Liverpool’s Bluecoat is preparing to welcome two major touring exhibitions featuring immersive installation, photography, sculpture, film and more.
The exhibitions by artists Becky Beasley and Isabel Nolan will explore themes including care, connection, spirituality, science and humanity’s place within the vastness of the cosmos.
The first, Becky Beasley: A Gentle Man (Part II) (1975-2029), opens at the Bluecoat on Saturday, September 26, 2026 and runs until Sunday, January 3, 2027.
Beasley’s exhibition will transform the gallery into a contemplative and immersive landscape.
It will feature a large pale green linoleum floor artwork alongside ceramic work, video installation and sculptural seating, encouraging visitors to pause, sit and spend time with individual pieces.
A trio of architectural textile sculptures will create intimate spaces for reflection and collectively trace out the letters ‘H S P’, standing for Highly Sensitive Person.
Beasley’s work draws on literary references as a primary tool for constructing and reconstructing her experience of the world.
A Gentle Man (Part II) (1975-2029) is a touring exhibition commissioned by QUAD, the Bluecoat and John Hansard Gallery, with funding from the Freelands Foundation and Arts Council England.
A preview takes place on Friday, September 25, with a press preview from 11am until noon.
The Bluecoat will then begin 2027 with Isabel Nolan: some fundamental forces, opening on Friday, January 29 and running until Sunday, May 2, 2027.
It will be the most comprehensive display of work by the Irish artist in the UK to date.
Nolan’s work considers how art can go beyond documenting the world and encourage people to think about their place within the wider universe.
Drawing together historical, scientific and spiritual perspectives, the exhibition explores science alongside spiritual and cultural legacies to offer visitors a broader perspective beyond the present moment.
The exhibition comes at a significant point in Nolan’s career, with the artist representing Ireland at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026.
Isabel Nolan, said:
“The opportunity to have this exhibition travel to the Bluecoat is very gratifying. I had the pleasure of making multiple visits to Liverpool in 2024-2025 leading into exhibiting at the 2025 edition of the Liverpool Biennial, ‘Bedrock’. Searching for both the inspiration and the location for the commissioned outdoor work was a particularly special way to get to know some aspects of the city. I’m already looking forward to being back.”
some fundamental forces is being presented at the Bluecoat in partnership with Southwark Park Galleries in London, where the exhibition launched in August.
The Bluecoat presentation is supported by Culture Ireland, the Paul & Louise Cooke Endowment, Arts Council England and the Henry Moore Foundation, with further support from Liverpool BID, The Granada Foundation and Art Friends Merseyside.
A preview for the Isabel Nolan exhibition will take place on Thursday, January 28, 2027.
You can find more information on Bluecoat’s website.
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