Opening next week at Tate Modern, Theatre Picasso brings together over 50 works by one of the most influential figures of the 20th century to explore aspects of performance in Picasso’s work.
At the centre of the exhibition is The Three Dancers (1925), Picasso’s iconic painting that this year marks its centenary. Also celebrating its anniversary is Tate Modern, which opened to visitors 25 years ago.
Theatre Picasso is ‘staged’ by contemporary artist Wu Tsang and writer and curator Enrique Fuenteblanca, who explore the meaning of performance through Picasso’s work. The Three Dancers sits at the heart of the exhibition, alongside famous paintings such as Weeping Woman (1937) and Nude Woman in a Red Armchair (1932). The exhibition also showcases prints, drawings, sculptures, textile works and collages, along with key loans from leading Picasso museums in France.
Picasso was fascinated by performers and their boundless capacity for transformation, and he approached painting as a dramatic act in itself. Central to this was the construction of his own public persona or brand – Picasso ‘the artist’ – a figure that accompanied Picasso throughout his life and continues to shape how we imagine the role of the artist today.
In Picasso’s own work, this persona was often expressed through fantastical and striking imagery, such as in the wool and silk tapestry Minotaur (1935), which will be publicly displayed in the UK for the first time, on loan from Musée Picasso, Antibes. Henri-George Clouzot’s 1956 film The Mystery of Picasso also features in the exhibition, following Picasso in his studio as he creates works in real-time, a study of his vigorous creative process in which we see him throw his body into the act of painting.
In works including Acrobat (1930) lent by Musée national Picasso-Paris and Bullfight Scene (1960) we see how the artist looked towards popular entertainers, and this theme is also explored in the exhibition.
Alongside the exhibition, Wu Tsang and Enrique Fuenteblanca will invite artists, dancers and choreographers to respond to Theatre Picasso in an accompanying performance programme of dance and flamenco.
Theatre Picasso continues at Tate Modern until 12 April 2026. For further information: tate.org.uk
Image: Theatre Picasso at Tate Modern Photo © Tate (Larina Fernandes)
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