KING OF POP

An exhibition at London’s National Portrait Gallery in summer 2018 will explore the influence of Michael Jackson on some of the leading names in contemporary art

AUGUST 29, 2018 will coincide with what would have been legendary pop singer Michael Jackson’s 60th birthday. One of the 20th century’s most influential and controversial cultural figures, Jackson’s legacy is stronger than ever, several years on from his unexpected death in 2009. His record sales – now in excess of one billion – continue to grow and his impact shows no signs of diminishing. In addition to breaking musical records for the most albums sold and awards won, as well as his philanthropic achievements and the cultural barriers he overturned, Jackson has become one of the most depicted figures in visual art – by an extraordinary array of leading contemporary artists since Andy Warhol first used his image in 1982. Strangely, however, his impact on contemporary art has remained an untold story until now.

Michael Jackson: On the Wall brings together the works of more than 40 artists, drawn from public and private collections around the world, including new pieces made especially for the show. Artists featured include Isa Genzken, Isaac Julien, David LaChapelle, Paul McCarthy, Grayson Perry, Yan Pei-Ming, Catherine Opie, Jordan Wolfson and Rita Ackermann, to name just a handful. The exhibition, which runs from June 28 to October 21, 2018, will be accompanied by a scholarly publication with essays by Zadie Smith, Nicholas Cullinan (director of the National Portrait Gallery) and Margo Jefferson. This is one aesthetic thriller you simply can’t miss. (npg.org.uk)