Special Exhibition
ARTIST ROOMS Louise Bourgeois
22 March - 25 June 2023
Explore the work of legendary artist Louise Bourgeois in this first major presentation of her work in Dorset.
Louise Bourgeois (1911-2010) is one of the most celebrated and influential figures in modern and contemporary art. ARTIST ROOMS Louise Bourgeois brings together works from the last twenty years of her life, a period of extraordinary creativity, alongside a small number of earlier pieces from her remarkable seven-decade career. A sculptor of immense distinction, her extraordinary and inventive work received international acclaim in her lifetime. She is perhaps best known for the large-scale spider sculptures that she produced in the last decades of her life, including the one she created for the opening of Tate Modern in 2000.
Bourgeois’s art was closely bound up with her life, and she used art-making to express and investigate her experiences and memories. Ranging from large-scale sculpture and installation to painting and textiles, her art often explores the same ideas in different forms, with an unflinching emotional honesty. Bourgeois’s work is both autobiographical and universal. Using a variety of materials, she gives shape to themes of childhood, family, isolation, sexuality and gender identity, with a focus on the human form and emotional experience.
“I am not what I am, I am what I do with my hands…”
Louise Bourgeois
ARTIST ROOMS is a touring collection of international modern and contemporary art. Its national programme reaches audiences across the UK and is developed through local partnerships. ARTIST ROOMS presents the work of individual artists in solo exhibitions. The exhibitions draw from a national collection jointly owned by Tate and National Galleries of Scotland that includes major bodies of work by international artists. ARTIST ROOMS gives young people the chance to get involved in creative projects, to discover more about art and artists, and learn new skills.
The ARTIST ROOMS programme and collection is managed by Tate and National Galleries of Scotland with the support of Art Fund, Henry Moore Foundation and using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and Creative Scotland. Its founding collection was established through The d’Offay Donation in 2008 with the assistance of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, Art Fund and the Scottish and British Governments.
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Opening hours:
Dorset Museum & Art Gallery
Daily: 10.00am - 5.00pm
TASTE Café
Daily: 9.00am - 4.00pm
Sunday: 10:00am - 4:00pm
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Admissions:
10% discount for Adult and Young Person Unlimited Ticket booked online using discount code DM01
BOOK ONLINE SAVE 10% -
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What's on
3 February - 30 May 2024
John Brown in Dorchester: Rebuilding a Life after slavery
Discover the little-known story of John Brown, in this new showcase display outside the Collections Discovery Centre.
Find out more11 May 2024, 10:00am - 12:00noon
Roman Town House Tour
Join our trained guides through the history of the Roman Town House site and and the precious artifacts recovered and now on display at Dorset Museum & Art Gallery.
Find out more16 May 2024, 10:00am- 10:30am
Storytime at the Museum
Come and join us for fun-filled Storytime where you can listen to some amazing tales in our Community Space at the Museum.
Find out more16 May 2024, 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Paul Nash in Dorset | Professor Paul Gough
This richly illustrated lecture explores over 80 Paul Nash artworks created from the mid-1930s until his death in 1946. They range from ancient places such as Maiden Castle and Badbury Rings to the limestone promontories and fossilised forests on the Purbeck coast.
Find out more22 May 2024, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Collections Discovery Centre Tour
Join our Collections Team for an opportunity to explore behind the scenes in the Museum’s Collections Discovery Centre.
Find out more22 May 2024, 7:30pm
25 May 2024, 10:00am - 12:00noon
Roman Town House Tour
Join our trained guides through the history of the Roman Town House site and and the precious artifacts recovered and now on display at Dorset Museum & Art Gallery.
Find out more30 May 2024, 10:00am - 12:00noon
May Customs and Ooser Mask Making
Our themed event will delve into the customs and traditions surrounding the merry month of May, learn about the famous horned Ooser mask displayed in the museum, and have a go at making one.
Find out more6 June 2024, 10:00am- 10:30am
Storytime at the Museum
Come and join us for fun-filled Storytime where you can listen to some amazing tales in our Community Space at the Museum.
Find out moreYour visit
“Thank you for a beautiful, inspiring and thought-provoking exhibition - wonderfully displayed and interpreted. An absolute joy in Dorchester! - Anon”
“Thank you for such a good exhibition - Anon”
“Caused me to reflect on my own ideas regarding sex, gender and other aspects. It's fascinating the ways in which the mind can be expressed. Also a perfect balance between artwork and info presented. Thank you. - Anon”
“Wonderful to see the work of such a renown artist in Dorchester. Powerful imagery, beautifuly presented. -Anon”
“The use of shape and form to represent emotions was interesting to experience. The mentality of the work can only be appreciated by seeing the works first hand - photos in books never capture it. An inspiring visit thank you. - Anon”