Exhibitions

Andy Warhol: Portrait of America

An ARTIST ROOMS Partnership Exhibition with Tate and National Galleries of Scotland In celebration of its 25th Anniversary, MK Gallery is delighted to present Andy Warhol: Portrait of America, an ARTIST ROOMS Partnership Exhibition with Tate and National Galleries of Scotland, opening Saturday 15 March 2025.  Almost 25 years since Andy Warhol: Cars was shown in 2001, MK Gallery is set to exhibit the seminal pop artist’s work once again in Milton Keynes. This upcoming exhibition will be a survey of over 130 of Warhol’s most iconic artworks, including the renowned Marilyn series, and two paintings of British art duo Gilbert & George, who were the focus of MK Gallery's inaugural exhibition in 1999. Andy Warhol (1928-1987) was a leading figure in American Pop art. This exhibition of works from the 1950s – 80s includes early drawings, painted-silkscreens and photographic series featuring Warhol’s collaborations with artists, friends, filmmakers and celebrities. Images of Marilyn Monroe, Liz Taylor, and Warhol himself, feature alongside icons of American consumerism as well as symbols of the artists fascination with mortality: guns, skulls and war. Warhol’s fascination with celebrity and commercial culture produced some of the most recognisable images in 20th century art. Finding success living and working in 1950s New York as an illustrator for magazines, Warhol developed styles and techniques which propelled him to the centre of America’s cultural scene. This exhibition contains adult themes. About ARTIST ROOMS ARTIST ROOMS presents the work of international artists in solo exhibitions drawn from a national touring collection jointly owned by Tate and National Galleries of Scotland. Its programme reaches audiences across the UK and is developed through local partnerships.  The ARTIST ROOMS national collection and programme is managed in partnership by Tate and National Galleries of Scotland with the support of Art Fund, Henry Moore Foundation and using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and Creative Scotland.   Please note: To protect the artworks, we urge all visitors to bring minimal items with them. Bags larger than A4 must be stored in the lockers which require a token or pound coin.

Guided Exhibition Tours

Join our insightful tour guides for a deep-dive into Andy Warhol: Portrait of America.

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Vanessa Bell: A World of Form and Colour

'sidelined Bloomsbury figure reveals main character energy' ★★★★★ The Guardian 'The world of an enigmatic genius' ★★★★ i News 'Bold Works From a Trailblazing Woman' The New York Times Vanessa Bell (1879–1961) was a pioneering modernist painter and founding member of the Bloomsbury Group, a circle of influential English artists, writers and intellectuals in the first half of the twentieth century. This exhibition – her largest-ever solo show – provides an in-depth overview that includes drawings, paintings, ceramics and furniture. Bell’s pioneering work was at the forefront of British abstraction. At the same time, she helped to create conditions in which artists, including women, could flourish. This involved organising the ‘Friday Club’ for artists to meet and co-founding the experimental design collective, Omega Workshops. Collaboration formed an essential part of Bell’s approach to art, including with her sister, the writer Virginia Woolf, and the artist Duncan Grant. Vanessa Bell: A World of Form and Colour is organised by MK Gallery in partnership with Charleston. The exhibition is generously supported by the Jerwood Foundation. With thanks to the Vanessa Bell Circle of Friends, including the Chair Matthew Travers and Piano Nobile.

Guided Exhibition Tours

Join our insightful tour guides for a deep-dive into Vanessa Bell: A World of Form and Colour.

