The Shortlist
The Bayeux Tapestry
British Museum
10 September 2026–11 July 2027
The first opportunity to see the Bayeux Tapestry in Britain in 1,000 years has brought heads of states, billionaires and hordes of visitors to the British Museum. The transfer of this fragile embroidery from Bayeux is an extraordinary logistical feat. For once, it is no exaggeration to describe an exhibition as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, although the experience of queueing, first for tickets and then at the museum to see it, may also be setting records.
Michaelina Wautier
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna and Royal Academy of Arts, London
30 September 2025–22 February | 27 March–21 June
The restoration of the baroque artist’s reputation – on the rise since Katlijne Van der Stighelen recognised the Triumph of Bacchus as by her hand some 30 years ago – now seems complete. This show at the Kunsthistorisches Museum presented works by Wautier in almost every genre, as well as paintings and prints by her older brother Charles and other male contemporaries to whom her work was wrongly attributed. A second version at the Royal Academy was more focused.
Nigerian Modernism
Tate Modern, London
8 October 2025–10 May
This landmark exhibition asked viewers to think about the meaning of both words in the title, and managed not to be heavy-handed. The curators, Osei Bonsu and Bilal Akkouche, told a compelling story about modern Nigeria through its artists, while also presenting those artists on their own terms. While Ben Enwonwu was the central figure in the show, it brought welcome attention to schools of artists who helped imagine a new nation – and shape how that nation imagined itself.
Passion is Volcanic: Desire in Southeast Asian Art
National Gallery Singapore
24 April–20 September
National Gallery Singapore announced an R-rating and banned photography for its first adult-only exhibition, a groundbreaking exploration of desire in modern South East Asian art that was unsettling, thought-provoking and, at times, very funny. With works ranging from sculptures of Buddhist deities from the 14th and 15th centuries to Ahmad Zakii Anwar’s acrylic still lifes of bananas from 2000, the exhibition tackled its theme with a sense of adventure and subtlety.
William Nicholson
Pallant House Gallery, Chichester
22 November 2025–10 May
The painter’s technical facility, which allowed him to wander between mediums and genres, and his prolific production of society portraits, are all responsible in part for Nicholson being a critically neglected figure, who has long taken an art-historical backseat to his son, Ben. Pallant House Gallery’s thoughtful exhibition presented the sweep of his career, dispelling notions of Nicholson senior as an Edwardian throwback and making the case for him as a major British artist.
Zurbarán
National Gallery, London / Musée du Louvre, Paris
2 May–23 August | 7 October–25 January 2027
The Spanish baroque master’s gift for physical realism and spiritual intensity were in full evidence at this survey in London, which featured crucifixions, portraits of the saints and moments in recent Spanish history, and mythological scenes. Now at the Louvre, a second version of the exhibition also explores Zurbarán’s influence on modern painters such as Manet and Picasso – and can be seen next to an exhibition of polychrome sculpture in 17th-century Spain. A third leg opens at the Art Institute of Chicago on 28 February 2027.
The winner will be announced on 19 November.
The Shortlists | Artist of the Year | Museum Opening of the Year | Exhibition of the Year | Book of the Year | Acquisition of the Year
