Helen Sear to co-ordinate the Royal Academy's 259th Summer Exhibition
The Royal Academy of Arts has announced that the British artist and Royal Academician Helen Sear will co-ordinate the 259th Summer Exhibition, which is to open in the Main Galleries on 18 May 2027. The Summer Exhibition Committee will be made up of the Royal Academicians Brian Griffiths, Liane Lang, Níall McLaughlin, Chris Orr and Bob & Roberta Smith, chaired by the President of the Royal Academy, Rebecca Salter.
Gallery view of the Summer Exhibition 2026, at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, 16 June - 23 August 2026. Photo: © Royal Academy of Arts, London / David Parry
Sear has chosen the theme of 'Fascination'. She said "Technologies including data capture and social media are now woven into our lives with images and invisible networks that hold us spellbound. Across time, artists have been simultaneously captivated and repelled by new inventions and ways of looking - from early perspective and trompe l'œil techniques, to the emergence of photography. The industrialisation of the printing press, the advent of digital media and now the rise of artificial intelligence have all sparked passionate debate around the human condition. How do we, as artists, conjure alternative enchantments as active forces in the world?"
Artists and architects will shortly be invited to submit work for a chance to feature in the exhibition. Entry forms will be available at summer.royalacademy.org.uk from Tuesday 5 to Wednesday 21 January 2027, or sooner if the cap of 18,000 entries is reached. The Royal Academy expects up to 18,000 entries, and around 1500 works in a range of media will go on display. Royal Academicians are automatically entitled to submit up to six works, and the rest of the exhibition features work by those invited by the committee and by external entrants.
Gallery view of the Summer Exhibition 2025, at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, 17 June - 17 August 2025. Photo: © Royal Academy of Arts, London / David Parry.
The Summer Exhibition is the world's largest open submission contemporary art show and has taken place every year without interruption since 1769. Committee members serve in rotation, with each Royal Academician responsible for a particular gallery space, so each edition has a distinctive character. Works from all over the world are judged democratically on merit, and the final selection is made during the nine-day hang in the galleries. Most works will be for sale, and funds raised support the exhibiting artists, the postgraduate students of the RA Schools and the work of the Royal Academy. The RA Schools is the longest established art school in the UK and offers the only free three-year postgraduate programme in Europe.
Date: 18 May - 15 August 2027. Location: Main Galleries, Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD.
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