"A symphonic storm of a show."
Simon Schama, Financial Times
"Spectacular."
Evening Standard
“Duck, weave and high step through a massive three-dimensional metal scrawl."
The Times
Lead supporter
From the British coastline to the rooftops of Manhattan, Antony Gormley’s sculptures are recognised across the world. With work from his 45-year career alongside major new installations created for our galleries, we present his most ambitious exhibition in more than ten years.
Weekend tickets to Antony Gormley are almost sold out but Friends of the RA can visit any time, including during sold out slots.
Following in the footsteps of Ai Weiwei and Anselm Kiefer, Antony Gormley will be the next artist to take over our Main Galleries with a series of works that test the scale and light of the RA’s architecture.
The exhibition will explore Gormley’s wide-ranging use of organic, industrial and elemental materials over the years, including iron, steel, hand-beaten lead, seawater and clay. We will also bring to light rarely-seen early works from the 1970s and 1980s, some of which led to Gormley using his own body as a tool to create work, as well as a selection of his pocket sketchbooks and drawings.
Throughout a series of experiential installations, some brand-new, some remade for the RA’s galleries, we will invite visitors to slow down and become aware of their own bodies. Highlights include Clearing VII, an immersive ‘drawing in space’ made from kilometres of coiled, flexible metal, and Lost Horizon I, 24 life-size cast iron figures set at different orientations on the walls, floor and ceiling – challenging our perception of which way is up.
Perhaps best-known for his 200-tonne Angel of the North installation near Gateshead, and his project involving 2,400 members of the public for Trafalgar Square’s the Fourth Plinth, Antony Gormley is one of the UK’s most celebrated sculptors.
The exhibition is curated by Martin Caiger-Smith, with Sarah Lea, Curator at the Royal Academy of Arts.
Please note: in Clearing VII, we ask that visitors walk around the outside of the work, rather than through it. If you are sensitive to enclosed spaces, one of the works may not be suitable for you to enter, please ask a member of staff for the best route around.
Some of the works contain water, sharp edges and materials that can transfer onto clothing. We ask that audiences do not touch the works on display to prevent damage.
Daily 10am – 6pm
Friday 10am – 10pm
Saturday 10am – 8pm (excludes 23 November)
Extended hours:
Sunday 24 November: 10am - 7pm
Saturday 30 November: 10am - 10pm
Sunday 1 December: 10am - 8pm
Tickets £18 – £22. Concessions available. Become a Friend to see for free and visit at any time
Main Galleries, Burlington House
Due to popular demand, we have extended our opening hours to 8pm every Saturday, with the exception of 23 November – as we will be hosting our next late, RA Lates: Deep Earth.
Sunday 24 November: 10am - 7pm
Saturday 30 November: 10am - 10pm
Sunday 1 December: 10am - 8pm
Antony Gormley is open every Friday until 10pm.
“I see this show as a really important test ground. What can sculpture do?”
Enjoy a drone’s eye view of our Antony Gormley exhibition in this short film, narrated by the artist himself.
Plus: discover how key works in the exhibition were made in our three-part series.
Films created with the support of: Veronica and Lars Bane Foundation.
Antony Gormley, Body and Fruit, 1991/93.
Antony Gormley, Lost Horizon I, 2008.
Antony Gormley, HOST, 2019.
Antony Gormley, Subject II, 2019.
Antony Gormley, Slabworks series, 2019.
Antony Gormley, Cave, 2019.
Antony Gormley, Clearing VII, 2019.
Antony Gormley, Matrix III, 2019.
In partnership with BNP Paribas AccessArt25, we are giving 17 – 25 year olds free access to the exhibition via three specially-curated evening events on Monday 14 October, Monday 18 November and Monday 25 November.
With William Kentridge’s epic works filling our galleries, we’ve been looking back at some of the extraordinary things artists have done with our 350-year-old building.
Six tonnes of steel mesh, a gallery flooded with seawater, a body you could walk through and an experience like no other. Relive our 2019 Antony Gormley exhibition with behind-the-scenes videos, inspiration from the man himself and works from the show.
As museums and galleries reopen, Antony Gormley reflects on a revelatory three months in lockdown – and a cultural shift that could change the arts for the better.
Six tonnes of steel mesh, eight kilometres of coiled tubing, a gallery flooded with sea water and a body that can be walked through: this autumn Antony Gormley RA transforms the Academy’s Main Galleries into a sequence of experiences that challenge the viewer. The show’s co-curator takes us behind the scenes.
From chewing his way through 600 loaves of bread to making the world’s largest angel, Antony Gormley has never been afraid to pull out all the stops in the name of art. As we prepare for his biggest UK exhibition in over a decade, here are 10 works you need to know from across his career.
From the genius of the Renaissance to immersive new work created specially for our galleries, next year’s exhibitions promise to exhilarate and inspire. The RA’s Artistic Director, Tim Marlow, introduces our packed programme for 2019.
