Tracey Emin's largest-ever exhibition, titled 'A Second Life,' will open at Tate Modern in London in February 2026, featuring over 90 works spanning 40 years. The show includes her iconic installation 'My Bed' (1998), alongside neons, sculptures, paintings, videos, and textiles, tracing her career from her first solo show at White Cube in 1993 to recent works reflecting her recovery from bladder cancer. The exhibition draws heavily on her adolescence in Margate, addressing themes of love, trauma, abortion, and personal growth through an unflinchingly confessional lens.
This exhibition matters because it marks a major institutional retrospective for one of Britain's most provocative and influential contemporary artists, cementing her legacy at a pivotal moment after her health struggles. By presenting her raw, autobiographical work on a grand scale, the show underscores how Emin's unapologetic exploration of intimate experiences has reshaped contemporary art's boundaries, influencing generations of artists. It also highlights Tate Modern's continued commitment to showcasing living artists' full trajectories, offering a rare opportunity to assess Emin's evolution from Young British Artist provocateur to a reflective, mature voice.