Turner at the Walker: major new exhibition brings sharks, handbags and masterpieces to Liverpool

The Walker Art Gallery has announced details of a landmark new exhibition, Turner: Always Contemporary, opening 25 October 2025 and running until 22 February 2026.

Marking 250 years since the birth of JMW Turner, the show will feature some of his most important works alongside pieces by world-renowned contemporary artists including Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons.

For the first time in Liverpool, visitors will see Damien Hirst’s Two Similar Swimming Forms in Endless Motion (1993) – two sharks suspended in formaldehyde – displayed in dialogue with Turner’s paintings. Jeff Koons’ Gazing Ball (Turner Ancient Rome) will also be on show, accompanied by two Louis Vuitton handbags from his Masters collection. It’s the first time Koons has exhibited a work from this series in the city.

Alongside Turner’s rarely displayed oils, watercolours and prints, the exhibition will also feature works by Courbet, Monet, Pissarro and a host of influential women artists including Bridget Riley, Annie Swynnerton, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham and Maggi Hambling. New acquisitions by Emma Stibbon exploring climate change and the fragility of the arctic environment will be displayed for the first time.

Dr Melissa Gustin, Curator of British Art at National Museums Liverpool, said:
“Turner pushed the boundaries of what it meant to paint. His revolutionary approach influenced generations of artists, and this exhibition shows how his legacy continues to shape art today.”

Turner’s seascapes are among his most famous works, but his paintings also tackled themes like colonialism, industry, tourism and climate – issues still relevant today. Turner: Always Contemporary will show how his art continues to resonate, inviting visitors to see connections across centuries.

Tickets are available now here.

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