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2025 exhibition highlights at the Tate
A look at the major art exhibitions that Tate Britain and Tate Modern will present in 2025.
Source: Tate · Image: John Constable, “The White Horse”, 1819 · Frick Collection, New York
Tate Britain will begin the year with a solo exhibition dedicated to one of the most influential British artists of this generation, Ed Atkins. Later in the spring, two renowned modern artists – Edward Burra and Ithell Colquhoun – will each be the subject of solo exhibitions, giving visitors the chance to see the breadth of their vivid and enigmatic paintings. In the autumn, Turner & Constable will bring together Britain’s most famous artistic rivals, marking the 250th anniversary of their births. These two great artists vied for success through very different but equally bold approaches, transforming landscape painting in the process. This exhibition will be an unmissable chance to directly compare their spectacular works and see how their rivalry changed the course of British art. Alongside it, Lee Miller will be given the most extensive retrospective of her photography ever staged in the UK. A trailblazing surrealist and an acclaimed fashion and war photographer, Miller’s extraordinary career will be explored through 250 images, including some never previously displayed.
Tate Modern’s first exhibition of 2025 will focus on the boundary-pushing career of artist, performer, model, designer and musician Leigh Bowery. Later in the spring, Tate Modern’s unique spaces dedicated to performance, film and installation – The Tanks – will host the UK premiere of Hagay Dreaming. This acclaimed performance by new media artist Shu Lea Cheang and practicing shaman Dondon Hounwn combines dance and ritual with laser projections and motion-capture technology. In the summer, The Genesis Exhibition: Do Ho Suh will invite visitors into the captivating world of this Korean-born, London-based artist. It will then be joined by the first major exhibition of work by Emily Kam Kngwarray ever held in Europe. One of Australia’s greatest artists, Kngwarray was a senior Anmatyerr woman, a community from the Utopia region (north-east of Mparntwe/Alice Springs), whose paintings reflected her ritual, spiritual and ecological engagement with her homelands. In the autumn, Tate Modern will unveil a landmark group exhibition on Nigerian Modernism. The show will celebrate the artists who revolutionised modern art in Nigeria before and after national independence in 1960, combining African and European traditions to create new, multidisciplinary forms across painting, sculpture, textile, literature and poetry. This will coincide with an exhibition taking Picasso’s The Three Dancers as its focus, marking 100 years since this iconic painting was made. Foregrounding Picasso’s fascination with dance, sex and death, this deep dive will put a pivotal work of modern art in dialogue with its historic context and with contemporary dance. The final exhibition of the year will be a major photography exhibition about Global Pictorialism, the international movement which first transformed the camera into an artistic tool. Each season will also be marked by one of Tate Modern’s three high-profile annual commissions. The spring will feature the inaugural Infinities Commission, for which a selected artist will create an experimental and visionary new work for the Tanks. Over the summer school holidays, UNIQLO Tate Play will once again invite visitors of all ages to take part in a newly created artwork founded in participation. In the autumn the Hyundai Commission will see a world-renowned artist transform the Turbine Hall at the heart of Tate Modern with an ambitious new installation.
BY ALBERT CHEN
Two exquisite portraits by German-born artist Johann Joseph Zoffany (1733–1810) achieved remarkable success at Bonhams Old Master Paintings sale in London on December 4, 2024. The companion pieces, depicting a flower girl and a watercress girl, sold for $1.23 million—more than three times their original estimate of $366,000–$610,000. The auction at Bonhams’ New Bond Street location totaled over $2 million, with 97% of lots sold by value.
Lisa Greaves, Head of Bonhams’ Old Master Paintings Department, expressed her delight at the result. “It was no surprise that these exquisite works commanded significant interest,” she said. “Both portraits have been in a private family collection since the 19th century and are in remarkable condition. Zoffany’s skill as a portraitist is evident in the expressive detail and decorative richness of these paintings.”
Zoffany’s Artistic Legacy
Johann Zoffany was a prominent painter of portraits, conversation pieces, and theatrical scenes. Born in Germany, Zoffany’s early years at the court of Alexander Ferdinand, Prince von Thurn und Taxis, exposed him to classical education and courtly manners. After arriving in England around 1760, Zoffany’s career flourished thanks to the patronage of actor-manager David Garrick, who admired his ability to capture dramatic moments and intricate details. Queen Charlotte and King George III later became key patrons, securing his reputation and financial success.
Zoffany’s works now feature in major collections worldwide, including the National Gallery, Tate Gallery, and Royal Collection in the UK, as well as institutions across Europe, the U.S., India, and Australia.
The Watercress Girl: A Testament to Detail
One of the auctioned portraits, The Watercress Girl, was first exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1780. A contemporary reviewer praised Zoffany’s lifelike depiction, stating that the artist had “copied nature so exactly, that it is not easy to determine whether it is real life or painting.” The model for the portrait was a young girl named Jane Wallis.
The paintings were once owned by Jacob Wilkinson, a prominent MP and director of the East India Company. Wilkinson played a pivotal role in supporting Zoffany’s request to travel to India, a journey that expanded the artist’s repertoire. Wilkinson’s portrait by Zoffany is part of the collection at Chequers, the official secondary residence of the British Prime Minister.
Zoffany’s enduring appeal is evident in the enthusiasm surrounding this auction. The sale highlights the timeless allure of his meticulous craftsmanship and expressive portraiture.
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