here are the biggest art exhibitions in London in 2019.
here all the current and upcoming art exhibitions from London’s major galleries and brilliant museums, from Tate Britain and Tate Modern to Somerset House, the V&A and the National Gallery.
These art exhibitions are already here,
1. Queen Victoria’s Palace @ Buckingham Palace (until Sep 29)
In a celebration of the 200th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s birthday, this exhibition tells the story of how the young queen transformed Buckingham Palace from a private house into a working royal residence. Taking place at the grand palace itself, tickets are £25.
2. Serpentine Pavilion @ Hyde Park (until Oct 6)
A highlight of the summer art exhibitions, the Serpentine Galleries will once again invite a guest artist to design their summer pavilion – this year, Junya Ishigami will bring a grey slate construct to Hyde Park. You can see Frida Escobedo’s 2018 effort here. Free.
3. Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing (until Oct 13)
Leonardo da Vinci x Buckingham Palace is the collaboration of dreams, with over 200 drawings currently displayed in The Queen’s Gallery. They also have a fiendishly difficult escape room too. £13.50. .
4. BP Portrait Award 2019 @ National Portrait Gallery (until Oct 20)
The world’s foremost portrait painting competition is back for another year. The submission date for entries is January 21st, so there’s still time to get your efforts in! Free!
5. Nan Goldin @ Tate Modern (until Oct 27)
Misty and Jimmy Paulette in a taxi, NYC 1991 Nan Goldin born 1953 Purchased 1997 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/P78046
The Ballad of Sexual Dependency is a visual diary portraying the life of Nan Goldin and her friends through the 1970s and 1980s. The artist said photography saved her life, and since her late teens, she has used the camera to depict her own life and those closest to her. If you’re after an uncensored and uncompromising exhibition, this is the one for you. Free!
6. Beatrix Potter’s Art: ‘Drawn with Design’ @ V&A (until Nov 17)
Drawing – The Rabbits’ Christmas Party: The Arrival; Drawing; watercolour showing rabbits arriving at a house in the snow; The Rabbits’ Christmas Party: The Arrival; by Beatrix Potter, ca.1892; Linder Bequest cat. no. LB.1003.
Beatrix Potter (1866-1943) Ca. 1892 Watercolour and pen and ink on paper
This display tracks the development of Potter’s artistry, showcasing examples of her childhood sketches and domestic projects alongside her adored, famous illustrations. Discover the childhood sketches of Beatrix Potter at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Free!
7. Anthony Gormley @ Royal Academy (until Dec 3)
There are few artists who’d be allowed to flood the Royal Academy with water and mud, but when you’re arguably the most noteworthy living British artist, you clearly get a longer leash. From £18.
8. Olafur Eliasson: In Real Life @ Tate Modern (until Jan 5, 2020)
Olfaur Eliasson had a longstanding affinity with London even before he dumped blocks of polar ice outside the Tate Modern. This summer, he’ll return to the gallery for a major exhibit, featuring rainbow rooms, misty passages, and twisting sculptures. £18.
9. William Blake: The Artist (opens Sep 11, until Feb 2, 2020)
He’d be pretty beloved even if he’d just stuck to poetry, but his talents with both pen and brush have made him one of England’s favourite sons. The Tate will host this show, the biggest Blake exhibition since 2001. £18.
10. Mary Quant @ V&A (until Feb 16, 2020)
She’s not just the inventor of the miniskirt, you know. The landmark fashion designer left an indelible mark on the world, and this is a wonderful chance to appreciate her at the V&A. £12.
11. Tim Walker @ V&A (until March 8, 2020)
Photographer and filmmaker Tim Walker creates fantastic illusions with his camera, and the V&A Museum is the place to find them. £15.
Culture vultures rejoice, for these ace art exhibitions are coming later in the year!
