Theatre Picasso

17 Sep 2025-12 Apr 2026

Overview

Experience Picasso’s works in a new way with an exhibition staged by contemporary artists

Pablo Picasso was fascinated by performers and their ability to transform. He was inspired by the dancers, entertainers and bullfighters he painted. He borrowed from them to create his own public persona: Picasso, the Artist.

Marking the centenary of his famous painting The Three Dancers, this exhibition, staged by celebrated contemporary artist Wu Tsang and author and curator Enrique Fuenteblanca, sheds new light on Picasso’s work. They will transform the exhibition space into a theatre for displaying over 45 works by Picasso from Tate's collection, alongside key European loans. This includes paintings, sculpture, textile and works on paper, some never seen in the UK before.

Through his persona, Picasso cultivated a myth surrounding himself as both a celebrated artist and an outsider. The way that he did this can be examined through the contemporary idea of ‘performativity’ - how words and actions can effect change and form identity. This persona was always fascinated by alternative lives and the tension between popular culture and the avant-garde. It accompanied him throughout his life and continues to shape how we imagine the role of the artist today.