The Facts
On September 16, 2026, the Barbican Centre announced its 2027 visual arts programme, the institution's largest arts offering to date, spanning multiple spaces including the Art Gallery, The Curve, Lakeside Gallery, Sculpture Court, and Foyer. The lineup opens in March with Dayanita Singh transforming The Curve into a landscape of images and portable museums reflecting her five-decade practice and relationship with tabla maestro Zakir Hussain. In April, 'Characters of Fashion' explores the dialogue between fashion and literature, featuring garments from authors and designers such as Prada, Comme des Garçons, and Simone Rocha, curated by Lou Stoppard. Public commissions by Ximena Garrido-Lecca (May) and Rosa Barba (September) will activate the Sculpture Court and Foyer, respectively. Magdalene Odundo receives her first London institutional solo in over 30 years at Lakeside Gallery (September 2027–January 2028), and Alice Adams—the groundbreaking artist now aged 95—receives her first institutional survey at the Art Gallery (October 2027–February 2028). Shanay Jhaveri, Head of Visual Arts, said the programme extends beyond traditional gallery spaces to encourage close looking and embodied encounters.
The Signal
The Barbican's 2027 schedule signals a strategic commitment to interdisciplinary practice and institutional validation for artists at different career stages. For collectors, Odundo's return to London after three decades and Adams' first survey at age 95 underscore growing market and curatorial interest in process-oriented, materially-driven work. The fashion–literature crossover, curated by Lou Stoppard, positions the Barbican as a platform for cultural dialogue beyond fine art, while the activation of multiple building spaces—Lakeside Gallery, Sculpture Court, and Foyer—reflects a broader museum trend of expanding beyond traditional exhibition halls to create more immersive, site-specific experiences that can attract diverse audiences. The inclusion of sound, film, and public commissions also points to a prioritization of sensory and kinetic engagement in contemporary programming.
- Artists: Dayanita Singh, Magdalene Odundo, Ximena Garrido-Lecca, Rosa Barba, Alice Adams
- People: Shanay Jhaveri, Lou Stoppard
- Museums: Barbican Centre
- Locations: London
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