Visual Arts - British Council

Bob and Roberta Smith - I Believe in Joseph Mallard William Turner (1998). © The Artist.

The winner of 'The Fifth Curator' is...

Theodor Ringborg, 26, from Stockholm, Sweden, is the winner of 'The Fifth Curator' competition, and will go on to curate an exhibition for the Whitechapel Gallery from 26 March-30 May 2010. Click here to watch a video of Theodor's experience when the six finalists visited London in November.

My Father's House

Currently touring the Middle East, this large-scale, photography project uses architecture to explore the role and value of cultural heritage in defining cultural identity. The centrepiece of the project is an exhibition featuring work produced by artists from both the Middle East and the UK.
Another key element of the project is an online photography competition - we are calling on amateur and professional photographers in the Middle East to capture what the region’s cultural heritage means to them - its past, present and future - and submit to the competion website before 31 March 2010. Winning entries will be displayed later this year online and at an exhibition at the British Council office in London, UK.

The Visual Arts are amongst the most powerful and influential areas within the arts in Britain today. Covering a vast range of disciplines, from the fine arts through to the very latest in digital art, UK artists are pushing the boundaries of their practice to the limit and looking to the future.

We look to all areas of UK visual arts to showcase the most exciting and best work in Britain. With our network of partners overseas we plan, organise and curate high impact projects for long-term cultural benefits that reach beyond the immediate experience.

Gilbert & George, CHRISTIAN ENGLAND, 2008. © The Artists.

Douglas Gordon - 10 MS-¹ (1994). © Douglas Gordon.

Gilbert & George: Jack Freak Pictures

The largest single group of pictures the artists have ever created, Jack Freak Pictures will travel to six European countries throughout 2010-11, starting in Málaga, Spain.

The Future Demands Your Participation

Featuring some of the best examples of contemporary British art from the past thirty years this new exhibition in Shanghai includes work from many Turner Prize winners and nominees, including Mona Hatoum, Damien Hirst, and Anish Kapoor.

Paula Rego's Thresholds

Artist Paula Rego has delved deep into the British Council Collection to curate a new exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery. The display includes over 50 works that span the 20th century, focussing on prints, drawings and photographs.

How We Work in Visual Arts

Our main purpose is to develop and increase knowledge and appreciation overseas of the UK’s achievements in the visual arts. Have a look at how we work, our aims and objectives, how to contact us, and our Grants to Artists scheme.

Visual Arts disciplines

We work across all disciplines in visual arts, including painting, sculpture, photography, video, and drawings, so please have a look here to see examples of our current and past exhibitions and projects.

British Council Collection

For more than 60 years the British Council has been collecting works of art to promote the achievements of our artists overseas. Find out more about the history of the Collection here or visit the Collection website for artists' works, installation videos and information on many of our touring exhibitions.

British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale

Steve McQueen represented Britain last year at the 53rd Venice Biennale where he presented a new film, Giardini. The Biennale has now ended but you can still find out about the work shown as well as the history of the British Pavilion on our Venice Biennale website.