David Hockney Unveils Monumental iPad Frieze Inspired by Bayeux Tapestry at Serpentine North

London, March 15, 2026 – At nearly 90 years old, British artist David Hockney continues to push the boundaries of contemporary art with his latest exhibition, “David Hockney: A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts about Painting,” now open at Serpentine North in Kensington Gardens. The centerpiece is the artist’s celebrated 90-meter (approximately 295-foot) frieze titled A Year in Normandie (2020–2021), a composite digital work created entirely on iPad that makes its London debut after premiering elsewhere.

Inspired by the 11th-century Bayeux Tapestry—an embroidered narrative chronicling the Norman Conquest of England in 1066—Hockney’s frieze reinterprets the epic format for the modern era. Rather than depicting historical battles, it chronicles the subtle, seasonal transformations in the landscape surrounding his former studio in Normandy, France. Created during the height of the pandemic through daily observations and sketches on his iPad, the work comprises over 100 individual panels that flow continuously around the gallery’s perimeter, inviting visitors to walk alongside the passage of time from spring blossoms to winter snows.

Hockney has long embraced digital tools, viewing the iPad as a natural evolution of painting rather than a replacement. The frieze blends his signature vibrant palette with meticulous attention to light, color, and natural cycles, echoing influences from Chinese scroll paintings alongside the Bayeux Tapestry’s linear storytelling. This monumental piece aligns perfectly with 2026’s cultural moment, as the original Bayeux Tapestry is set to be displayed in the UK for the first time in nearly a millennium at the British Museum later this year.

The exhibition, Hockney’s first at Serpentine Galleries and free to the public, also features new works from 2025, including intimate portraits, still lifes, and abstract explorations that showcase his ongoing experiments with form and perception. Curated in close collaboration with the artist, the show encourages viewers to slow down and appreciate the everyday extraordinary, a recurring theme in Hockney’s practice.

Running through August 23, 2026, the exhibition has already drawn praise for bridging historical reverence with innovative technology. Hockney’s Normandy-inspired epic demonstrates how an artist can honor tradition while forging new paths in visual storytelling.

For more on the exhibition, visit the official Serpentine Galleries page: https://www.serpentinegalleries.org/whats-on/david-hockney-a-year-in-normandie-and-some-other-thoughts-about-painting-exhibition-serpentine-galleries

A Year in Normandie (detail views available via the artist’s official site or exhibition resources): Here