2026 at Modern Art Oxford

In 2026, Modern Art Oxford celebrates 60 years of internationally acclaimed exhibition making. Marking a transition in programming ethos, with a strengthened focus on commissioning new ambitious work at this historically significant moment, Modern Art Oxford is delighted to announce a year of new commissions that reflect on histories and their legacies in the present, both politically and aesthetically. The artists who inaugurate this new series of exhibitions demonstrate some of the most dynamic visual practices working today, encompassing sculpture, installation, drawing, video and sound to interrogate the production of contemporary conditions while experimenting with the architecture of the gallery and historical context of Oxford as a site for making.

Accompanying solo and group exhibitions in the Ground Floor Gallery platform new works by emerging and early career artists. This dynamic programme is focused on highlighting creative ideas and processes produced through artistic research and collaboration. Each presentation is the outcome of residencies and creative partnerships with local museum collections and community groups, bringing visual practice into dialogue with other disciplines, including science, nature and music.

UPPER GALLERIES

Kira Freije, Unspeak the Chorus, 23 May – 16 August 2026, Upper Gallery 1

A co-commission by British artist Kira Freije (b.1985, lives and works in London) with The Hepworth Wakefield, this is the first major solo exhibition of the artist’s work in the UK. Freije creates a new body of work comprising a community of life-size figures, both human and animal, suggesting fragments of a larger imagined historical narrative. The exhibition will be presented at The Hepworth Wakefield in November 2025. The exhibition will also tour to KINDL – Centre for Contemporary Art, Berlin, in September 2026.

Olivia Plender, 23 May – 16 August 2026, Upper Gallery 2 & 3

In her first solo UK institutional presentation since 2013, Olivia Plender (b.1977, lives and works in Stockholm and London) presents an ambitious new commission inspired by historical research undertaken in Oxford into the evolution of early modern medicine through a feminist lens. Plender will make a new body of work about women’s health and the history of medicine, with specific focus on women’s reproductive health. The resulting exhibition will comprise a site-specific installation at Modern Art Oxford across two of the Upper Galleries.

Anniversary Exhibition: Mike Nelson, autumn 2026, Upper Galleries

To mark the organisation’s 60th anniversary, Modern Art Oxford invites Mike Nelson (b.1967, lives and works in London) to return to Oxford to create a new work which explores the potential of historical remnants and structures. Nelson’s 2004 major installation at Modern Art Oxford, Triple Bluff Canyon, transformed the gallery spaces and garnered critical acclaim for the celebrated British artist.

GROUND FLOOR GALLERY

Shadowlight Artists, 23 January – 22 March 2026

The Shadowlight Artists is a committee of eight learning-disabled* artists based in Oxfordshire. This group show explores identity, creativity and community, displaying a combination of individual and collaborative artwork, following a series of regular workshops at Film Oxford. Their exhibition at Modern Art Oxford is part of a larger project supported by Film Oxford, the Shadowlight Supported Studio, aiming to empower learning-disabled and neurodivergent artists by providing them with the resources and support they need to create professional-quality artwork.

Foraging Connections, 27 March – 14 June 2026

Blending art, science, and nature, Foraging Connections turns the Ground Floor Gallery into a celestial forest. Since spring 2025, artists Lilli Tranborg and Arbie Edward have been working with the local charity, Children Heard And Seen, during which a sculpture in the local Wytham Woods has been repurposed to reflect on the themes of refuge and repair. It has been collectively created using foraged plants transformed through the ancient techniques of cordage and weaving. It will forge a connection between the woods and Modern Art Oxford. This collaborative project is part of the Oxford North’s Engage Programme.

Appau Jnr Boakye-Yiadom, summer 2026

To mark the culmination of the inaugural Donna Lynas Residency, Appau Jnr Boakye-Yiadom (b.London, lives and works in London) presents fragments of his research undertaken during his three years working with Modern Art Oxford, including exploring musical instruments held in the Bate Collection of Musical Instruments at the University of Oxford and the Pitt Rivers Museum. Rather than an exhibition of finished work, this is an opportunity to platform ideas in development and works in progress. Boakye-Yiadom is the inaugural recipient of the Donna Lynas Residency (2023-26), a partnership between Wysing Arts Centre, Modern Art Oxford, Somerset House and South London Gallery, created in memory of the curator who was known as a champion of sustained artist development.

