Royal Academy of Arts Unveils 2019 Exhibition Program with Bill Viola, Michelangelo, Antony Gormley, and Lucian Freud

The Royal Academy of Arts in London has announced its exhibition lineup for 2019, featuring three significant shows. "Bill Viola / Michelangelo" will run from January 26 to March 31, 2019, showcasing 12 video installations by Bill Viola (born 1951) alongside 15 pieces by Michelangelo (1475–1564), including 14 drawings and the Tondo Taddei, focusing on common themes of human life. In the fall of 2019, a retrospective dedicated to British sculptor Antony Gormley (born 1950) will display both new and existing works, including a recreation of HOST (1991), which involves inundating a space with mud and seawater, from September 21 to December 3, 2019. Lastly, "Lucian Freud: The Self-portraits" will feature around 50 works from October 27, 2019, to January 26, 2020, highlighting the artist’s transition from early linear pieces to his later, more textured style, reflecting on aging and physical transformation. This program celebrates the institution's 250th anniversary and follows the unveiling of new spaces designed by David Chipperfield.