London is blessed with a vibrant cultural scene and some world-class museums and art galleries. We’re sharing our pick of the top new and upcoming London art exhibitions that you should not miss.
London Art Exhibitions 2019
From contemporary art to Old Masters, there’s something for everyone with these great new London art exhibitions.
Antony Gormley
Famous for his iconic Angel of the North installation, Antony Gormley will transform the Main Galleries of the Royal Academy this Autumn. The exhibition showcases rare works from the 1970s and 1980s as well as pieces that have been remade specifically for the RA galleries.
The aim of the exhibition is to encourage visitors to be more aware of their own bodies. For example, Lost Horizon I features 24 full-size cast iron figures attached to the ceiling, floor and walls.
- Address: Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, Mayfair, London W1J 0BD
- Dates: 21 September – 3 December 2019
- Opening times: 10:00-18:00 daily and until 22:00 on Friday
- Admission: £18-22, concessions available
Gauguin Portraits
The first exhibition featuring the portraits of Paul Gauguin comes to the National Gallery in October 2019. The Credit Suisse Exhibition: Gauguin Portraits showcases over fifty works, loaned by museums and private collections.
It takes an uncompromising look at the life of this French painter and sculptor. There’s a whole room dedicated to self portraits of the artist, as well as others on his time in Brittany. Gauguin’s famous paintings of Tahiti are one of the highlights of this fascinating exhibition.
- Address: The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN
- Dates: 7 October 2019 – 26 January 2020
- Opening times: 10:00-18:00 daily and until 21:00 on Friday
Into the Night: Cabarets & Clubs in Modern Art
The Barbican has an upcoming exhibition about the history of art in cafés, cabarets and clubs. Covering the 1880s to the 1960s, Into the Night showcases the most creative artistic spaces in the world.
Over 200 works of art are on display, together with full-sized reproductions of some of the spaces. Discover inspiring creative hubs from Berlin to London, Paris, Mexico, New York and Vienna.
- Address: The Barbican, Silk St, London EC2Y 8DS
- Dates: 4 October 2019 – 19 January 2020
- Opening times: 10:00-18:00 Sunday – Tuesday and 10:00 – 20:00 Wednesday – Saturday
- Admission: £15 Monday – Friday, £17 Saturday – Sunday
Mary Quant
This fascinating exhibition presents clothing and sketches by the legendary British designer Mary Quant. As Mary said “The whole point of fashion is to make fashionable clothes available to everyone.”
There are over 200 items of clothing on display, including some from the designer’s personal archive that have never been seen by the public. Mary Quant’s designs truly sum up the spirit of the swinging sixties.
- Address: V&A, Cromwell Rd, Knightsbridge, London SW7 2RL
- Dates: Until 16 February 2020
- Opening times: 10:00-17:45 daily and until 22:00 on Friday
- Admission: £12
Olafur Eliasson: In Real Life
Don’t miss the spectacular exhibition by Olafur Eliasson at Tate Modern. Featuring over 300 of the artist’s finest works, it will include some of his best known works.
The artist is known for his previous Tate Modern Turbine Hall installation, The Weather Project. In this new exhibition, visitors can admire installations such as Beauty, which recreates rainbows. Only one of the works has been exhibited in the UK before.
There’ll be a special menu in the Terrace Bar, inspired by the vegetarian food served in Eliasson’s Berlin studio. On the terrace, you’ll find Waterfall 2019, an 11 metre high sculpture that explores our reactions to the environment. In a novel initiative, if you have an old T-shirt that you no longer wear, you can bring it in for recycling and get a 20% discount on an Olafur Eliasson exhibition T-shirt.
- Address: Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1
- Dates: until 5 January 2020
- Opening times: 10:00-18:00 daily and until 22:00 on Friday and Saturday
- Admission: £18 or £5 for children aged from 12-18 (free for members and children under 12)
Sound in Mind: Yuri Suzuki
An interactive free display at The Design Museum that is part of London Design Festival 2019. The exhibition looks at our relationship with sound.
Yuri Suzuki is a sound artist, musician and designer, originally from Japan and based in the UK. In this solo show, visitors can explore the interaction between sound, technology and design.
- Address: Design Museum, 224-238 Kensington High Street, London W8 6AG
- Dates: until 2 February 2020
- Opening times: 10:00-18:00 daily (last entrance at 17.00)
- Admission: free
The Outwin 2019: American Portraiture Today
This exhibition features the work of almost 50 finalists of the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, for artists living and working in the USA.
- Address: National Portrait Gallery, St. Martin’s Place, London WC2H 0HE
- Dates: until 30 August 2020
- Opening times: 10:00-18:00 daily and until 21:00 on Friday
- Admission fee applies
William Blake
From 11 September 2019 to 2 February 2020, Tate Britain will host the largest exhibition of William Blake in the UK for a generation. Featuring over 300 of the artist’s finest works, it will include some of his best known works.
These include Newton 1795-c.1805 and Ghost of a Flea, inspired by a vision he had in a séance. The exhibition will also focus on London, where Blake was born and lived for most of his life.
- Address: Tate Britain, Millbank, Westminster, London SW1P 4RG
- Dates: 11 September 2019 – 2 February 2020
- Opening times: 10:00-18:00 daily and until 22:00 on Friday and Saturday
- Admission: £18 or £5 for children aged from 12-18 (free for members and children under 12)
We hope you’ve found this selection of London art exhibitions as inspiring as we have.
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