“Next year we will explore some of our deepest history, from ancient Britain, the story of feminine power across the ages, through to the unlocking of ancient Egypt’s written history. These world-class shows will explore familiar stories anew, reaching into the past to bring to life the origins of where we come from. Our exhibitions programme allows us to collaborate with museums and communities from across the world, share skills and knowledge and learn more about the Museum’s collection. We look forward to welcoming you to the Museum soon.” – Hartwig Fischer, Director.
Get a taste of what’s on in 2022 below. Check back here for further updates, or sign up to our emails to be the first to know when tickets go on sale.
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Special exhibitions
Peru: a journey in time
11 November 2021 – 20 February 2022
The Joseph Hotung Great Court Gallery, Room 35
Immerse yourself in the fascinating story of Peru in this special exhibition, which takes you from the rugged Pacific coastline to the highest Andean peaks, covering thousands of years of history along the way.
Through a huge range of objects including pottery, textiles, metalwork and more – many on loan from Peru – this show highlights the history, beliefs and cultural achievements of the different peoples who lived here from around 2500 BC to the arrival of Europeans in the 1500s, and their legacy in the centuries that followed.
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Supported by PROMPERÚ
Organised with the Museo de Arte de Lima, Peru
Hokusai: The Great Picture Book of Everything
Until 30 January 2022
Room 90
Hokusai is one of Japan’s most famous artists, best known for his prints including the iconic The Great Wave. This exhibition shines a light on a group of 103 recently acquired drawings by the artist that were intended for an encyclopedia called The Great Picture Book of Everything. It was never published, escaping the woodblock printing process that would normally have destroyed hand-drawn works like these.
Together, they help reveal more about the artist’s working process and life in 19th-century Japan. Get up close to these amazing drawings – on display for the first time – and learn more about Hokusai’s famous prints and woodblock printing.
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Sponsored by The Asahi Shimbun
The world of Stonehenge
17 February – 17 July 2022
The Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery, Room 30
Shrouded in layers of speculation and folklore, Stonehenge is perhaps the world’s most awe-inspiring ancient stone circle, and its image is famous around the globe.
This major exhibition is the first of its kind in the UK. It will bring the story of Stonehenge into sharper focus, showing that rather than a shadowy age of mystery, the Britain and Ireland of four millennia ago were places of big ideas, commerce and travel.
You’ll journey back to the time of its construction around 3000–2500 BC, and with the help of objects from across Europe – including stone axes from the North Italian Alps and stunning metalwork from Ireland – the world of Stonehenge will be illuminated like never before.
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Organised with the State Museum of Prehistory, Halle/Saale, Germany
Feminine power (title TBC)
19 May – 25 September 2022
The Joseph Hotung Great Court Gallery, Room 35
From the divine to the demonic, the representation of feminine power in world belief and mythology has played – and continues to play – an important role in shaping global cultural attitudes towards women and gender identity.
This exhibition will bring together ancient sculpture, sacred objects and contemporary art from five continents to explore the diversity of ways in which femininity has been perceived across the globe, from the ancient world to today. The show will explore the embodiment of feminine power in deities, goddesses, spirits and other beings associated with diverse areas of human experience from wisdom, passion and nature, to war, mercy and justice.
Featuring prominent guest contributors, the exhibition will take a closer look at the formation of cultural attitudes towards female authority and ideas about gender identity.
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Decoding hieroglyphs (title TBC)
October 2022 – February 2023
The Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery, Room 30
The decoding of hieroglyphs in the early 19th century was the key to unlocking ancient Egypt, opening up one of the longest chapters of human history which had previously been cloaked in mystery.
The decryption of hieroglyphs changed our understanding of history – allowing documents and architecture to speak again, and revealing how ancient Egyptians lived, worshipped, and viewed the world and their place within it.
This exhibition will look closely at just how hieroglyphs were deciphered, and the impact of this in later understandings of ancient Egypt.
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Free exhibitions and displays
The Asahi Shimbun Displays
Contemporary women artists of Japan (title TBC)
2 December 2021 – 13 February 2022
Room 3
Through a selection of visually striking objects from the Museum’s Japanese collection, this display explores the personal experiences and expressive visions of six internationally acclaimed female artists from the 1960s to the 2010s. The objects include photobooks, prints, a painting and a glass sculpture.
While each of the artists’ stories is unique – as daughters, mothers, wives, single women, sisters and friends – their works share a quiet sense of self-possession, suggesting ways women navigate their paths through life in Japanese society.
Supported by The Asahi Shimbun
We look forward to seeing you at the Museum soon!
Get unlimited entry to all our 2022 exhibitions by becoming a Member. Find out more about the benefits and how to join.
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Can’t get to London? The Museum has a number of touring exhibitions, loans and partnership galleries which you can see at our partner venues – find out what’s on in the UK and around the world.
The post What’s on at the British Museum in 2022? first appeared on British Museum Blog.