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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We hope to resolve this very soon and apologies for the inconvenience.
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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
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What's on
4 July – 6 September 2024
Fashioning our World
This exhibition special display showcases a project with local young people working alongside Dorset Museum & Art Gallery team as part of Fashioning our World with Salisbury Museum.
Find out more10 July - 26 September 2024.
Sensing the Past
"Sensing the Past" was a collaborative and co-produced project involving The Dorset Blind Association, Dorset Museum & Art Gallery, and Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre.
Find out more13-28 July 2024
Festival of Archaeology | Events
Co-ordinated by the Council for British Archaeology, the Festival offers hundreds of events nationwide, organised by museums, heritage organisations, national and country parks, universities, local societies, and community archaeologists.
Find out more19 July - 3 November 2024
Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the world-famous exhibition from the Natural History Museum, is returning to Dorset Museum & Art Gallery
Find out more19 July - 1 September 2024
Summer Animal Trail
Get ready to embark on a wild adventure! This summer, join in on our animal-spotting trail around the museum.
Find out more27 July 2024, 9:00am - 10:00am
Relaxed Opening
Explore the Museum and take part in drop-in activities during our relaxed openings. Especially suitable for visitors with autism or other sensory conditions, and their siblings, parents and carers. The sessions are also suitable for any group or individual who would like to visit our museums and galleries at a quieter time.
Find out more31 July 2024, 10:00am - 12:00noon
Wildlife Wednesday
Come and join us every Wednesday during the school holidays for a wild adventure in the galleries.
Find out more7 August 2024, 10:00am - 12:00noon
Wildlife Wednesday
Come and join us every Wednesday during the school holidays for a wild adventure in the galleries.
Find out more14 August 2024, 10:00am - 12:00noon
Wildlife Wednesday
Come and join us every Wednesday during the school holidays for a wild adventure in the galleries.
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”