Don’t miss out on the best exhibitions in London. From the latest blockbuster art shows to up and coming artists, find the best exhibitions in London here.
There are some incredible exhibitions in London at the moment. Current highlights include a major exhibition on Tantra at The British Musuem, the philosophy centred on the power of the divine feminine energy that has had a huge impact on religion, culture and politics in India and on contemporary feminist thought; and Among The Trees at the Hayward Gallery, which brings together works from various artists to explore our relationship with trees, how they are intertwined with human life and how they make us think about time, during a period where many of the world’s forests are being destroyed at an alarming rate.
The National Gallery is hosting a major Titian show – the six paintings that make up his series based on classical myths are being shown together for the first time in over 400 years. The exhibition, which features ‘Diana and Actaeon’ and ‘Diana and Callisto’, as well works on loan from Boston and Madrid, showcase his talents as an artist and as a storyteller – we can see his expert use of paint and colour as well as the way he manages to convey emotion and drama.
The Design Museum is celebrating the world of electronic music with this major new exhibition. Evoking the feeling of being in a club, the display will feature a range of multimedia pieces that span early rave to Detroit techno to the Berlin scene and beyond. Explore 3D shows from Kraftwerk and The Chemical Brothers, large scale images from Andreas Gursky, a soundtrack by Laurent Garnier, rave fashion, graphics for labels and club nights, and more.
It’s 50 years since Jimi Hendrix died and to mark the anniversary, Masterpiece Art is hosting an exhibition of rare photographs of Hendrix, some of which have never been seen before taken by photographers including Ed Caraeff, Baron Wolman, Gered Mankowitz, David Montgomery, Ulvis Alberts and the late Charles Everest. Two sculptures from Guy Portelli will be on display alongside the original Isle of Wight 1970 WEM speaker system used by Hendrix during his last major performance in Britain.
Stephen Friedman Gallery is celebrating its 25th birthday with an anniversary exhibition at both galleries on Old Burlington Street in Mayfair, the place its called home since 1995. The exhibition will showcase the diversity of the gallery programme with works from artists like David Shrigley, Mamma Andersson and Yinka Shonibare CBE, who have been with the gallery from the beginning, on show alongside pieces from new artists like Marina Adams, Leilah Babirye and Holly Hendry.
The British Museum is hosting a major exhibition on Tantra, the philosophy centred on the power of the divine feminine energy that has had a huge impact on religion, culture and politics in India and on contemporary feminist thought. Tantra is often misrepresented in the West – it’s not just about sex – so this exhibition, which features object from India, Nepal, Tibet, Japan and the UK from the seventh century AD to the present, explores it in proper detail.
David Hill Gallery is bringing together some of the most influential West African photographers for the group show Tête-à-Têtes: West African Portraiture from Independence into the 21st Century. The exhibition showcases the new identity that emerged in post-colonial West Africa, with works from Rachidi Bissiriou, Malick Sidibé, Leonce Raphael Agbodjélou and Sanlé Sory, will be on show, including some previously unseen pieces from Sory.
The Royal Academy is showcasing some of the treasures of Denmark’s Ordrupgaard Collection at the Gauguin and the Impressionists exhibition. The collection, built up by a wealthy Danish couple, is full of Impressionist masterpieces and this is a chance to see 60 pieces by the likes of Gauguin, Manet, Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Morisot and Degas, including many that have never been seen in the UK before.
This exhibition at the V&A will trace the historical and cultural significance of the kimono from the 1600s to the present day, with rare 17th and 18th century kimono being seen for the first time in the UK. The show will also look at the impact that the kimono has had on modern fashion, film and performance, with a range of clothing, accessories, prints and film on display.
Among The Trees at the Hayward Gallery brings together works from various artists to explore our relationship with trees, how they are intertwined with human life and how they make us think about time, during a period where many of the world’s forests are being destroyed at an alarming rate. The exhibition features a cardboard forest of trees by Eva Jospin; a cinematic portrait of a 30m spruce by Eija-Liisa Ahtila; a sculpture cast from a 2000 year old olive tree by Ugo Rondinone; and many more installations, photographs and paintings.
The Design Museum is celebrating the world of electronic music with this major new exhibition. Evoking the feeling of being in a club, the display will feature a range of multimedia pieces that span early rave to Detroit techno to the Berlin scene and beyond. Explore 3D shows from Kraftwerk and The Chemical Brothers, large scale images from Andreas Gursky, a soundtrack by Laurent Garnier, rave fashion, graphics for labels and club nights, and more.
The six Titian paintings that make up his series based on classical myths are being shown together for the first time in over 400 years at the National Gallery. The exhibition, which features ‘Diana and Actaeon’ and ‘Diana and Callisto’, as well works on loan from Boston and Madrid, showcase his talents as an artist and as a storyteller – we can see his expert use of paint and colour as well as the way he manages to convey emotion and drama.
This exhibition at Tate Britain is the largest show of Aubrey Beardsley’s work for 50 years. Over 200 pieces of his will be on display, showcasing his prolific career as an illustrator despite dying at just 25 years old. His distinctive black and white drawings covered everything from the erotic to the grotesque, making him intensely popular with his late-Victorian audience.
