Theatre Picasso

A richly illustrated book accompanying the Tate's 2025 exhibit that  brings to life the artist's performative persona and his interest in dance, music and theatre

Marking the centenary of one of Pablo Picasso’s most famous paintings, The Three Dancers, this exciting publication brings to life the artist's performative persona and his interest in dance, music and theatre, alongside stunning reproductions of Picasso works. Filmmaker and artist Wu Tsang, whose practice is concerned with the act of performing, hidden histories and marginalised figures, collaborates here with the author and researcher Enrique Fuenteblanca to tell the story of Picasso ‘the performer’. Along with other contributors, they cast light on his interest in dance, music and theatre, but also his highly performative persona as an artist, cultivating his own image and his contribution to the modernist cult of the individual artistic genius. They also explore his constant gaze towards popular, or ‘folk’ performance, such as the circus, the corrida, flamenco dancers, the ‘othered’ in society, and groups who use performance as an emancipatory tool.

This beautifully designed book addresses head-on some of the complexities of Picasso’s life and work from a highly unusual and compelling perspective.

Details

• Author: Rosalie Doubal is Senior Curator, International Art (Performance & Participation) at Tate Modern.
• Paperback: 128 pages
• ISBN: 99781849769976
• Publication date: September 2025
• Dimensions: 27.6 x 19.3 cm