Visit one of these fantastic exhibitions throughout the city for a dose of culture.
Get excited for the upcoming year in art with our picks for the best exhibitions showing in London in 2023...https://t.co/Hyg6koOsSv
— gowithYamo (@gowithYamo) January 24, 2023
We are fortunate to have some of the greatest art exhibitions in the world in London, with collections spanning centuries housed in structures that are frequently masterpieces in and of themselves. As a result, London exhibitions are of the highest caliber. These art shows, which range from classical to modern pieces by movement- and era-defining artists, to high-tech immersive experiences with visual effects and virtual worlds, are what the next generation is inspired by and what supports London's thriving creative ecosystem. This article is updated weekly with 2023's top London exhibits.
1. The Makers: Portraits from Backstage, National Theater
The Makers: Portraits from Backstage, a brand-new exhibition for 2023, has opened in the Lyttelton Lounge of the National Theatre. Curtis Holder, the theatre's first artist in residence, produced a large number of the pieces on display, while Kate Bryan, Soho House's global director of art, curated the larger exhibition. Expect stunning pictures of stage technicians, puppeteers, and stage door supervisors hard at work as this show is a love letter to the creative forces who operate behind the scenes of theater.
Address: Upper Ground, National Theatre, London SE1 9PX
URL: nationaltheatre.org.uk
Cost: Free
Dates: Beginning on January 27, 2023.
2. Natural History Museum's Wildlife Photographer of the Year award
The Natural History Museum, which is presently hosting the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, offers a light dose of culture. See the beauty of our planet and the numerous animals that call it home through the eyes and minds of renowned photographers, whose work reveals the majesty of the natural world. Short movies, remarks from the judges and the nominees, and stunning photos are now included in the area, which has undergone a facelift.
Location: South Kensington, London SW7 5BD, Cromwell Road, Natural History Museum
URL: nhm.ac.uk
Adult tickets start at £17.
Till Sunday, July 2, 2019.
3. Executions, London Docklands Museum
When the Museum of London Docklands debuts its most exciting exhibition, learn about the effects of 700 years of public executions. From the first public execution, which took place in London, also known as the "City of Gallows," in 1196 through the last, which occurred in 1868, the death penalty remained in use, but only behind closed doors. The show includes a variety of fascinating artifacts, from the elaborate silk vest allegedly worn by King Charles I during his death to personal items of jail reformer Elizabeth Fry, which tell the sometimes terrible human stories of persons behind the legends. Face the towering door of Newgate Prison, where hundreds of inmates took their last steps, and listen to the heartfelt farewell letters of those who paid the price for their misdeeds with their lives.
No. 1 Warehouse, West India Quay, London E14 4AL is the address for the Museum of London Docklands.
Visit the museumoflondon.org.uk website.
Cost: Starting at £12 per person
Till Sunday, April 16, 2019.
4. Frameless, Marble Arch
Discover art without limits at Frameless, a spectacular realm of light, color, and music in the center of downtown London. A 30,000-square-foot space is divided into several galleries that encourage visitors to learn new things about famous pieces of art as they are projected onto the walls. You may find 40 interactive, digital renditions of classics by 28 renowned painters, including well-known pieces by Van Gogh, Monet, and Rembrandt.
Address: 6 Marble Arch, London W1H 7AP, Frameless
URL: frameless.com
Adult tickets start at £25
5. We are Queer Britain, Queer Britain.
With a first exhibition covering every facet of queer history, the Queer Britain Museum, which inaugurated its Kings Cross location this summer, is poised to solidify its position as a landmark of LGBTQ+ education—50 years after the UK's first pride march. Oscar Wilde's posthumously released 1897 letter from Reading Prison will be among the records on exhibit, which will span more than 100 years of history. On show will be Duncan Grant's recently found pornographic artwork as well as outfits from significant events, including an Olly Alexander Glastonbury 2019 rainbow performance dress and a rainbow hijab loaned by Faizan Fiaz. The exhibition, a wholly immersive experience, will also include a virtual reality space with cutting-edge technology created to preserve the tales of significant persons, as well as a reading section with a variety of books accessible to explore on shelves.
Address: 2 Granary Square, London, N1C 4BH, Queer Britain
Internet address: queerbritain.org.uk
Till the spring
6. Cecilia Vicua, Hyundai Commission, Tate Modern
The most recent artist chosen to transform Tate Modern's Turbine Hall for the Hyundai Commission 2022 is Chilean artist Cecilia Vicua. Vicua has been writing for 50 years, during which time her works have focused on feminist and environmental themes. She is well known for creating sculptures out of trash and detritus as well as knotting colored threads, an Andean technique of communicating.
