A New Tim Burton Exhibition Is Coming To The Design Museum

From Edward Scissorhands to Beetlejuice, Tim Burton is the mastermind behind some of the quirkiest gothic films of all time. And now we’re being given the chance to peek inside his creative psyche, thanks to a new exhibition coming to the Design Museum next year.

A New Tim Burton Exhibition Is Coming To The Design Museum

The World of Tim Burton is currently on a global tour, and it has just been announced it will be finishing in London in October 2025. Burton is best known for his cinematic work, but the show will showcase the other mediums he used creatively, from painting to photography and illustration.

Visitors can explore Burton’s personal archive, including pieces from sketchbooks, storyboards and set design, which give insight into some of the recurring themes found in his work and characters. 

Created by curator Jenny He in collaboration with Burton, this will be the show’s only appearance in London.

Portrait of Tim Burton. Photographer: Steve Schofield.

The American director is famous for his exploration of the fantastic and the macabre. He was interested in filmmaking and drawing from a young age, working as an animator at Disney before turning his attention to filmmaking. Some of his biggest movies are Batman, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Alice in Wonderland, with his most recent being an adaptation of Dumbo starring Colin Farrell and Michael Keaton.

Alongside The World of Tim Burton, The Design Museum has announced an exciting line-up of 2024 shows including Barbie®: The Exhibition, to coincide with the brand’s 50th anniversary, plus a retrospective of Italian artist Enzo Mari.

Tim Marlow, Director and Chief Executive, Design Museum said: ‘2024 is going to be an exciting year for the Design Museum. Our exhibitions will not just spotlight very different kinds of creative individuals, they will also show how design both shapes and reflects everything in the world around us, from serious play and global entertainment to design as activism. We invite everyone to come and see us for what will no doubt be a creative, dynamic and thought-provoking 12 months in the nation’s design hub here in Kensington.’

A World of Tim Burton will be open at The Design Museum from 25 October 2024 — 21 April 2024, designmuseum.org