A guide to must-see exhibitions in London ending in February 2023.
Don't miss the opportunity to witness exceptional art before it's gone. Our guide features the must-visit exhibitions ending in February, including Lynette Yiadom-Boakye's solo show at Tate Britain and an exhibition focussed on surrealism at the Design Museum.
Making Modernism
When: until 12 February 2023
Where: The Gabrielle Jungels-Winkler Galleries, Royal Academy of Arts
Price: from £17/Concessions available
Image: Marianne Werefkin,Twins, 1909. Tempera on paper. 27.5 x 36.5 cm. Fondazione Marianne Werefkin, Museo Comunale d'Arte Moderna, Ascona. Royal Academy of Arts
#FLODown: Making Modernism is a historic UK exhibition dedicated to the trailblazing women of Germany in the early 1900s: Paula Modersohn-Becker, Käthe Kollwitz, Gabriele Münter, and Marianne Werefkin. Featuring 65 never-before-seen works, the exhibit delves into the unique perspectives and experiences of these groundbreaking artists through the lens of self-portraiture, still-life, the female form, childhood depictions, landscapes, and urban scenes. Location: Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, W1J 0BD.
Ayo Akingbade: Show Me The World Mister
When: until 5 February 2023
Where: Chisenhale Gallery
Price: FREE
Image: Ayo Akingbade, The Fist (2022). Film Still. Courtesy the artist.
#FLODown: Show Me The World Mister features two captivating new films by London-based artist Ayo Akingbade. The Fist and Faluyi, shot on location in Nigeria, showcase Akingbade's greatest achievements to date and delve into her ongoing exploration of history, place-making, legacy, and power. Location: Chisenhale Gallery, 64 Chisenhale Road, E3 5QZ.
Soheila Sokhanvari: Rebel Rebel
When: until 26 February 2023
Where: The Curve, Barbican
Price: Free
Image: The Love Addict (Portrait of Googoosh), 2019 © Soheila Sokhanvari. Courtesy of the artist and Kristin Hjellegjerde gallery.
#FLODown: Rebel Rebel is the inaugural major UK commission by renowned Iranian artist Soheila Sokhanvari. The exhibit pays tribute to pre-revolutionary Iran's feminist icons, transforming the Curve into a sacred space filled with stunning miniature portraits of Iranian cultural figures. The works explore the conflicting experiences of Iranian women from 1925 to the 1979 revolution - a time of both liberation and commodification that was fleeting. The exhibit is accompanied by a specially composed soundtrack from Marios Aristopoulos and features songs from iconic Iranian singers of the period. Location: Silk St, Barbican, London EC2Y 8DS.
Objects of Desire: Surrealism and Design 1924 - Today
When: Until 19 February 2023
Where: Design Museum
Price: £18.50/16.80 (with/without donation). Concesions available
Image: Salvador Dalí,Lobster Telephone, 1938. Photo West Dean College of Arts and Conservation. © Salvador Dalí, Fundació Gala. Salvador Dalí, DACS 2022
#FLODown: The Design Museum is back with another thrilling exhibition exploring the dreamlike relationship between Surrealism and design. Curated with Vitra Design Museum, the exhibition will explore design from the birth of surrealism in 1924 to the current day; spanning classic Surrealist works of art and design as well as contemporary surrealist responses. It will bring together the best in Surrealist design, from furniture, interior design, fashion, photography and world-renowned artworks from Surrealist pioneers such as Salvador Dalí, Dora Maar, Man Ray, Leonora Carrington and Lee Miller, through to contemporary artists and designs, such as Schiaparelli, Dior, Björk. Location: 224-238 Kensington High Street, Kensington, London W8 6AG.
In Plain Sight
When: until 12 February 2023
Where: Wellcome Collection
Price: FREE
Image: GB. London. Wellcome Collection. In Plain Sight exhibition. 2022. CC BY-NC
#FLODown: In Plain Sight explores the different ways we see and are seen by others. It questions the central place that sight holds in human society through the different experiences of sighted, partially sighted and blind people. In the UK, more than 2 million people live with sight loss and 69% of the population wear corrective eyewear or have had laser eye surgery, according to figures from the NHS. The exhibition will feature eyewear from the 1600s to the present day, reflecting on evolving design innovations and style, as well as contemporary artworks and commissions, and historical and scientific material investigating visual perception. Location: 183 Euston Road, NW1 2BE.
The Horror Show!
When: until 19 February 2023
Where: Somerset House
Price: from £12
Image: Installation view of Tai Shani's The Neon Heiroglyph, 2021
#FLODown: The Horror Show!: A Twisted Tale of Modern Britain explores how ideas rooted in horror have informed the last 50 years of creative rebellion. The show looks beyond horror as a genre, instead taking it as a reaction and provocation to our most troubling times. Featuring over 200 artworks and culturally significant objects, this landmark show tells a story of the turbulence, unease and creative revolution at the heart of the British cultural psyche in three acts - Monster, Ghost and Witch. Location: Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA.
Lynette Yiadom-Boakye: Fly in the League with the Night
When: until 26 February 2023
Where: Tate Britain
Price: from £16. Concession available
Image: Lynette Yiadom-Boakye's Complication, 2013. Photograph: Photo by Marcus J Leith / © Courtesy of Lynette Yiadom-Boakye
#FLODown: Discover the captivating world of Lynette Yiadom-Boakye at this landmark exhibition showcasing 70 works from 2003 to present day. Explore her enigmatic portraits of fictitious people, created from found images and imagination, inviting contemplation of identity and representation. Yiadom-Boakye's spontaneous and instinctive brushstrokes bring her figures to life, set against poetic titles, reflecting the artist's belief in the interplay between writing and painting. Don't miss this unique opportunity to delve into the most extensive survey of Yiadom-Boakye's artistic career to date. Location: Tate Britain, Millbank, London SW1P 4RG.
