The artistic duo Gilbert & George, known for transforming themselves into living artworks, are currently featured in a comprehensive 25-year survey at London's Hayward Gallery. The exhibition, titled "Gilbert & George: 21st Century Pictures," showcases the unconventional partnership between British-born George Passmore and Italian Gilbert Prousch, who have maintained one of the longest-running performance art careers in contemporary history.
The pair first met at St. Martin's School of Art in 1967, beginning a collaboration that would span over five decades. In 1969, they established their artistic identity by donning vintage-style tweed three-piece suits, covering themselves in multicolored metallic paint, and performing "Underneath the Arches" as living sculptures. This marked the beginning of their transformation into what they call "the artwork" itself, with both artists living and working together in East London while maintaining their unified artistic persona.
Recognizing the financial limitations of purely performance-based art, Gilbert & George evolved their practice to include large-scale photomontages composed of smaller panels resembling stained glass windows. These works consistently feature the duo themselves and have proven highly collectible, as evidenced by the prestigious lending institutions contributing to the current exhibition. The show includes works from the Burger Collection in Hong Kong, Tate, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, and several private collections, notably including multiple pieces from Vienna.
The Hayward Gallery's presentation, curated by Rachel Thomas (Roden Chief Curator) along with assistant curators Suzanna Petot and Hannah Martin, fills the venue's uniquely sized walls with works spanning two and a half decades. The installation forgoes traditional chronological ordering and caption systems, instead embedding each piece's title, date, and the artists' trademark signature directly within the artwork itself. This curatorial approach emphasizes the seamless integration of the artists' identity with their creative output.
According to wall texts throughout the exhibition, Gilbert & George explore "fundamental truths at the heart of our existence: death, hope, life, fear, sex, money, race, religion." The artists appear in every single piece, whether depicted with enlarged Mao-like heads in three-quarter profile, making mock-shocked expressions to the camera, or positioned frontally with outstretched arms in quasi-religious blessing poses. Their eyes are often cut out and dramatically emphasized, reminiscent of ancient votive figurines, creating what some observers describe as an almost idolatrous presentation of themselves as gods within their own artistic icons.
The works maintain a standardized black-lined window format that evokes comic book panels, featuring contrasting oversaturated colors and contemporary themes. The imagery ranges from the duo sleeping on park benches to adventuring through Britain's drug-affected streets, all presented with characteristic cheek, humor, and irreverence that can be disarmingly charming. Their provocative slogans, including "No Nazis," "Homo Riot," and "God loves fucking! Enjoy," are displayed in capitalized British tabloid-style fonts, often accompanied by examples of A-board posters.
Despite addressing significant social and political issues, the works function more as brand extensions than deep analytical pieces. Like their original singing sculpture performances, the images exist without offering particular stances, interpretations, or jumping-off points for further discussion. This approach reflects their commitment to being the artwork itself rather than creators commenting on external subjects, maintaining their status as what some call "the OG" of performance art.
The exhibition's commercial aspect is fully embraced in the gallery's gift shop, which features merchandise that reinforces key elements of the Gilbert & George brand. Items include a wooden swear box with the message "Pay up and f*ck off," duo bookmarks, police-style tape emblazoned with "Homo riot," and pins reading "free dick." This merchandising strategy mirrors their total dedication to existing as art, comparable to Jeff Koons' salesmanship approach to discussing artistic meaning.
"Gilbert & George: 21st Century Pictures" continues at the Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, through January 11, 2026. The exhibition represents a comprehensive look at how two artists have successfully sustained a career by making themselves the primary subject and medium of their art, creating what amounts to collectible editions of their own personas while maintaining their position as pioneers of conceptual and performance art.
