Spiritual Art Exhibitions and Commissions Dominate April 2026 Art Scene
In April 2026, a variety of art exhibitions centered on spirituality will take place. Kettle's Yard has commissioned an essay by Hassan Vawda that explores their collection alongside the philosophies of founders Jim and Helen Ede. The ICA LA's 'Speaking in Tongues' exhibition, featuring artists from the Global South, will be open until August 23, 2026. Maurizio Cattelan's 'The Confessional' performance commenced on April 2, allowing confessions via hotline until April 22, with a livestream on April 23. The Vatican's 'El Greco in the Mirror' will be available until June 30, 2026. Additionally, Dublin's National Gallery will host 'William Blake: The Age of Romantic Fantasy' from April 16 to July 19, 2026. Other notable exhibitions include 'Matisse. 1941-1954' at Grand Palais Paris and 'Mary Magdalene' at Chester Cathedral. Nicola Ravenscroft also revealed a 13-foot bronze NHS memorial at London's Royal Free Hospital.
Key facts
- Hassan Vawda's essay for Kettle's Yard explores spirituality in the collection
- ICA LA's 'Speaking in Tongues' runs April 4-August 23, 2026
- Maurizio Cattelan's confessional hotline operates April 2-22, 2026
- El Greco exhibition at Papal Palace of Castel Gandolfo until June 30, 2026
- William Blake exhibition at National Gallery of Ireland April 16-July 19, 2026
- Matisse exhibition at Grand Palais Paris March 26-July 26, 2026
- Gainsborough's House exhibition runs April 25-October 11, 2026
- Nicola Ravenscroft's NHS memorial unveiled at Royal Free Hospital London
Entities
Artists
- Hassan Vawda
- Maurizio Cattelan
- El Greco
- William Blake
- Henri Matisse
- Lillian Delevoryas
- Mirna Bamieh
- Theaster Gates
- George Shaw
- Qiu Anxiong
- Anna Ruth
- Nicola Turner
- Nicola Ravenscroft
- David Drake
- Dave the Potter
- James Barry
- Henry Fuseli
- David Dawson
- Kate Giles
- Nicola Hicks
- Deanne Doddington Mizen
- Patrick Pye
- Jim Ede
- Helen Ede
- José Sánchez de Muniáin
- Paul VI
- Paolo Violini
- Alessandra Zarelli
- Fabio Morresi
- Lucian Freud
- Bendor Grosvenor
- Thomas Gainsborough
- John Constable
- JMW Turner
- Alexander Cozens
- Francis Towne
- Thomas Girtin
- Antonio Joli
- Claude-Joseph Vernet
- David Lucas
- Aki Onda
- Titian
- Tintoretto
- Dante
- Albert Yonathan Setyawanto
- Tracey Walker
- Jessica Bell Brown
- Ingrid Lilligren
- Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça
- Pope John Paul II
Institutions
- Kettle's Yard
- ICA LA
- Vatican
- Papal Palace of Castel Gandolfo
- National Gallery of Ireland
- Grand Palais Paris
- Centre Pompidou
- Chester Cathedral
- St Andrew's Church
- Persistence Works Gallery
- NIKA Project Space
- Palestine Hosting Society
- Gagosian New York
- Pearl Lam Projects
- GRIMM Amsterdam
- Yorkshire Sculpture Park
- Society of Portrait Sculptors
- Gainsborough's House
- Royal Free Hospital
- Avant Arte
- A. and M.A. Pagliara Foundation
- Suor Orsola Benincasa University
- Vatican Museum
- Cabinet of Scientific Research
- Tate
- McKissick Museum
- University of South Carolina
- Milwaukee Art Museum
- Institute for Contemporary Art at Richmond's Virginia Commonwealth University
- Camberwell School of Art
- St Martin-in-the-Fields
- St John's College, Cambridge
- HSBC
- University of Cambridge Primary School
- Talos Art Gallery
- Chelsea School of Art
- Royal Academy
- Portland Institute for Contemporary Art
- Artlyst
- Centre for Contemporary Arts
- Blake & Vargas
Locations
- Cambridge
- United Kingdom
- Los Angeles
- United States
- Rome
- Italy
- Dublin
- Ireland
- Paris
- France
- Chester
- Wickford
- Essex
- Sheffield
- Coventry
- Portugal
- New York
- Hong Kong
- China
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- West Yorkshire
- London
- Suffolk
- Edgefield
- South Carolina
- Montgomeryshire
- Mid Wales
- Norfolk
- Crete
- Greece
- Toledo
- Spain
- Venice
- Candia
- Iraklion
- Glasgow
- Indonesia
- Shanghai
- Canary Wharf
- Wiltshire
- Chelsea Barracks
- Stour Valley
- Abergavenny
- Vence
Sources
- Artlyst —