Anish Kapoor’s Monumental New Installations Take Over the Hayward Gallery

BySSZee Media

Sep 28, 2026

The Hayward Gallery has been given a dramatic transformation with Anish Kapoor’s latest body of work, bringing together a series of major new installations that explore scale, colour, material and the very nature of perception.

Kapoor’s work has always had the ability to command attention, and this exhibition makes full use of that quality. Rather than presenting a conventional collection of individual artworks, the exhibition feels like an environment that visitors enter and move through. The scale of the installations encourages you to experience them physically, while the use of colour, shadow and reflective surfaces creates moments that can feel almost surreal.

There is a particular power in the simplicity of Kapoor’s approach. A single form, surface or void can become the focus of an entire room, creating a sense of drama without relying on unnecessary detail. The works invite curiosity, often appearing different depending on where you stand and how long you look.

The relationship between Kapoor’s installations and the Hayward Gallery is another highlight. The building’s concrete interiors and distinctive Brutalist architecture provide a striking backdrop, while Kapoor’s sculptures alter the way the gallery itself is perceived. Familiar spaces become unfamiliar, with scale and perspective constantly being challenged.

The exhibition also demonstrates Kapoor’s continuing fascination with the boundaries between presence and absence. Some works feel solid and monumental, while others seem to open up spaces that appear impossible to measure. This contrast gives the exhibition a dreamlike quality and makes it particularly rewarding to explore at your own pace.

What makes the experience so successful is its ability to appeal both visually and intellectually. You can simply enjoy the extraordinary scale and beauty of the installations, but there is also plenty to consider beneath the surface.

Bold, immersive and unmistakably Kapoor, the exhibition is a striking addition to the London art calendar and a reminder of the power of contemporary sculpture to completely change the way we experience a space.

Currently open until 18th October 2026. Get your tickets here.

WRITTEN BY: Nura Arooj