Running from 15 July 2026 to 17 January 2027, the Ana Mendieta exhibition at Tate Modern is powerful and emotionally resonant. Rather than presenting art simply to be viewed, this retrospective invites visitors to experience work that is deeply personal, spiritual and profoundly connected to the natural world.
The first major UK exhibition dedicated to Ana Mendieta in more than a decade brings together many of her best-known works alongside newly remastered films, early paintings and late sculptural pieces, many of which have never before been shown in Britain. It is a rare opportunity to explore the remarkable career of an artist whose influence on contemporary art continues to grow.
Who Was Ana Mendieta?
Born in Havana, Cuba, in 1948, Ana Mendieta was sent to the US as a child through Operation Pedro Pan, separating her from her family during the Cuban Revolution. This experience of exile shaped much of her artistic practice, with recurring themes of displacement, identity, belonging and memory running throughout her work.
Working during the 1970s and early 1980s, Mendieta became one of the leading figures in performance, land and body art. Her career was tragically cut short by her death in 1985 at the age of just 36, yet her work remains among the most influential of the late twentieth century.
What to Expect from the Exhibition
At the heart of the exhibition is Mendieta’s celebrated Silueta Series, in which the outline of her body appears in landscapes using natural materials such as earth, flowers, leaves, water and, most dramatically, fire. These temporary interventions were documented through photography and film, allowing the works to survive long after nature reclaimed them.
Transformation lies at the centre of the exhibition. Bodies dissolve into landscapes, flames become acts of renewal, and the boundaries between humanity and nature blur. Fire appears repeatedly throughout the galleries, not as destruction but as a force of purification, rebirth and spiritual energy.
Many of the works explore female identity and ancient ritual, drawing inspiration from Indigenous and prehistoric cultures. Mendieta believed in a universal life force connecting humanity with the natural world, and that philosophy runs through the entire exhibition.
The show extends beyond the gallery itself, reflecting her belief that art should exist in dialogue with the landscape rather than remain confined within museum walls.
A Moving Rather Than Intellectual Experience
While the exhibition provides plenty of historical context, its greatest strength lies in its emotional impact. This is not an exhibition that demands intellectual analysis so much as quiet reflection.
Watching the films of flames flickering around body-shaped silhouettes or flowers slowly merging with the earth creates an almost meditative atmosphere. The works evoke absence as much as presence, loss as much as belonging.
One quotation by Mendieta captures the essence of the exhibition perfectly. “I feel suspended between between sky and earth … the obsession of my work … to reaffirm myself in this world.” The exhibition at the Tate Modern is a reaffirmation of the power of her work.
Exhibition Dates and Ticket Prices
The Ana Mendieta exhibition runs at Tate Modern from 15 July 2026 until 17 January 2027.
Ticket prices are:
- Adult: £18
- Concessions: £17
- Tate Collective (ages 16–25): £5
- Tate Members: Free
Reduced admission for children aged 12–18 is available until 1 September 2026 as part of the Great British Summer Savings Scheme.