Kew Gardens in London will host the largest-ever open-air exhibition of Henry Moore's sculptures from May to September 2026, titled "Henry Moore: Monumental Nature." Thirty works, including major bronzes like "Large Two Forms" and "Oval with Points (1968-70)," will be displayed across the 320-acre Unesco World Heritage site, with additional pieces in the Temperate House. The Henry Moore Foundation is lending most works, while 90 more pieces—including prints and drawings—will be shown indoors at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery, with loans from Tate and the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts. Four sculptures will also be exhibited at Kew's Wakehurst botanic garden in Sussex alongside contemporary commissions.
The exhibition matters because it offers a fresh, large-scale perspective on Moore's legacy by placing his work in direct dialogue with nature at a time when environmental themes are increasingly urgent. By spanning the entire Kew site and including indoor gallery displays, the show invites visitors to reflect on humanity's relationship with the natural world, echoing Moore's own belief in nature as a limitless source of sculptural inspiration. It also demonstrates how major cultural institutions can use outdoor exhibitions to engage broad audiences with modern sculpture.