Exhibitions and art fairs in Oxford and across Oxfordshire this April

Labyrinth: Knossos, Myth & Reality exhibition at the Ashmolean in Oxford.

Our guide to the must-see exhibitions and art events in Oxfordshire this year

Oxford is absolutely rammed full of amazing art galleries and museums. Check out our editors’ picks of the best art shows running or coming up in the city at some of our world-class museums and art galleries.

Want to discover the stories of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb? Want to explore transitional states of being? Want to see objects from the centre of a Bronze Age civilisation? You can find it all right here on your doorstep.

And not to forget that the Oxfordshire Artweeks Festival takes place from 06 to 29 May 2023, during which you will be able to feast your eyes on a diverse range of creative activity by hundreds of artists, makers and designers in artists’ studios, pop-up galleries, glorious gardens, ancient churches, medieval tithe barns and hundreds of other amazing venues across Oxfordshire.

So here you go. We’ve your next art outing sorted with the guide to the must-see exhibitions and art events in Oxfordshire. You know, the ones you absolutely can’t miss.

And while all of our galleries and museums are open as usual, we recommend that you check their websites before visiting, as you may need to book a time slot in advance.

Tutankhamun: Excavating the Archive

When: Until 05 February

Where: Weston Library

It’s been 100 years since Howard Carter and his team uncovered the tomb of the young king Tutankhamun at Luxor. Using Carter’s archive of photographs, letters, plans, drawings and diaries, this exhibition brings to life the complex stories of the discovery, excavation, documentation and conservation of Tutankhamun’s tomb, including often overlooked Egyptian members of the archaeological team.

View event Event website

Discover more: Exhibitions & Displays
Marina Abramović: Gates and Portals

When: Until 05 March

Where: Modern Art Oxford

Gates and Portals is a new site-specific performance-based exhibition by pioneering performance artist Marina Abramović, which explores transitional states of being, with each visitor participating as a performer with a small group of others. Expect to encounter gates and portals that prompt contemplation of bodily awareness and elevated consciousness.

View event Buy tickets

Discover more: Modern Art Oxford
Dia al-Azzawi – Painting Poetry

When: Until 11 June

Where: Ashmolean Museum

This free exhibition presents artworks and ‘dafatir’ from Dia al-Azzawi, an internationally recognised Iraqi painter and sculptor who has been living and working in London since the late 1970s. Dia al-Azzawi is best known for monumental and colourful canvasses, and his work spans many genres, including a type of artist book known in Arabic as ‘dafatir’.

View event Book tickets

Discover more: Exhibitions & Displays
About Labyrinth: Knossos, Myth & Reality

When: From 10 February

Where: Ashmolean Museum

The palace of Knossos, discovered and excavated over 100 years ago, was the centre of a Bronze Age civilisation of people we now call the Minoans, named after the legendary King Minos. This will be the first UK exhibition to focus on Knossos and will include over 100 objects that have never left Crete and Greece before, alongside discoveries from the Ashmolean’s Sir Arthur Evans Archive.

View event Buy tickets

Discover more: Ashmolean Museum
Carey Young

When: 25 March to 02 July

Where: Modern Art Oxford

In this major new exhibition at Modern Art Oxford, Carey Young (b. 1970, lives and works in London) focuses her astute vision on female identity with works depicting women working in law and industry, which invite viewers into new perceptions of systemic power, gender and justice. An associated selection of Young’s compelling text and photographic works will connect law, power and visual culture.

View event Event website

Discover more: Modern Art Oxford
Boundary Encounters

When: 22 July to 29 October

Where: Modern Art Oxford

Boundary Encounters is a summer show of residencies, projects and live events at Modern Art Oxford, including new work from artists Valerie Asiimwe Amani, Julie Freeman and Harold Offeh. The exhibition features an interactive display of projects and events collaboratively selected from Modern Art Oxford’s archives, celebrating social learning experiences with creative communities living in Oxfordshire and beyond.

View event Event website

Discover more: Modern Art Oxford
Monica Sjöö

When: 18 November to 25 February

Where: Modern Art Oxford

This significant new survey exhibition of Swedish artist, activist, writer and eco-feminist Monica Sjöö (1938-2005) at Modern Art Oxford emphasises Sjöö’s advocacy for gender justice, eco-feminism, matriarchy and social equities – made visible in her artistic practice and activist commitment alike. The exhibition is curated in partnership with Moderna Museet, Stockholm, where it will be presented from 13 May – 18 October 2023.

View event Event website

Discover more: Modern Art Oxford