Access Programme

SEND Tour: Saturday 1 February, 10am Toddle Tour: Saturday 1 February, 11am Relaxed Viewing: Sunday 23 February, 10.30am

Accessibility

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MK Calling 2024

To celebrate 25 years at the heart of Milton Keynes' art and culture scene, we have partnered with five local community groups to co-curate this year's open call summer exhibition. This year's MK Calling features artworks spanning sculpture, painting, photography, installation and film. Over 120 established and emerging artists explore themes including identity, inclusivity, possible futures, heritage, and significant moments across five thematic gallery spaces. Over the past year, MK Gallery has been collaborating with learners from: MK SNAP, a Milton Keynes-based training provider for learning-disabled adults; The Visually Impaired People (VIP) Group, a group of friends living with sight loss in the local area who have met through different local support organisations; Unknown Collective, a group of under-26-year-old creatives who have previously engaged with MK Gallery’s programme; Members of the Middle Eastern Cultural Group, a platform which provides social activities and language tuition to people from Middle Eastern communities living in Milton Keynes; and adults from Q:Alliance, a registered charity that provides support, information, and empowerment for the LGBTQ+ community in Milton Keynes and surrounding areas. MK Calling 2024 Artists

ANDI, Aoccho, Nuha Al Hashimi, Theresa Alix Wren-Enayati Rad, Moe Asari, Sadie Aston, Polly Bates, Sophia Bharmal, Nazira Bibi, Benjamin Bird, Helen Birnbaum, Jared Boechler, Thomas Eke, James Bristow, Anna Brownsted, Roisín Callaghan, Daura Campos, Sophia Chapman, Gayle Charlotte Dallas, Clair Chinnery, Paul Chisholm, JMC Anderson, Helen Clarke, Ladina Clement, Liz Clifford, Sue Cohen, Patrick Ayre and Barbara Ayre (MNID Collective), Allistair Covell, Davies Monaghan Klein, Urban Fabric Architects, Ingrid McLaren, Khulood Dami, Sarah Davis, Vera Doarme, Imo Dunkley, Steve Dutton, Dionne Elizabeth, Deborah Fielding, Darcey Fleming, Sofia Fox Barton, Abie Franklin, Lucy Gregory, Dimitra Gkoutzou, Basak Cansu Guvenkaya, Thompson Hall, Alethia Hayden, Carol He, Cara Heath, Manuel Hechavarria Zaldivar, Mark Houghton, Nour Huda, Yang-En Hume, Kàren J Clements, Ella Jackson, Gity Jamei, Daisy Jones, Helen Jones, Margaret Keeton, Sagar Kharecha, Kishwar Kiani, Simon King, Kyle Kirkpatrick, Akrivi Koukouli, C L Davies, Kwinnie Lê, Alana Lake, Jamie Lee, Dene Leigh, Olana Light, Yingfei Lyu, Chris Madeley, Ana Maria, Lima Dimitrijevic, Zehra Marikar, Nicola McEvoy, Nhlonipho Mchunu, Lois McKendrick, Georgina McNamara, Ryoji Morimoto, Guy Morris, Melanie Mosaics, Tahira Noreen, Rosa-Maria Nuutinen, Chinwe Osaghae, Stella Ouzounidou, Sharon Paulger, Hannah Pickett, Melissa Pierce Murray, Deirdre Porter-Hanson, Reaa Puri, Shunshun Qi, Gill Quinnell, Ghosson Rahhal, W. B. Randall, Eliza Rawlings, Tina Reid, Elsie Roderiques, Rekha Sameer, Kathy Santiago, Mat Scott, Maheen Sheikh, Ellie Shipman, Sarah Simonds, Ricardo Sleiman, Yasmin Conway, Jenny Staff, Emily Stapleton-Jefferis, Ruth Switalski, Sebastian Thomas, Lisa Tilley, Emma Ogawa Todd, Mita Vaghela, Ruqaya Wajdi, Siao-Chen Wang, Matt Waruszynski, Sarah Watts, Emma Wilde, Alexa Wright, Natasha Wysocki-Douglas, Xinan Yang, Soon Yul Kang.

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Saul Leiter: An Unfinished World

10am - 5pm

Exhibition tours

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Beyond the Page: South Asian Miniature Painting and Britain, 1600 to Now

10am - 5pm

“Small wonders” The Guardian

“Many of the most exquisite contributions to this ambitious show can only be brought out of store once every ten years.” The Spectator

“This rare exhibition juxtaposes exquisite traditional miniatures from sacred and secular texts with modern and contemporary works they inspired, from sculpture to film and installation.” The Financial Times

Beyond the Page is curated by Hammad Nasar and Anthony Spira with advice from Emily Hannam.

