Ekow Eshun Appointed Curator of British Art Show 10
Ekow Eshun has been named the curator for the tenth British Art Show, which is hosted by Hayward Gallery Touring. This showcase will kick off in Coventry in September 2026 and will be the most extensive yet, featuring stops in Swansea, Bristol, Sheffield, and Newcastle Gateshead. Eshun, who is a writer and curator, is currently involved with The Fourth Plinth public arts project in London and previously served as the director of the Institute of Contemporary Arts. In 2023, he received the Association for Art History’s Curatorial Prize for his exhibition In the Black Fantastic at Hayward Gallery. He has upcoming books set for release in 2024 and 2025. The British Art Show, established in 1979, is the UK’s largest ongoing contemporary art exhibition, occurring every five years. Eshun expressed his appreciation for the opportunity, noting the show's significant impact on discussions around contemporary art in the UK.
Key facts
- Ekow Eshun will curate British Art Show 10.
- The exhibition opens in Coventry in September 2026.
- It will tour to Swansea, Bristol, Sheffield, and Newcastle Gateshead.
- Eshun is chairman of The Fourth Plinth and former director of the ICA London.
- He won the Association for Art History’s Curatorial Prize in 2023.
- His books include The Strangers (2024) and Black Earth Rising (2025).
- The British Art Show was launched in 1979 and is held every five years.
- This edition is the most extensive in the show's history.
Entities
Artists
- Ekow Eshun
Institutions
- Hayward Gallery Touring
- The Fourth Plinth
- Institute of Contemporary Arts, London
- Association for Art History
- Hayward Gallery
Locations
- Coventry
- United Kingdom
- Swansea
- Bristol
- Sheffield
- Newcastle Gateshead
- London