The best art exhibitions in October 2020—Tantra at the British Museum and Rodin at Tate Modern

Plus Jimmy Robert at the Nottingham Contemporary,
August 28, 2020

Tantra: Enlightenment to Revolution, British Museum, 24th September to  24th January 2021

The shape-shifting belief system of Tantra originated in sixth-century India among devotees of the Hindu god Shiva and of Shakti, the universal feminine power. It spread through Hindu and Buddhist monasteries across South Asia, transmitted by trade and pilgrimage routes. Along the way, it fuelled revolutions and India’s fight for independence before becoming part of the west’s counter-culture. This exhibition explores its wild diversity and the richness of its artistic traditions.

The Making of Rodin, Tate Modern, 21st October to, 21st February 2021

This collaboration with the Musée Rodin in Paris, which has loaned over 200 pieces, reveals the role that plaster played in Rodin’s creative process. Through plaster the sculptor captured light, volume and movement so eloquently, and experimented using fragmentation and assemblage. The show will introduce UK audiences to lesser-known works while shedding new light on iconic pieces.

Jimmy Robert: Akimbo, Nottingham Contemporary, 26th September to 3rd January 2021

Berlin-based Guadeloupe-born French artist Jimmy Robert epitomises the cross-cultural, multimedia fluency of his generation. Born in 1975, his work encompasses choreography, installation, film, works on paper and performance-—combining sensuality and highly wrought conceptualism. This will be the largest ever presentation of Robert’s work in the UK, ranging from his 2002 Super 8 film, Brown Leatherette, to more recent works.