The David Hockney Serpentine exhibition was a landmark art event that brought together the recent work of one of Britain’s most influential artists. Officially titled David Hockney: A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts about Painting, the exhibition took place at Serpentine North in Kensington Gardens, London, from 12 March to 23 August 2026. It marked Hockney’s first exhibition at the gallery and offered free admission to visitors. The presentation centred on A Year in Normandie, an extraordinary 90-metre panoramic artwork created using more than 100 digital paintings. Alongside this large-scale landscape, visitors encountered five portraits and five still lifes. The exhibition explored changing seasons, the beauty of everyday surroundings, artistic experimentation and the relationship between traditional painting and digital technology. Its record attendance and Hockney’s death during its run gave the presentation lasting cultural significance.
What Was the David Hockney Serpentine Exhibition About?
The exhibition brought together new and recent paintings by David Hockney, offering an insight into the ideas that continued to shape his work during the later years of his life.
Presented at Serpentine North, the show was not designed as a complete retrospective covering every stage of his career. Instead, it concentrated on his recent artistic experiments, particularly his fascination with nature, changing light, digital drawing and the representation of space.
Its official title, A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts about Painting, reflected the importance of landscape as well as Hockney’s wider interest in the possibilities of painting.
The exhibition included three particularly important elements:
- A Year in Normandie, a monumental digital landscape.
- Five new portraits of people from Hockney’s close circle.
- Five still-life paintings exploring colour, objects and composition.
A large outdoor mural in the Serpentine North Garden extended the presentation beyond the gallery itself.
The result was an exhibition that connected traditional artistic subjects with contemporary technology while encouraging visitors to look more carefully at the world around them.
A Year in Normandie: The 90-Metre Masterpiece
The centrepiece was A Year in Normandie, a monumental panoramic frieze measuring approximately 90 metres in length. Created between 2020 and 2021, the work combines more than 100 individual digital paintings made using an iPad.
The panorama records the changing appearance of the Normandy countryside around Hockney’s home and studio. It moves through winter, spring, summer and autumn, presenting trees, vegetation, changing light and familiar rural surroundings.
Rather than depicting one particular moment, the artwork creates a continuous visual experience. Visitors can follow the landscape as it develops, noticing differences in colour, atmosphere and natural growth.
The composition draws inspiration from historical visual storytelling, particularly the Bayeux Tapestry and Chinese scroll paintings. These traditions helped inform the idea of presenting a long sequence of images that viewers experience gradually.
What makes the work particularly interesting is its combination of simplicity and scale. Individual scenes depict recognisable elements of nature, but together they form an ambitious exploration of time, observation and artistic imagination.
The Serpentine presentation brought this monumental work to London audiences for the first time.
How David Hockney Used iPad Technology to Create the Artwork
David Hockney’s use of the iPad demonstrated his continuing willingness to experiment with different artistic tools. He recognised that digital drawing could provide an immediate way to record changing surroundings without abandoning the principles of traditional painting.
For A Year in Normandie, the device allowed him to capture details of the countryside as he observed them. Colours, shapes, light and weather could be recorded quickly, making it easier to document seasonal changes.
The process also offered considerable flexibility. Digital images could be developed individually before being combined into a much larger composition.
Hockney’s interest in technology had developed over several decades. His earlier experiments included:
- Polaroid photographic compositions.
- Photographic collages.
- Printmaking and reproduction techniques.
- Digital drawing and computer-based imagery.
- iPad paintings exploring landscape and everyday life.
His approach challenged the idea that serious painting must depend exclusively on canvas, brushes and traditional materials.
Importantly, he continued producing physical paintings alongside digital work. His technology experiments were an extension of his artistic curiosity rather than a rejection of conventional painting.
The Ten New Paintings: Portraits and Still Lifes
Another major feature of the exhibition was a group of ten paintings created in 2025. These consisted of five portraits and five still lifes, offering a more intimate perspective on Hockney’s recent artistic practice.
The portraits depicted people from his close circle, including family members, friends and carers. They reflected his interest in familiar faces and personal relationships rather than relying on elaborate settings or dramatic backgrounds.
The still lifes explored the visual qualities of ordinary objects. Their compositions combined recognisable subjects with abstract elements, demonstrating Hockney’s continuing interest in the relationship between representation and artistic interpretation.
A recurring feature across the paintings was the use of checked or gingham tablecloths. These patterns helped connect different compositions and created a recognisable visual framework.
