Anish Kapoor, the renowned sculptor and Turner Prize winner, is set to be a prominent feature in the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary celebrations. We can’t wait to see what his exhibition opens on June 16, 2026. It will continue through October 18 and feature nearly 40 works that exemplify his groundbreaking creativity. Kapoor’s exhibition will occupy the entire Hayward Gallery and will include two new pieces: an inflated PVC membrane and a striking dark mountainous threshold that looms over a sprawling red landscape.
Born in Mumbai, India, in 1954, Anish Kapoor has made a significant impact on the contemporary art scene since he first gained prominence. His first major survey in an institutional white cube came nine years later at the Southbank Centre in 1998. The upcoming exhibition marks a return to the venue after nearly three decades and coincides with the centre’s milestone anniversary.
Kapoor’s enthusiasm for the exhibition is blunted by the memory of new developments in the saga around his famous Cloud Gate sculpture in Chicago. He explained that a friend who lives in the city texted him a picture. It features U.S. border patrol agents smiling and posing in front of his artwork. The incident has led the artist to consider filing his own lawsuit. He is evidently alarmed at what it might mean for the future of such a display.
“I mean, this is fascist America and just beyond belief,” – Anish Kapoor
Kapoor has been vocal about his discontent with the actions of border patrol agents, describing their behavior as “abducting street vendors, breaking doors, pulling people from cars, using teargas on residential streets.” He said that the context is especially vexed in that the agents work for a national unit of the army.
“It’s a bit more complicated with this, because they’re a full, if you like, national army unit,” – Anish Kapoor
Kapoor’s estate is currently involved in other ongoing litigations. At the same time, he has had the full career survey at the Jewish Museum in New York that focuses on his early works. Visitor Information This exhibition shines a rosy light on his rich artistic path that has existed and morphed throughout the years. Kapoor’s mother was an Iraqi Jew, and his rich heritage very much informs his work at every level.
Kapoor’s signature vibrant pigments will be seen in the new Southbank exhibition. It will further feature Vantablack, reputedly the most obtrusive black color on earth. He hopes to inspire challenging questions in audiences with his works.
“What it does, I hope, is to evoke in the viewer a sense of ‘what is this?’; ‘Is it art?’; ‘Why am I here with this?’” – Anish Kapoor
Kapoor shared his thoughts on why the Southbank Centre’s anniversary is so important. To this, Khan pointed out the extraordinary transformation that Britain has undergone in the last 75 years. He concluded with a call for a new national optimism that welcomes difference.
“Seventy-five years is a long time in which a hell of a lot has changed. Of course, the postwar optimism is gone, but perhaps we can galvanise another optimism,” – Anish Kapoor
…he went on to discuss the importance of presenting a Britain that unites people from all walks of life. Individually, they’re strong soldiers in the fight for good.
As he prepares for the upcoming exhibition at the Hayward Gallery, Kapoor underscores his commitment to creating daring proposals for contemporary art.
“I don’t think the Hayward is a place for retrospectives. It’s a place that invites daring proposals and I’m jumping in with both feet,” – Anish Kapoor