Theatre Picasso At Tate Modern: A Theatrical Tribute To The Three Dancers

To mark the centenary of Pablo Picasso’s radical 1925 painting The Three Dancers, Tate Modern presents Theatre Picasso, a bold, immersive exhibition exploring the legendary artist’s lifelong engagement with performance, identity, and transformation.

Running from 17th September 2025 until 12th April 2026, this landmark show is curated by acclaimed contemporary artist Wu Tsang and curator Enrique Fuenteblanca, and offers visitors a new way to experience Picasso’s works in a theatrically staged setting.

Housed in the George Economou Gallery at Tate Modern, Theatre Picasso reimagines the museum space as a dynamic theatrical stage. Featuring over 50 works by Picasso–including rare paintings, collages, textiles, sculptures, and archival film footage–the exhibition creates a visually rich, sensorial environment complete with curtains, lighting, and a purpose-built stage.

Many of the works on display are on loan from major institutions such as Musée Picasso in Paris and Antibes, with some being shown in the UK for the first time.

A New Lens on a Mythic Artist

While countless exhibitions have dissected Picasso’s prolific output, Theatre Picasso shifts the focus toward the artist’s deep fascination with theatricality and the art of self-presentation. At the centre is The Three Dancers, a frenetic and emotionally charged painting that has long been associated with the Surrealist movement. Surrounding this masterpiece are key works including Weeping Woman (1937), Nude Woman in a Red Armchair (1932), and the striking Minotaur tapestry from 1935.

Crucially, this isn’t just a retrospective; it’s a recontextualization. Tsang and Fuenteblanca reinterpret Picasso’s oeuvre through the lens of performance, asking us to consider not just the subjects he painted–circus performers, dancers, bullfighters–but the ways he performed his own persona: Picasso the artist. The show highlights how Picasso carefully constructed his public identity as a genius, rebel, and showman–a narrative that still shapes how we view artists today.

Picasso, the Performer

Picasso’s studio practice, as documented in Henri-Georges Clouzot’s 1956 film The Mystery of Picasso, is itself presented as a kind of performance art. This archival footage, included in the exhibition, captures the artist in motion, throwing his whole body into the act of painting, underlining the physical and theatrical nature of his creative process. The film also reinforces the seemingly effortless creative output of Picasso and his enigmatic personality.

Works such as the ethereal Girl in a Chemise (c.1905), Horse with a Youth in Blue (1905–06), and Acrobat (1930) explore themes of spectacle, marginality, and transformation. These figures–dancers, clowns and muses–are not only recurring motifs in Picasso’s art, but serve as stand-ins for the artist himself, navigating the complex terrain between outsider and icon.

A Contemporary Dialogue

What makes Theatre Picasso particularly compelling is how it bridges historical and contemporary art discourse. Through the inventive curatorial approach and the dynamic exhibition design by Lucie Rebeyrol (Studio Roll), Theatre Picasso becomes more than a homage, it’s a vibrant and engaging exploration of one of the 20th century’s most complex figures.

Whether you’re a long-time admirer of Picasso or a curious art lover, Theatre Picasso offers a fulfilling artistic experience. By focusing on Picasso’s relationship with performance and passion for theatre, the exhibition sheds new light on his creative legacy and invites contemporary audiences to question how art, identity, and spectacle intertwine.

As Tate Modern celebrates its own 25th anniversary, Theatre Picasso is a fitting tribute, not just to The Three Dancers, but to the enduring power of reinvention in both art and exhibition-making.

Theatre Picasso is at Tate Modern from 17th September, 2025 until 12th April, 2026. Tickets available here.