The new works also reflected Hockney’s belief that figurative painting can contain abstract qualities because every painting transforms a three-dimensional subject into a flat image.
Together, the portraits and still lifes provided an important contrast to the enormous Normandy panorama. They demonstrated that Hockney could move between monumental landscapes and carefully observed everyday subjects without losing his distinctive artistic identity.
David Hockney Serpentine Review: What Did Critics and Visitors Think?
The exhibition attracted considerable critical attention because it presented an unusual combination of monumental digital landscape and intimate traditional paintings.
Reviews highlighted the scale of A Year in Normandie, the artist’s treatment of changing seasons and his ability to turn everyday observations into ambitious artistic compositions.
The Independent described the exhibition as a message of hope, particularly because its emphasis on seasonal renewal created a positive contrast with the uncertainty of the wider world. Wallpaper also highlighted the importance of slowing down and observing the passing of time.
The Week’s coverage reflected a range of critical responses. While some reviewers praised the panorama’s emotional impact and visual beauty, others were less convinced by aspects of its presentation, including the joins between individual images and its vivid digital appearance.
This range of reactions is important because it shows that the exhibition was not simply celebrated without criticism.
Its most persuasive qualities included:
- The exceptional scale of the panoramic landscape.
- The relationship between digital drawing and traditional painting.
- The intimate character of the portraits.
- The visual exploration of seasonal change.
- The opportunity to see recent work by Hockney.
For many viewers, the exhibition’s greatest achievement was its invitation to observe familiar surroundings more carefully.
David Hockney Serpentine North: Location and Gallery Experience
Serpentine North is situated in Kensington Gardens, London, providing a distinctive setting for contemporary art exhibitions.
The location was particularly appropriate for Hockney’s presentation because its surrounding natural environment reflected many of the themes explored in his work. Trees, open spaces and seasonal changes connected the gallery experience with the landscape represented in A Year in Normandie.
The exhibition also extended into the Serpentine North Garden through a large printed mural based on a detail from the panoramic artwork.
The selected image featured a tree house within a spring landscape. It remained on display until 20 September 2026, several weeks after the main exhibition closed.
The relationship between the interior exhibition and outdoor installation created a continuous experience. Visitors could encounter Hockney’s interpretation of nature inside the gallery before comparing it with the actual surroundings of Kensington Gardens.
For anyone interested in modern British art, the exhibition demonstrated how a gallery setting can contribute to the meaning of the artwork rather than simply providing a space to display it.
David Hockney Serpentine Tickets: Was the Exhibition Free?
Yes. Admission to the 2026 David Hockney exhibition was free, making it accessible to a wide audience.
The exhibition opened on 12 March and closed on 23 August 2026. Although there was no standard paid admission charge, visitor demand meant that booking arrangements and gallery capacity were important considerations.
Serpentine also introduced extended evening opening hours during the final weeks.
The main visitor information was:
| Exhibition detail | Information |
| Exhibition | A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts about Painting |
| Artist | David Hockney |
| Venue | Serpentine North |
| Location | Kensington Gardens, London |
| Opening date | 12 March 2026 |
| Closing date | 23 August 2026 |
| Admission | Free |
| Main artwork | A Year in Normandie |
| Outdoor mural closing | 20 September 2026 |
The exhibition has now ended, so tickets for this particular presentation are no longer available. People searching for future Hockney exhibitions should check the admission arrangements for each individual event.
David Hockney Serpentine Opening Hours and Extended Evening Visits
Opening hours became an important consideration as visitor interest increased during the exhibition.
Serpentine initially operated its usual gallery schedule, but additional evening access was introduced during the final weeks to accommodate demand.
Selected Friday and Saturday openings were extended until 9pm on 7 and 8 August, 14 and 15 August, and 21 and 22 August 2026.
These evening sessions provided an opportunity to explore the panoramic artwork as daylight faded over Kensington Gardens.
The extended schedule was particularly relevant because the exhibition explored changing light and the passage of time. Its landscape imagery could be appreciated in a setting where the surrounding park also changed in appearance throughout the day.
The exhibition is now closed, so these opening hours are historical. Visitors planning to see other exhibitions at Serpentine North should check the current gallery schedule rather than rely on archived information.
David Hockney Serpentine Poster, Shop and Exhibition Book
Interest in the exhibition continued beyond its closing date, with collectors and art enthusiasts searching for a David Hockney Serpentine poster, shop merchandise and exhibition publications.
These items offer different ways to engage with the exhibition after its temporary presentation has ended.
