Tracey Emin / Edvard Munch. The Loneliness of the Soul
18 May—1 August 2021
Royal Academy of Art, London, UK
Tracey Emin has been a major figure in contemporary art for over 25 years; Edvard Munch pioneered a radical new style known as Expressionism. In this landmark exhibition, Tracey Emin selects masterpieces by Edvard Munch to show alongside her most recent paintings.
Emin has long had a fascination with the Norwegian expressionist and painter of The Scream, Edvard Munch: in her words, “I’ve been in love with this man since I was eighteen”. In 1998 she even created a haunting video piece filmed at the same Oslo jetty that was the location of many of his well-known works. It is just one example of how, like Munch, she embraces even the most painful experiences to create art.
The exhibition features more than 25 of Emin’s works including paintings, some of which will be on display for the first time, as well neons and sculpture. These works, which explore the loneliness of the soul, have been chosen by Emin to sit alongside a carefully considered selection of 19 oils and watercolours drawn from the rich collection and archives of Oslo’s Munch Museum in Norway.
Seen together, the dark territories and raw emotions that both artists navigate will emerge as a moving exploration of grief, loss and longing.
Exhibition organised by the Munch Museum, Oslo, Norway, in partnership with the Royal Academy of Arts.