The exhibition is organised by MK Gallery in partnership with The Box, Plymouth.

We are grateful for generous support from The Bagri Foundation and The Australia Council

and the Circle of Friends, chaired by Tarana Sawhney.

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Boyd & Evans: High Time

10am - 5pm

Events

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Trickster Figures: Sculpture and the Body

10am - 5pm

“There is a leakage, a seepage in these works. Many of them allude to bodies or systems that relate to bodies. Jealous bodies, broken bodies, fossilised bodies, vulnerable, contaminated bodies. There is also love, tenderness, glamour, and compulsion.” Jes Fernie Curated by Jes Fernie

Featuring: Saelia Aparicio, Alice Channer, Jesse Darling, Nicolas Deshayes, Kira Freije, Siobhán Hapaska, Nnena Kalu, Joe Namy, Harold Offeh, Ro Robertson and Vanessa da Silva

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Please be aware that this exhibition contains nude illustrations and some adult content. Please ask a member of staff if you would like more information. Trickster Figures is supported by the Henry Moore Foundation, essay by Francis Whorrall-Campbell supported by the Association for Art History. 

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Gilbert & George: The Rudimentary Pictures

Gilbert & George are two of the most important artists working in the world today and MK G* is the first public gallery in England to be built from scratch in 20 years. It is appropriate, therefore, to open MK G with a distinctive, important and high profile exhibition. Gilbert & George are also seen as radical and outside the establishment, in many of the same ways as Milton Keynes is seen in comparison with traditional British cities. Both can be viewed as bold, new and progressive. Gilbert & George: The Rudimentary Pictures, presents thirty-three new works, in which they explore such themes as alienation, sex, race, and human existence. Many of these striking pictures extend the distinctive range of images they have created exploring city life. In Gum City, City Sweat, Money City, Blood City, Piss City, Sex City and Crying City, backgrounds of London street plans are combined with map-like microscopic details of blood, sweat, tears, urine and semen, together with themselves. Speaking about The Rudimentary Pictures, Gilbert & George have said: “They deal with the thoughts and feelings that lie within us all and with the issues that confront us daily. Our cities, your tears, their money, the rain, our sexuality, your sweat, their views are all in The Rudimentary Pictures.” Commenting on exhibiting in Milton Keynes the artists said: “We are thrilled and touched that the Director, Stephen Snoddy has given us this opportunity to exhibit our new pictures in this exquisite gallery in Milton Keynes. The mere mention of the name Milton Keynes brings a smile of enthusiasm to the faces of our younger friends. It is very important that this young ‘Space Station’ of a city now has a building devoted to contemporary culture’. We are sure that it will be an exciting experience for everyone.” Gilbert & George are among the most important and original artists of our time. They met at St. Martin’s School of Art in 1967 and have been living and working together in London’s East End for over thirty years. From their unique beginnings as living and singing sculptures in the late 1960s they have created a vast range of distinctive pictures, which communicate honestly and directly with the viewer about aspects of contemporary society. Gilbert & George, who work as a single artist, have achieved international recognition with their exhibitions held world wide, including China, Russia, Europe and the USA. In 1986 they won the Tate Gallery’s prestigious Turner Prize award and their work is to be found in many national museum and gallery collections. The Rudimentary Pictures is their first exhibition in the U.K. since ‘The Naked Shit Pictures’ which were shown at the South London Gallery in 1995. *MK Gallery was branded MK G when it first opened.