Exhibition posters: Posters and art prints can reproduce selected imagery from the exhibition, particularly details of A Year in Normandie. Collectors should distinguish official exhibition merchandise from independently produced reproductions.
Serpentine shop: The gallery shop is a relevant place to look for art publications, exhibition-related merchandise and selected products connected with its programme. Individual items may no longer be available after a show closes.
Exhibition books: Books and catalogues can provide a deeper understanding of Hockney’s artistic methods, digital compositions, landscape paintings and the ideas behind the exhibition. A publication specifically connected with Serpentine should not be confused with a general biography or collection of his paintings.
Availability of individual posters, books and merchandise can change. It is therefore important to verify the edition, publisher and connection with the exhibition before purchasing.
Who Was David Hockney? Early Life and Artistic Education
David Hockney was born on 9 July 1937 in Bradford, Yorkshire. He became one of the most recognisable British artists of the modern era, developing an international reputation through painting, photography, printmaking and digital experimentation.
He studied at Bradford College of Art before continuing his education at the Royal College of Art in London. During his student years, he began developing a distinctive approach to colour, composition and figurative representation.
His career became increasingly prominent during the 1960s, when he emerged as an important figure in British Pop Art. His interest in contemporary life, modern architecture and everyday environments helped distinguish his work from more traditional approaches to painting.
Hockney later became internationally associated with California, where he found inspiration in swimming pools, modernist houses, sunlight and the visual character of Los Angeles.
His artistic career continued to evolve over several decades, making him an important figure in discussions about contemporary painting and visual culture.
What Is David Hockney’s Most Famous Painting?
A Bigger Splash, completed in 1967, is one of David Hockney’s most famous paintings. It depicts a swimming pool in a modern Californian setting, capturing the moment after someone has entered the water and created a large splash.
The painting is recognised for its bright colours, carefully arranged architecture and striking contrast between the stillness of the surroundings and the movement of the water.
Another particularly famous work is Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures), completed in 1972. It combines a swimming-pool scene with two human figures and explores relationships, perspective and visual storytelling.
Other significant works include:
- Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy (1970–71).
- A Bigger Splash (1967).
- Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) (1972).
- The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire (2011).
- A Year in Normandie (2020–21).
These works demonstrate the range of Hockney’s artistic interests, from portraiture and architecture to landscape and experimental digital imagery.
How David Hockney Changed the Way People See Art
One of Hockney’s most important contributions was his exploration of perspective and visual perception. He questioned the assumption that a single viewpoint or photograph could always provide the most complete representation of a subject.
His photographic collages demonstrated this interest particularly clearly. By combining several photographs taken from different positions or at different moments, he created compositions that reflected the movement of human attention.
His paintings explored similar questions through colour, shape and spatial arrangement.
In his later digital landscapes, these ideas developed further. A Year in Normandie encouraged viewers to experience a landscape as a sequence of observations rather than a single fixed image.
This approach made Hockney an influential figure in discussions about the relationship between traditional painting, photography and digital art.
His work also demonstrated that technical experimentation does not have to come at the expense of artistic observation. New technology can provide additional ways to investigate familiar subjects.
David Hockney’s Death and the Significance of His Final Exhibition
David Hockney died peacefully at his home on 11 June 2026, aged 88. His death was announced on 12 June, prompting tributes from museums, artists, public figures and admirers around the world.
His career had spanned more than six decades and included some of the most recognisable paintings in modern British art.
The Serpentine exhibition was still running when he died. This gave the presentation additional historical importance because audiences were able to experience his new and recent work during the final months of his life.
Serpentine subsequently confirmed that nearly 300,000 visitors had attended the exhibition, making it the most visited presentation in the gallery’s 56-year history.
His death did not diminish the importance of his artistic achievements. Instead, it brought renewed attention to the extraordinary range of his work and his ability to remain creatively active across different generations and technologies.
His paintings, photographs, digital compositions and artistic experiments continue to influence discussions about the future of visual art.
David Hockney’s Upcoming Exhibitions and Artistic Legacy
Although the Serpentine presentation has finished, interest in David Hockney’s work continues.
His extensive collection of paintings, drawings, photographs and digital compositions offers opportunities for future exhibitions exploring different aspects of his career.
One particularly important development is Tate’s announcement that it intends to realise two projects Hockney had been preparing for 2027:
- A major exhibition at Tate Britain spanning seven decades of his artistic career.
- A multimedia installation at Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall bringing his celebrated opera set designs to life.
These projects were announced following his death, with Tate explaining that it would work with his team to realise the presentations.
