Gagosian will present a major exhibition devoted to René Magritte and his influence on contemporary art this fall, bringing together museum and private loans alongside newly commissioned works by living artists in London during Frieze week.
Opening September 24 at the gallery’s Grosvenor Hill space, “This Is Still Not a Pipe: The Afterlife of Magritte” will feature paintings, works on paper, sculpture, and photography spanning the Belgian Surrealist’s career. The exhibition pairs Magritte’s iconic imagery—including his pipes, bowler hats, apples, and cloud-filled skies—with works by contemporary artists from multiple generations, several of them created specifically for the show.
The exhibition is curated by Jasper Sharp and Bernard Lagrange in collaboration with Charly Herscovici, president of the Fondation Magritte, and other scholars. Gagosian said the full list of participating contemporary artists will be announced in the coming months.
Among the highlights is La Lampe philosophique (The Philosopher’s Lamp) (1936), a painting widely regarded as a conceptual self-portrait that previously appeared in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s influential 2006–07 exhibition Magritte and Contemporary Art: The Treachery of Images.
The London exhibition also marks two anniversaries: the twentieth anniversary of LACMA’s exhibition examining Magritte’s impact on postwar artists and the ninetieth anniversary of London’s landmark 1936 International Surrealist Exhibition, which helped establish Magritte’s international reputation.
“It is difficult to imagine a world today without Magritte,” dealer Larry Gagosian said in a statement. “Almost six decades after his death, his influence continues to resonate within contemporary artistic production, and beyond into the broader landscape of visual culture—shaping advertising, design, fashion, and even music.”
The show runs through December 12, opening just ahead of Frieze London, when the city’s galleries traditionally unveil many of their most ambitious exhibitions for the influx of international collectors, curators, and museum directors.
