Hayward Gallery Touring has appointed Ekow Eshun as curator of the 10th British Art Show, the UK’s most important recurring survey of contemporary art.
The exhibition will open in Coventry in September 2026 before touring to Swansea, Bristol, Sheffield and Newcastle Gateshead, making it the broadest presentation in the show’s history.
Since its launch in 1979, the British Art Show has traced the most vital developments in contemporary practice and introduced audiences nationwide to leading artists including David Hockney, Tracey Emin, Sonia Boyce and Anish Kapoor. Staged every five years, it has become a cultural barometer as well as a showcase of artistic innovation. This tenth edition will coincide with the 75th anniversary of the Southbank Centre, adding weight to its national role.
Born in London in 1968 to Ghanaian parents, Eshun became the first Black director of a major UK arts institution when he led the Institute of Contemporary Arts between 2005 and 2010. Alongside his leadership work, he has built an influential career as a curator, broadcaster and writer, contributing essays and commentary to publications such as The Guardian and The New York Times. His curatorial projects, including In the Black Fantastic at the Hayward Gallery, The Time Is Always Now at the National Portrait Gallery and We Are History at Somerset House, have won praise for blending art with urgent questions of race, identity and cultural memory.
Ekow Eshun responded to his appointment as curator of the 10th British Art Show with pride and a strong sense of purpose. He described the role as “a great honour,” noting that the exhibition has long shaped and reflected the discourse of contemporary art in the UK. Moreover, he emphasized his excitement at the opportunity to collaborate with artists whose practices, in his words, “speak powerfully to our time.” Eshun added that he looks forward to creating a show that not only invites reflection but also provokes dialogue and broadens how audiences in Britain connect with art today.