Platform Graduate Award 2026, autumn 2026

The Platform Graduate Award is an initiative supporting emerging graduate artistic talent to further their practice following graduation. In recognition of the ongoing challenges faced by artists in establishing their artistic practice post-university, each year the award provides selected artists from

participating higher education partners with the opportunity to display their work in a group show at one of the participating institutions, a bursary and six months of mentoring. The initiative is led by CVAN South East (Contemporary Visual Arts Network South East) and is a partnership between four arts organisations and higher education institutions.

ENDS

Notes for Editors

For media enquiries contact Clare Stimpson, Head of Digital and Communications, [email protected], +44 (0)1865 813 826

*General note on terminology

The Shadowlight Artists Committee (and Film Oxford) currently use the term “learning disabled” to describe their community. However, individuals may prefer different terminology to describe themselves and their support needs. Terms like “neurodivergent” or “neurominorities” are increasingly popular, reflecting a broader understanding of diverse experiences. Many people also use specific medical terms such as “autistic” or “Down syndrome.” While phrases like “people with learning disabilities or autism” are considered outdated by some, it is important to respect each person’s right to choose how they identify. Ultimately, the language should honour the individual’s preferences and promote inclusivity.

About the Hepworth Wakefield

The Hepworth Wakefield is an award-winning art gallery based in the heart of Yorkshire, UK. The building was designed by the acclaimed David Chipperfield Architects and sits alongside the River Calder and a free public garden designed by Tom Stuart-Smith. Named after Barbara Hepworth, one of the most important British artists of the 20th century who was born and brought up in Wakefield, the gallery presents major exhibitions of the best international modern and contemporary art. It is also home to Wakefield’s growing art collection – an inspiring resource comprising outstanding works of modern British and contemporary art in a broad range of medium including paintings, sculpture, ceramics, photographs and works on paper. The Hepworth Wakefield runs engaging programmes for schools, families and local community groups to provide inspiring creative learning opportunities and a vibrant talks and events programme, including regular makers fairs and markets.

About the Donna Lynas Residency

Established in 2023, the Donna Lynas Residency celebrates the legacy of curator Donna Lynas (1967-2021) of supporting artists over long periods of time, and giving them opportunities when they need it most. The pilot residency programme has been supported by four cultural organisations over three years: Wysing Arts Centre, South London Gallery, Modern Art Oxford and Somerset House Studios with the selected recipient receiving

£16,000 a year for three years (2023-2026) and the support of each partner – including mentoring, use of facilities and potential inclusion in public programme, if the artist should wish. The inaugural partners all shared a connection with Lynas, who was Curator at Modern Art Oxford (1995-1999) and South London Gallery (1999- 2005), an advisor for Somerset House Studios and former Director of Wysing Arts Centre (2005-2021).

About Children Heard and Seen

Children Heard and Seen is a charity dedicated to helping children, young people, and families affected by parental imprisonment. They are committed to addressing their needs, listening to their concerns, and ensuring their voices are heard. They offer tailored one-on-one support from trained practitioners, assistance for parents/carers, peer support groups for both children and carers, engaging online activities, fun-filled activity days and residentials, as well as practical support such as legal advice and guidance on financial well-being.

About CVAN South East

CVAN South East is one of the nine regional networks in England that make up CVAN (the Contemporary Visual Arts Network). It aims to be an effective network for the sector in this region by working in partnership on strategic projects and programmes, and by sharing learning and information to maximise expertise and creative thinking. The network is concerned with developing critically engaged art practice, and dedicated to promoting a visual arts ecology that thrives on the inter-dependence of many stakeholders, including artists and art professionals, local government, higher education, not-for-profit and commercial sectors.

About Modern Art Oxford

Located in one of the world’s great cities of learning, Modern Art Oxford is a leading contemporary art space with an international reputation for innovative and ambitious programming. We promote creativity in all its visual forms as an agent of social change. Our programmes, both in person and online, are shaped by a belief in dialogue between contemporary art and ideas and celebrate the relevance of contemporary visual culture to society today.

www.modernartoxford.org.uk | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube Modern Art Oxford, 30 Pembroke Street, Oxford, UK, OX1 1BP [email protected] 01865 722 733

Modern Art Oxford is supported by Arts Council England, Oxford City Council and Lavazza.