New exhibitions to see in autumn and winter

The first major UK exhibition of renowned artist and activist Keith Haring is at Tate Liverpool until mid-November. Taking inspiration from underground club culture, graffiti and pop-art in 1980s New York, Haring’s works explore societal issues including racism, homophobia, drug addition, AIDS awareness and the environment. Get a unique glimpse into the life of an artist who developed a fashion line with Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood, designed record covers for David Bowie and Run DMC, and directed a music video for Grace Jones during a career that was tragically cut short. More than 85 of the late artist’s works will be displayed in Liverpool, as well as an array of photographs, posters and videos that capture the essence of 1980s New York street culture.

An icon of British art, the works of William Blake have provided inspiration to artists, musicians and performers around the world. In recognition of the talented painter, printmaker and poet, the Tate Britain is exhibiting more than 300 original works from 11 September as part of an immersive experience that showcases Blake’s visionary art as he wanted it to be viewed close to 200 years ago. The largest display of his works in Britain for more than 20 years, the exhibition will include his resplendent watercolours, paintings and prints, highlighting the enduring impact that Blake had on the art world.

Delve into the creative world of fashion photographer Tim Walker, discovering his unmistakeable style at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London from 21 September. His pictures, photographic sets, films and special installations showcase his inventiveness, creativity and style, with Wonderful Things including ten new series of photographs that are heavily influenced by the collections in the V&A.

The Royal Academy of Art welcomes Turner Prize winner Anthony Gormley in late September, hosting the most significant set of works for more than a decade. As part of an exhibition detailing his illustrious 45-year career, the sculptor and creator of the Angel of the North is set to fill part of the Royal Academy with seawater. Focusing on his use of organic and industrial materials, the exhibition will also include a number of Gormley’s early works, detailing the journey of how he became one of Britain’s most celebrated sculptors.

Turner Prize winning artist Mark Leckey’s exhibition will see a life-size replica of a motorway bridge from the Wirral, in Merseyside where he grew up, acting as the setting for a new audio play from late September. Featuring new and existing work, and titled O’ Magic Power of Bleakness, the ghostly theatrical show focuses on a group of teenagers and draws inspiration from folklore and Leckey’s own childhood memories, giving you a spellbindingly spooky experience. Since coming to prominence in the 1990s, Leckey’s works have focused on the ties between technology and popular culture, as well as on young people and nostalgia, resulting in powerful and topical artworks, exhibitions and experiences.

Renowned for recognising the best in visual art, the Turner Prize 2019 will be showcased at the Turner Contemporary in Margate from late September until mid-January. Awarded annually for an outstanding presentation of art work in the previous year, the Turner Prize can be won by any artist born, living or working in Britain. Four artists are shortlisted for this year’s award – Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Oscar Murillo, Tai Shani and Helen Cammock – and you’ll find their works on display in the months surrounding the prize evening. The awards have been hosted in London every other year since 2011, but this marks the first time they have been presented at a venue with direct links to innovative artist JMW Turner – after whom the prize is named. The Turner Contemporary is built on the site of the artist’s lodging house and you can get there from London by train in just 90 minutes.

Explore the influential work of pop artist Roy Lichtenstein at Newcastle’s Hatton Gallery from late September. Part of the Artist Rooms programme of exhibitions, which display modern and contemporary art of international significance in smaller cities around Britain, the Roy Lichtenstein collection showcases cultural and political change in America from the 1960s to the present day. There’ll be abstract patterning, ambiguity and eye-catching works from one of the leading figures of the pop art movement for you to interpret from late September until early January.

The life and works of Charles Rennie Mackintosh are celebrated annually throughout October at locations across Glasgow with close ties to the famous Scottish architect, artist and designer. Developed by members of the Glasgow Mackintosh Group, including The Glasgow School of Art, The Mackintosh Church, Glasgow Museums and the Lighthouse, the Mackintosh Festival features an array of workshops, exhibitions, walks, talks and performances for you to enjoy. A full programme of events will be unveiled in August.

Designated the Year of Rembrandt as it marks the 350 years since the Dutch Master’s death, 2019 will see a host of related exhibitions across Europe. Rembrandt’s Light at the Dulwich Picture Gallery is part of the celebration from early October, and will include 35 carefully selected works that detail Rembrandt’s mastery of light and visual storytelling. This includes the chance for you to see the captivating painting Philemon and Baucis – on-loan from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, USA – in Britain for the first time. A number of the Dutch painter’s other works are also set to be displayed on British shores for the first time, while award-winning cinematographer Peter Suschitzky, renowned for his work on Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Mars Attacks, will provide lighting assistance for the exhibition, helping to showcase Rembrandt’s works in the best way possible.

From October, you can discover how French artist Paul Gauguin revolutionised the portrait at the first ever exhibition devoted solely to his portrait works. Bringing together a set of around 50 extraordinary works in the National Gallery’s Salisbury Wing, the exhibition will include an exciting array of paintings and 3D objects from public and private collections around the world. To coincide with the exhibition, a special film event will run in cinemas across Britain from 15 October, titled Gauguin from the National Gallery. The documentary will explore the life and work of Gauguin, with the biopic featuring scenes shot in Tahiti, France, the Marquesas and Britain, before taking you on an exclusive filmed tour of the National Gallery’s exhibition.

Gaze at more than 50 paintings, prints and drawings from Lucian Freud as part of one eye-opening exhibition at the Royal Academy of Art in late October. Spanning a period of nearly seven decades, his self-portraits showcase his extraordinary development as a painter and give you unique insight into the mind of a modern master of British art. The collection traces the fascinating evolution of Freud’s works and his portraits provide a gripping insight into the process of ageing, allowing you to see a lifetime of art in just one showing.

The largest retrospective of French photographer, painter and poet Dora Maar ever held in Britain goes on display at the Tate Modern in November. Renowned for her use of symbolic photography and photomontages, Maar was an icon of surrealism and had close ties with Pablo Picasso, with whom she worked closely to create a series of striking images and portraits using experimental photographic and printmaking techniques. This ground-breaking exhibition seeks to explore Maar’s long career in the context of work by her contemporaries.

Taking inspiration from the tropical landscapes of her home region of Panajachel in Guatemala, Vivian Suter’s immersive installation of hanging paintings is set to dominate the Tate Liverpool’s Wolfson Gallery from mid-December. The first solo display of her work in Britain, the large-scale installation, titled Nisyros, has close ties to the environment and the outside world, as Suter leaves her artwork outdoors to be exposed to the elements. As a result, you’ll find an array of natural elements in her creations, from twigs and volcanic matter to imprints of her dog’s paws.