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Mark Francis: Elements

Mark Francis (b.1962) is one of the ‘Young British Artists’ (YBAs) who came to prominence in the early 1990s, and his work is held in many public and private collections, including the Tate Gallery, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Saatchi Collection, London. This exhibition at MK Gallery was his first major solo exhibition in a public gallery in the U.K. The exhibition featured a surprising and intriguing mixture of exhibits; Francis’s abstract paintings were shown alongside antiquarian prints of birds eggs, shells, insects, fungi, medical dissections, diseases and natural history.  In addition there were maps, models of fungi and medical ephemera drawn from Francis’s extensive personal collection. This was the first time that Francis’s paintings and private collections had been brought together, affording a unique opportunity to consider the influences and contexts for his abstract work. Paintings made during the preceding seven years were shown in the Long Gallery, the largest of MK Gallery’s three exhibiting spaces. The walls of the Middle Gallery were densely packed  in imitation of the artist’s London sitting room with framed prints and other selected items which evoked the order in which Francis normally displayed his collections. The Cube Gallery featured four entirely new, previously unseen paintings,  which suggested a new direction in the artist’s work. Speaking of his collecting Francis said: Collecting has been a hobby since childhood, from football cards to model soldiers. For me it feels like some kind of impulsive ordering. By this I mean gathering information which seems to be intuitive but might not have a structured order at the time. It’s only through the accumulation of objects / prints that some sort of understanding and placement takes place. In my case the interest is natural history, medical images and astronomy, amongst other things. The way that I have presented the framed prints at home and at MK Gallery is to place them side by side so that they make some kind of grid-like amorphous form.  Each print tends to lose its own identity and you start to look at the constructed surface as a whole. This tends to echo elements within my paintings such as the “Compression” or “Growth” series.

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Richard Hamilton: New Technology and Printmaking

Thirty-one works by Richard Hamilton, one of the world’s most respected artists living today can be seen in the Long Gallery. Known as the “father of British pop art”, Hamilton (b.1922) has been making prints since 1939. His manipulation of painted and photographic images by computer means that his prints remain as innovative in conception and execution now as they have always been. The examples on view at MK G, made between 1964 and 1998, reveal his sophisticated and highly individual style. Hamilton will be at MK G on the evening of 30 March for a discussion about his work as part of the Artists in Conversation at MK G series.

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Printers inc.: Recent British Prints from the Arts Council and British Council Collections

Damien Hirst, Rachel Whiteread and Tracey Emin are among the artists included in the exhibition, printers inc. showing in the Cube Gallery (gallery 1), sponsored by Denton Wilde Sapte. This national touring exhibition from the Arts Council Collection, organised by the Hayward Gallery, presents 27 prints by 21 artists - some of Britain’s brightest young talents, working in the UK. The techniques used are diverse, ranging from woodcut to screenprint to letterpress. In addition, the ‘Habitat’, ‘Supastore’ and ‘Screen’ portfolios of recent British prints have been borrowed from the British Council to augment this rich and varied selection.

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Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2000

The prestigious annual New Contemporaries exhibition opens at Milton Keynes Gallery on Saturday 17 June. The exhibition, which is sponsored this year by Bloomberg, shows the work of thirty-three artists, selected by Time Out critic Sarah Kent, artist Gavin Turk, and independent curator Jeremy Millar, chosen from an original submission of over 1200 entries. It subsequently tours to Manchester and Edinburgh. Welcoming the exhibition at Milton Keynes Gallery, Director Stephen Snoddy said: ‘I am delighted that MK G is the launch venue for the Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2000 exhibition. MK G is committed to bringing new audiences to new art. This exhibition offers the people of MK and the region the ideal opportunity to experience stimulating new work in a variety of media by some of the most promising artists currently emerging from fine art courses in the UK – without having to travel far.’ He went on to add, ‘Dealers, collectors, critics, curators and visitors enjoy coming to New Contemporaries exhibitions each year to talent spot possible art stars of the future. As the only venue for the exhibition in the South of England this year we expect to attract many visitors to MK from London and beyond.’ First established in 1949, (when it was known as Young Contemporaries), previous exhibitors have included many of the UK’s most prominent artists, such as David Hockney, Patrick Caulfield, and Turner Prize winners Damien Hirst, Gillian Wearing and Chris Ofili.

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