Announcing Aspex’s 2026 Programme

We’re excited to share Aspex Portsmouth’s 2026 programme of contemporary art. This year, our exhibitions, residencies, and artist development projects showcase emerging voices, bold new commissions, and inspiring explorations of Portsmouth’s past, present, and future, celebrating the incredible artistic talent in our city and inviting artists to contribute to its creative legacy.

Plural Kinships, Raisa Kabir & Fadhel Mourali

7 January – 8 March 2026

Kicking off the year, Plural Kinships explores queer belonging, diaspora, and collective memory. Through textiles and sculptural installation, Raisa Kabir and Fadhel Mourali reveal how kinship, chosen, inherited, or imagined, becomes a space of resilience and connection.

Inside, This New Ground

27 March – 7 June 2026

This spring, experience Inside, Portsmouth’s first disability-led art exhibition. Developed with This New Ground, the show invites visitors into immersive worlds of performance, sound, film, and installation, amplifying the creativity, autonomy, and voices of learning-disabled artists.

2126: What If

26 June – 6 September 2026

What will Portsmouth look like in 2126? This summer, three artists connected to the city imagine the future through speculative design and thought-provoking contemporary art, as part of Portsmouth’s centenary celebrations. 2126: What If asks visitors to consider how communities, the environment, and everyday life might transform as we look ahead to the next 100 years.

Platform 2026

18 September – 15 November 2026

The annual graduate showcase returns to celebrate emerging artists from across the region. Platform 2026 presents ambitious new work, giving audiences a glimpse of the South Coast’s brightest creative talent.

Angelic Rebels

2 December 2026 – 15 March 2027

We close the year with Angelic Rebels, featuring two contemporary artists responding to the archive of pioneering queer photographer Tessa Boffin. The exhibition explores identity, desire, and feminist resistance, bringing Boffin’s legacy to life for new audiences.

You can find out more about our 2026 programme by heading to our What’s On page