What was once the Searcys restaurant on the second floor is now an intimate gallery space overlooking the lake with a splendid view across to St Giles church. It is now hosting its first series of groundbreaking exhibitions entitled Encounters:Giacometti.
‘One of the most significant European sculptors of the 20th century, Giacometti is known for his distinctive, elongated sculptures which experiment with the human form. Responding to the pain and devastation caused by the Second World War, his works proposed a new perspective on humanity and the collective psyche.
Organised in collaboration with the Fondation Giacometti, the first of a series is now open with an exhibition of works by Huma Bhabha. This will be followed by Mona Hatoum in September and Lynda Benglis in February 2026. Their artworks resonate with and respond to Giacometti’s sculptures, opening up new intergenerational dialogues through the timeless themes of death, fragmentation, the domestic, memory, trauma, the erotic, horror and humour. This is the first time that their sculptures will be seen alongside Giacometti’s works’. You can read more about Huma Bhabha in this Guardian interview along with a review here.
Here are some of the images I took when I visited which will hopefully give you a flavour of the exhibition …
Giacometti The Glade, 1950
Huma Bhabha Untitled, 2022
Giacometti Large Head, 1960
Huma Bhabha Untitled, 2022
Giacometti, in the foreground, Four Women on a Base, 1950
Huma Bhabha Untitled, 2022
Nice space …
Huma Bhabha What Should it Be, 2024
Giacometti Walking Woman, 1932
Huma Bhabha Mask of Dimitrios, 2019
Giacometti Three Walking Men, 1948
Huma Bhabha Magic Carpet, 2003
Giacometti Walking Man 1, 1960
The Guardian gave the exhibition 5 Stars and so do I *****
Four of Huma Bhabha’s works are also installed in the lobby …
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