Address: Bankside, London SE1 9TG, Tate Modern
URL: tate.org.uk
Up until April.
7. London's Beyond the Streets, Saatchi Gallery
The largest street art show in the UK to date features 150 artists. It's the first time in eight years that an exhibition has filled the 70,000-square-foot Saatchi Gallery with original art, photography, fashion, and immersive installations from top creatives. The show explores significant events in contemporary street art history, from graffiti on trains to fashion that has fluctuated on the trend-o-meter. This one is worth scheduling in advance since it follows a tried-and-true structure that has attracted sell-out crowds in New York and Los Angeles.
URL: saatchigallery.com
Address: King's Road, Chelsea, London SW3 4RY, Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York's Headquarters
Starting at £15
Dates: Till Tuesday, May 9.
8. Treasures from the Spanish Society Museum & Library, Royal Academy of Arts: Spain and the Hispanic World
The most recent exhibition to open at the Royal Academy of Arts, this vibrant display tells the story of Spanish culture visually. Outstanding works from Spain and colonial Latin America, from antiquity to the early 20th century, are included in the collection. Diego Velázquez's Portrait of a Girl and Francisco de Goya's The Duchess of Alba are two examples of paintings. Earthenware bowls from the Bell Beaker culture, which date back over 4,000 years, and Hispano-Islamic silk textiles, particularly the Alhambra Silk, which is reminiscent of the tile patterns of the Alhambra palace complex in Granada, are other highlights from the Hispanic Society's collection of decorative arts.
Address: Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD, Burlington House, Royal Academy of Arts
Internet address: hispanicsociety.org
Adult tickets start at $22.
Dates: Until Tuesday, April 10, 2023
9. Pride 50 Berwick St
A brand-new installation on Berwick Street marks the 50th anniversary of Pride in the UK as well as the conclusion of another LGBTQ+ history month. Portraits of LGBTQ+ people from various walks of life are included in Pride 50, including gay superstars such as actor Ian McKellen, singer Cat Burns, and Olly Alexander of Years & Years. As a gesture of community solidarity, the exhibition will be on display for a whole month, and visitors will not be charged anything to see it.
Address: W1F 0BT, London, 102-103 Berwick Street
URL: thisissoho.co.uk
Dates: Until March 30th, 2019.
10. Skin Deep from Studio West
The newest show at Studio West is a series of paintings that explore the body and is the work of eleven up-and-coming figurative painters from the UK. The important link between physical and mental recovery is a topic in these poignant settings and portraits, where the physical body substitutes for the mind. Portraits have piercing blue eyes that stare off into the distance; discolored animal shapes aren't what they appear; and cinematic snippets of private moments simultaneously cast the observer as a voyeur and an outsider. What happens afterward to the observer who sees these events? Whose personal experiences are these? Become lost in the gaze of these people and make your judgment.
Address: 216 Kensington Park Road, Studio West, London, W11 1NR
URL: studiowest.art
Till Wednesday, April 5, 2019.
11. Ram Shergill performing at the Nobu Hotel Portman Square
The most recent cultural pop-up on our radar is the new photography exhibition at the Nobu Hotel London Portman Square. The pop creator, Up Ram Shergill, is showcasing work that intriguingly illustrates the investigation of philosophical and scientific facets of conscious and unconscious experience. Color, light refraction, and the interactions between human and animal life are all explored in images. After the show, visit Nobu Bar to sample the newest drinks, which were motivated by the travels of Chef Nobu Matsuhisa.
Address: 22 Portman Square, Nobu Hotel London Portman Square, London, W1H 7BG
Internet address: london-portman.nobuhotels.com
Cost: Free
Until Tuesday, March 28.
12. The Big City: London Painted on a Large Scale, Guildhall Art Gallery
The largest collection of large-scale London paintings ever assembled is on display at Guildhall Art Gallery, and admission is paid what you can. These works, all of which were donated to the City Corporation in 2022 as part of the great contribution to the Gallery's recent history, are some of the largest paintings that are rarely shown to the public. The oldest piece on show, London from Greenwich Park, is from 1678 and is credited to Jan Vorsterman. It portrays the capital city in a bright auburn light during the 17th century. See the evolution of the city over the ages, from the lush landscapes and majestic structures in Vorsterman's work to the brutalist apartment complexes in David Hepher's paintings Gordon House, Nocturne, and Castles in the Air.
In London, EC2V 5AR, at Guildhall Art Gallery, Guildhall Yard.
URL: cityoflondon.gov.uk
Till Sunday, April 23, 2019.
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