Space Shifters, Hayward Gallery, London

Lozenges of coloured glass, hundreds of beach-ball-sized steel orbs and walls that seem to fade in and out of existence the longer you look: all this and more will appear in the Hayward Gallery’s Space Shifters exhibition, opening this autumn.

The collection explores the way in which we perceive space, and how we interact with it and with each other. Some of the exhibited artworks, such as Anish Kapoor’s Sky Mirror, Blue, 2016, will enter into dialogue with the newly-refurbished gallery itself, so that the exhibition will showcase not only the pieces, but also the Hayward’s striking Brutalist architecture. In the words of the exhibition’s curator, Dr Cliff Lauson: The artists' 'sculptures and installations together form a series of interlinked optical experiences… that are as technically and aesthetically impressive as they are playful and enjoyable.'

The exhibition features the work of 20 artists, spanning periods and styles, from the Light and Sound movement of ‘60s California to debut contemporary works. Highlights include DeWain Valentine’s Gray Column, a one-and-a-half-ton monster of resin, and Polish-German sculptor Alicja Kwade’s geometric, intricate WeltenLinie, 2017, on show for the first time since the last Venice Biennale. And speaking of the Biennale: Yayoi Kusama’s Narcissus Garden, which premiered there in 1966 (despite the artist not receiving an official invitation until 1993), is another highlight of this phenomenal collection of works that will challenge your perception of the space around you.

It’s sure to be a fitting conclusion to the Hayward’s 50th anniversary year.