12. Mark Leckey: O’ Magic Power of Bleakness @ Tate Britain (opens Sept 24, until Jan 5, 2020)
Ten years since his Turner Prize, Mark Leckey’s observances of the impact of technology on culture just keep getting ever more relevant. £13. .
13. Human Stories: Circa No Future @ NOW Gallery (opens Oct 4, until Nov 10)
circa-now
Captured on the island of St Vincent and the Grenadines, this collection of photos and videos contemplates the power and expanse of the ocean juxtaposed against communities who are most affected and nurtured by it. Find the first UK solo exhibition by West Indian photographer Nadia Huggins at NOW Gallery. Immersive and overwhelming. And free!
14. Rembrandt’s Light @ Dulwich Picture Gallery (opens Oct 4, until Feb 2, 2020)
2019 marks 350 years since the Dutch master’s death, and so this year is officially the Year of Rembrandt. Down in Dulwich, thirty-five works will examine the painter’s greatest years and trace his evolution as an artist. Prices TBC.
15. Other Spaces @ 180 The Strand (opens Oct 7, until Dec 8)
Other Spaces
[The Vinyl Factory]
A trio of mind-bending, audio-visual installations will appear at 180 The Strand. It’s gonna mess with your melon, man. And it’s f-r-e-e! Find out more about Other Spaces.
16. The Credit Suisse Exhibition: Gauguin Portraits @ National Gallery (opens Oct 7, until Jan 26, 2020)
Gauguin’s portraits have never had a major exhibition – until 2019. The National Gallery hosts this retrospective of the painter’s later years, when, like so many of today’s youth, he turned his attention to mastering the selfie. £22.
17. Nam June Paik: The Future Is Now @ Tate Modern (opens Oct 17, until Feb 9, 2020)
A famed visual artist who quickly grasped the importance of mass media, Nam June Paik worked at the bleeding edge, using TV and other visual mediums throughout his career. £13.
18. Pre-Raphaelite Sisters: Models, Artists, Muses @ National Portrait Gallery (opens Oct 17, until Jan 26, 2020)
At last, it’s time for a long-overdue examination of the women of the pre-Raphaelite movement. You can keep your Hunts, Millais’, and Rossettis, because this is all about the sisterhood. £18.
19. Cars @ V&A (opens Oct 19, 2019)
Sadly, this art exhibition has nothing to do with the charming Pixar film. What it will do is outline how the automobile has shaped human history, from Henry Ford to Elon Musk. £18.
20. Bridget Riley @ Hayward Gallery (opens Oct 23, until Jan 26, 2020)
Art exhibitions
Hayward Gallery
Tracing 70 years of this acclaimed British artist’s work, the Hayward Gallery will display a range of canvases – from early black and white efforts, to more expansive colour compositions later on. £16.50.
21. Lucian Freud: The Self Portraits @ Royal Academy (opens Oct 27, until Jan 26, 2020)
An exciting world-first sees Lucian Freud’s portraits – painted over a span of 64 years – given their own show. By turning the brush on himself, Freud unveiled known and unknown truths about himself and his career, making this a pretty fascinating exhibition. £18.
22. Dora Maar @ Tate Modern (opens Nov 20, until Mar 15, 2020)
Her trippy, surreal photomontages and her partnership with Picasso ensured her place in the art pantheon, and now Tate Modern hosts the largest ever UK retrospective of Dora Maar’s work. £13.
23. ‘TUTANKHAMUN: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh’ @ Saatchi Gallery (opens Nov 2, until May 3, 2020)
Tutankhamun London Exhibition
150 treasures from the Egyptian pharaoh’s tomb will be exhibited in London this autumn, many of them being shown internationally for the very first time. The touring exhibition was wildly popular in L.A. and Paris, so you might want to book in advance for this one…
24. The Clash: London Calling @ Museum of London (opens Nov 15, until Mar 1, 2020)
An exclusive display exploring the creation of the iconic album ‘London Calling’. Free! Keep an eye out