The planned projects are significant because they extend beyond the subjects associated with his most famous paintings. They also recognise his contributions to stage design, multimedia presentation and experimental approaches to visual storytelling.
For audiences interested in future David Hockney exhibitions, these Tate projects are particularly important developments to follow. Their final arrangements and visitor information should be checked against official announcements.
Why the David Hockney Serpentine Exhibition Was So Important
The exhibition was important not simply because of the artist’s international reputation, but because it demonstrated the continuing development of his creative ideas.
It brought together a monumental digital landscape, new portraits, still lifes and an outdoor installation. Each element explored a different aspect of Hockney’s interest in seeing, representing and understanding the world.
The presentation also challenged the traditional separation between digital and physical art. His iPad compositions existed alongside acrylic paintings, showing that different media could contribute to one coherent artistic practice.
Its location in Kensington Gardens further strengthened the relationship between artwork and environment.
Finally, the record attendance demonstrated the broad public appeal of an exhibition that concentrated on recent work rather than relying exclusively on familiar masterpieces.
The show therefore became both an important artistic presentation and a significant moment in the history of Serpentine.
(FAQs)
Is the David Hockney exhibition still on at Serpentine?
No. The exhibition closed on 23 August 2026. It originally ran from 12 March at Serpentine North in Kensington Gardens. The associated outdoor mural remained on display until 20 September 2026, but that presentation has also ended.
What was the David Hockney Serpentine exhibition called?
Its official title was David Hockney: A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts about Painting. It presented the panoramic digital artwork A Year in Normandie, five portraits and five still-life paintings.
What was the David Hockney Serpentine review like?
Reviews highlighted the monumental scale of the Normandy panorama, its exploration of seasonal change and the contrast between digital landscapes and traditional paintings. While many critics praised its beauty and emotional qualities, some questioned aspects of the panoramic presentation.
Were David Hockney Serpentine tickets free?
Yes. Admission was free throughout the 2026 exhibition. Visitor capacity and booking arrangements could apply during busy periods. The exhibition has now closed, so tickets are no longer available.
What were the David Hockney Serpentine opening hours?
The exhibition followed Serpentine’s gallery schedule, with selected extended evening openings until 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays during its final weeks. These were temporary arrangements for the 2026 exhibition.
Where was David Hockney Serpentine North located?
The exhibition was held at Serpentine North in Kensington Gardens, London. The gallery’s natural surroundings complemented the landscape themes explored in Hockney’s Normandy artwork.
What is A Year in Normandie?
A Year in Normandie is a panoramic digital artwork measuring approximately 90 metres. Created from more than 100 iPad paintings during 2020–2021, it documents the changing countryside around Hockney’s Normandy home and studio.
What was David Hockney’s most famous painting?
A Bigger Splash is among his most famous works. Completed in 1967, it depicts a swimming pool in California and demonstrates his distinctive use of colour, architecture, light and movement.
Could visitors buy a David Hockney Serpentine poster?
Exhibition-related posters and reproductions attracted interest from art enthusiasts and collectors. However, availability depends on individual products and whether official exhibition merchandise remains in circulation.
Was there a David Hockney Serpentine book?
Readers can explore publications about the exhibition, Hockney’s digital artwork and his wider artistic career. A specific Serpentine exhibition publication should be distinguished from general biographies and collections of his paintings.
How many people visited the David Hockney exhibition?
Nearly 300,000 people attended, according to Serpentine. This made the exhibition the most visited presentation in the gallery’s 56-year history.
Will David Hockney have another exhibition in London?
Tate announced plans to realise a major Hockney exhibition at Tate Britain and a multimedia installation at Tate Modern in 2027. The projects were among the presentations he had been preparing before his death.
Conclusion
The David Hockney Serpentine exhibition was a significant celebration of artistic observation, imagination and technological experimentation. Its centrepiece, A Year in Normandie, transformed more than 100 digital paintings into a monumental exploration of the changing French countryside, while ten new portraits and still lifes offered a more personal perspective on Hockney’s later creative practice. The exhibition also demonstrated how traditional painting and digital technology could work together without losing their individual qualities.
Held at Serpentine North from March to August 2026, the free presentation attracted nearly 300,000 visitors and established an attendance record for the gallery. Its significance increased following Hockney’s death in June. Although the exhibition has ended, its artistic ideas remain relevant, and the planned Tate presentations offer further opportunities to appreciate the extraordinary legacy of one of Britain’s most influential artists.
