Tate Modern will present, from 26 February to 31 August 2026, the largest exhibition ever devoted to Tracey Emin, a leading figure in contemporary British art. More than 90 works—installations, videos, textiles, neons, paintings and bronzes—trace an intimate narrative, from confession to resilience.
The itinerary : from My Bed to post-illness rebirth
The exhibition brings together the milestones of a diary-like oeuvre, from the iconic My Bed (1998)—a key installation nominated for the Turner Prize—to the painterly “exorcism” Exorcism of the Last Painting I Ever Made (1996). These pivotal works structure the storyline: from a first life marked by crisis to a “second life” asserted after illness.
Margate, an intimate matrix
Works such as Mad Tracey From Margate: Everybody’s Been There (1997) and the rollercoaster It’s Not the Way I Want to Die (2005) reconfigure childhood and teenage memories from Margate—both a formative territory and the place to which the artist returned after 2016 (founding a free residency).
The body, trauma, voice
Neons (I could have Loved my Innocence, 2007), textiles (Is This a Joke, 2009) and the video How It Feels (1996) confront abortion and systemic violence, while the previously unseen quilt The Last of the Gold (2002) proposes an “A-Z of abortion”: confession becomes both resource and political act.
After cancer: asceticism and elevation
The bronze sculpture Ascension (2024) addresses the body after bladder-cancer surgeries; stills from an unreleased documentary show the artist’s stoma, erasing any boundary between private and public. Toward the end of the exhibition, large recent paintings carry an almost spiritual energy, shown alongside Death Mask (2002).
Off-site
The monumental I Followed You Until The End (2023) will command the museum’s exterior, inviting passers-by to share in the experience.
Quick bio
Born in 1963, Tracey Emin lives and works in Margate (UK) and in France. She has had retrospectives and major exhibitions in Oslo, London, Paris, Vienna, Miami, Buenos Aires, Amsterdam… Her works are held in leading collections (MoMA, Centre Pompidou, Guggenheim, Tate). Made a Dame in 2024 for services to art.
FAQ
When is the exhibition Tracey Emin: A Second Life?
From 26 February to 31 August 2026 at Tate Modern (Eyal Ofer Galleries).
Which major works will be on view?
My Bed (1998), Exorcism of the Last Painting I Ever Made (1996), key neons and textiles, the video How It Feels (1996), the quilt The Last of the Gold (2002), the sculpture Ascension (2024), recent paintings, and Death Mask (2002).
Who are the curators and partners?
Maria Balshaw, Alvin Li, Jess Baxter ; the exhibition is presented in partnership with Gucci.
Is there an installation outside the museum?
Yes, the monumental sculpture I Followed You Until The End (2023).