Tim Burton exhibition opens at the Design Museum

The latest iteration of Tim Burton’s retrospective exhibition has opened in London at the Design Museum, showcasing more than 600 items from the director’s body of work, including Batman Returns, Wednesday and Edward Scissorhands.

‘The World of Tim Burton’ runs until April 21, 2025, and has smashed the Design Museum’s advanced ticket sales, with more than 32,000 people purchasing tickets to visit the exhibition exploring Burton’s remarkable 50-year career, including many items from the director’s personal archive, on display in the UK for the first time, as well as loans from key film studio archives, including Paramount, Amazon MGM Studios, and Warner Bros., and the private collections of Burton’s collaborators.

The exhibition charts Burton’s creative input in more than 18 of his films, such as Beetlejuice (1988), Batman (1989), Edward Scissorhands (1990), and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), as well as recent projects such as the Wednesday series on Netflix and ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,’ including sketches, props, set designs, photographs and costumes.

It also spotlights Burton’s hands-on and design-led approach to filmmaking and his long-term collaborations with costume designer Colleen Atwood, production designer Rick Heinrichs, and architect and designer Anton Furst.

Highlights include Michelle Pfeiffer’s ‘Catwoman’ rubber and latex costume from 1992’s ‘Batman Returns,’ the black and white striped dress from 1999’s Sleepy Hollow, worn by Christina Ricci, which Atwood painted the stripes on to, as well as Wednesday Addams’ viral Rave’N dance dress and the instantly recognisable costume for Edward Scissorhands, as worn by actor Johnny Depp in the 1990 film.

The exhibition also shares Burton’s influence, such as how his drawings inspired Alexander McQueen’s autumn/winter 2002 ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ collection.

Commenting on the exhibition, Tim Burton said in a statement: “It’s a strange thing, to put 50 years of art and your life on view for everyone to see, especially when that was never the original purpose. In the past, I have resisted having the exhibition in London, however, collaborating with the Design Museum for this final stop was the right choice.

“They understand the art, and with the opportunity to adapt the show and highlight the way design interacts with the works, I’ve been able to view it all through an exciting new lens.”

The show is being presented in partnership with British retailer Harvey Nichols, who will be unveiling Burton-esque Christmas windows featuring five unique objects from Burton’s private collection, previously showcased in his exhibitions around the globe.