National Portrait Gallery announces landmark exhibition Michael Jackson: On The Wall

Curated by Dr Nicholas Cullinan, Director of the Gallery, this major new show spanning several generations of artists across all media will open in the summer of 2018, to coincide with what would have been the King of Pop's 60th birthday (on August 29, 2018).

Jackson is one of the most influential cultural figures to come out of the 20th century and his legacy continues into the 21st. His significance is widely acknowledged when it comes to music, music videos, dance, choreography and fashion, but his impact on contemporary art is an untold story; one that has not been recognised with an international loan exhibition such as this.

Almost a decade after his death, Jackson’s legacy is as strong as ever: his record sales, now in excess of one billion, continue to grow; his short films are still watched, and his enormous fan base remains loyal. His impact and fame show no signs of diminishing and the questions raised by him as a social phenomenon are still relevant.

In addition to breaking records for the most albums sold, awards won, philanthropic achievements and cultural barriers overturned, Michael Jackson has become the most depicted cultural figure in visual art by an extraordinary array of leading contemporary artists since Andy Warhol first used his image in 1982. For the first time, Michael Jackson: On the Wall will bring together the works of over 40 of these artists, drawn from public and private collections around the world, including new works made especially for the exhibition.

Michael Jackson: On the Wall is produced with the co-operation of the Michael Jackson Estate. The exhibition will run from 28 June until 21 October 2018. More info at npg.org.uk.

Main image: Michael Jackson, 1984 by Andy Warhol, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D. C.; Gift of Time magazine. All images thanks to National Portrait Gallery