currently embedded in summer group exhibitions at Opera Gallery Dubai and Madrid and in the tail end of the Fondation Cartier show, with no additional new public date reported in freely accessible sources within the immediate 30-day window beyond these ongoing programs.
Key facts on Julian Opie
- Artist: Julian Opie
- Medium / Genre: Digital image and sculpture (figurative)
- Born: 1958, London, United Kingdom
- Place(s) of practice: Studio in London
- Active since: 1980s, with early solo shows in London
- Key work groups: Walking in the City, Marathon. Women., Angel, Elena and Cressie
- Current/last exhibition: Summer Vibes, Opera Gallery Dubai, July 1 - August 31, 2026; Summer Vibes IV, Opera Gallery Madrid, June 25 - August 29, 2026
- Major collections: Tate (London), MoMA (New York), National Gallery of Victoria (Melbourne), British Council Collection (London)
- Awards: Multiple recognition as part of British contemporary art surveys since the 1990s
- Next date: No additional new public date reported in open-access sources within the immediate 30-day window beyond the ongoing summer exhibitions and related programs
Frequently asked questions about Julian Opie
Where can Julian Opie's work be seen during summer 2026?
In summer 2026, Julian Opie's works participate in Summer Vibes at Opera Gallery Dubai from July 1 to August 31 and Summer Vibes IV at Opera Gallery Madrid from June 25 to August 29, as the exhibition information confirms.
Which specific work by Julian Opie features in Opera Gallery Dubai's Summer Vibes?
Opera Gallery Dubai lists Julian Opie's Hirofumi with hat from 2005, a vinyl on wooden stretcher measuring roughly 192 x 151 x 4 centimeters, as part of Summer Vibes, according to the gallery's description.
How does Julian Opie's practice relate to large-scale public installations?
Julian Opie's curriculum vitae and coverage of his Ginza Six installation highlight large-scale LED and sculptural works such as Marathon. Women. and projects for The Helis Foundation in New Orleans, embedding his figures in architectural and urban contexts.
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.
