Exhibitions

To Improvise A Mountain: Lynette Yiadom-Boakye Curates

Curated by acclaimed figurative painter Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, this exhibition brings together a diverse group of international artists working across painting, sculpture, photography, film, and drawing from the 19th century to the present day.  Featuring works by Bas Jan Ader, Pierre Bonnard, Lisa Brice, Barbara Chase-Riboud, Samuel Fosso, Peter Hujar, Kahlil Joseph, Zoe Leonard, Glenn Ligon, Toyin Ojih Odutola, The Otolith Group, Jennifer Packer, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Walter Sickert, Édouard Vuillard, David Wojnarowicz and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye herself.  See paintings by post-impressionist masters like Walter Sickert alongside some of the most exciting artists working today, including Jennifer Packer, and video works by filmmaker Kahlil Joseph and artist collective, The Otolith Group. This exhibition is a Hayward Gallery Touring exhibition curated by Lynette Yiadom-Boakye with Hayward Gallery Touring. £10.25 tickets throughout January 2026 for MK Residents  

Exhibition Events

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Paz Errázuriz: Dare to Look

‘The phrase “activist photographer” only hints at the breadth and depth of her work.’ – Sean O’Hagan, The Observer ‘You don’t just look at Paz Errázuriz’s photographs – you feel them. – Amateur Photographer magazine ‘Photographs representing the profound, unwavering humanity of her gaze.’ – Charlotte Jansen, Financial Times Hidden Realities of Chile Exhibition organised by Fundación MAPFRE in collaboration with MK Gallery. 'They are topics that society doesn’t look at, and my intention is to encourage people to dare to look.’ - Paz Errázuriz This first solo UK exhibition of Chilean photographer Paz Errázuriz (b. 1944) presents over 170 works in colour and black and white from the 1970s to the present day. Often working in series, her photographs include men and women in psychiatric institutions, Trans communities, sex workers, homeless people and the Kawésqar, an indigenous community under threat. Other series feature circus workers, protesters, boxers, wrestlers, children and elders and dancers. During General Pinochet’s dictatorship from 1973 to 1990, Errázuriz’s projects directly contravened regulations imposed by the military regime on where and when women were permitted. Errázuriz often spends months or years within a community, building trust and getting to know her sitters. Errázuriz’s work can be seen in important international collections including Tate, MoMA, New York, the Guggenheim and Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid. She has received various national and international prizes, including the PHotoEspaña Prize in 2015, the year in which he also represented Chile at the Venice Biennale. In 2014 she received the Pablo Neruda Order of Merit, the highest cultural and artistic recognition given by the Chilean government. Please note some works within this show contain adult themes. With thanks to Colecciones Fundación MAPFRE, The Anglo Chilean Society, the Embassy of Chile in the UK and the Exhibition Circle of Friends, including Cecilia Brunson Projects, Paula del Sol, Collección Bartholdson and those who wish to remain anonymous.    

Guided Exhibition Tours

Join our insightful tour guides for a deep-dive into the exhibition.

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Conversational Tour – Andy Warhol: Portrait of America

Join our volunteer guides for a friendly tour discussing Andy Warhol: Portrait of America. These tours provide visitors with the opportunity to engage with the exhibition and express their own thoughts and ideas about the artworks in a small group. Conversational Tours are free, but require you to purchase an exhibition ticket separately. Dates and times Tuesday 1 April, 11am Sunday 6 April, 11am Tuesday 8 April, 11am Tuesday 15 April, 11am Tuesday 22 April, 11am Tuesday 29 April, 11am Sunday 4 May, 11am Tuesday 6 May, 11am Tuesday 13 May, 11am Tuesday 20 May, 11am Tuesday 27 May, 11am Sunday 1 June, 11am Tuesday 3 June, 11am Tuesday 10 June, 11am Tuesday 17 June, 11am Tuesday 24 June, 11am

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Conversational Tour: Vanessa Bell: A World of Form and Colour

Join our volunteer guides for a friendly tour discussing Vanessa Bell: A World of Form and Colour. These tours provide visitors with the opportunity to engage with the exhibition and express their own thoughts and ideas about the artworks in a small group. This is free with an exhibition ticket.   Dates and times Tuesday 28 January, 11am Sunday 2 February, 11am Tuesday 4 February, 11am Sunday 9 February, 11am Tuesday 11 February, 11am Tuesday 18 February, 11am Sunday 23 February, 11am

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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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