Theatre Picasso: A Staged Re-Examination of Picasso’s Performative Genius at Tate Modern
London, UK
06 January 2026

In a bold re-imagining of its presentation of one of modern art’s most influential figures, Tate Modern in London has launched 'Theatre Picasso', a major exhibition that situates Pablo Picasso’s work within the realm of performance, identity, and theatricality. Running until 12 April 2026, this immersive installation marks the centenary of Picasso’s iconic painting The Three Dancers (1925) and coincides with Tate Modern’s 25th anniversary season of presenting canonical art in innovative formats.

Rather than a traditional chronological survey, 'Theatre Picasso' adopts a dramaturgical curatorial strategy developed by contemporary artist Wu Tsang in collaboration with writer and curator Enrique Fuenteblanca. The exhibition transforms Tate’s George Economou Gallery into a theatrical setting where paintings, sculptures, textile works, collages, prints, and archival film are laid out as if on a stage.

Across more than 45 works drawn from Tate’s collection and key European loans, including rarely shown pieces from Musée Picasso in Paris and Antibes, 'Theatre Picasso' traces Picasso’s engagement with figures of spectacle and drama: dancers, bullfighters, acrobats, and entertainers who populate his visual world and embody his artistic experiments with form and identity. Works such as Weeping Woman (1937), Nude Woman in a Red Armchair (1932), and the tapestry Minotaur (1935) further illustrate his shifting styles and thematic concerns, from Cubism to surreal expression and beyond.

The exhibition also foregrounds the idea of Picasso’s own persona as a performance. Through staging elements, lighting design, and an accompanying programme of live dance and flamenco performances, the show encourages visitors to reflect on how Picasso crafted his public image; simultaneously mythic, controversial, and spectacular.