The best exhibitions in London for July
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We are lucky enough to have some of the world’s best art exhibitions in London, with collections that span centuries housed in buildings that are often masterpieces in their own right – which in turn means London exhibitions are world-class. From classical to contemporary works by era-defining artists and movement-making revolutionaries to high-tech immersive experiences with visual effects and virtual realities, these are the exhibitions in London that are inspiring the next generation and helping London’s creative scene to flourish. We update this piece weekly so you can stay in the know about the best upcoming London exhibitions in 2024.
Best exhibitions in London for June
1. Art of The Brick, The Boiler Room
Exhibition Hub’s latest London exhibition is for little ones and big kids alike. Art of The Brick, the world-famous LEGO® exhibition, arrives at The Boiler House (on Brick Lane, fittingly) for a 10-week run following successful stints in 200 cities across 24 countries over several years. As the exhibition has evolved over the years, Londoners are sure to witness a brick-fuelled spectacle. Expect extraordinary sculptures and reimagined versions of some of the world’s most iconic masterpieces, from Michelangelo’s David to Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa – plus a six-metre-long Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton.
Address: The Boiler House, 152 Brick Lane, London E1 6RU
Website: feverup.com
Price: From £16
Dates: Booking until Saturday 31 August
2. Van Gogh London Exhibit: The Immersive Experience, East London
Step inside a former 19th-century stable building beside Old Spitalfields Market and discover an immersive world created using Van Gogh’s most notable works. Now a staple in dozens of cities around the world, this exhibition has welcomed more than five million curious aesthetes since it began touring in 2017. Explore three rooms spanning 17,000 square feet, where gargantuan projections bring the Dutch Post-Impressionist’s works to life in a 360-degree spectacular.
Address: 106 Commercial Street, E1 6LZ
Website: feverup.com
Dates: Booking until Saturday 31 August.jpg)
Marco Bahler3. Naomi in Fashion, V&A South Kensington
Supermodel and cultural icon Naomi Campbell is the star of the V&A South Kensington’s latest captivating exhibition, Naomi: In Fashion. It details four decades of the fashionista’s career through the medium of fantastical frocks – many of which are instantly recognisable to her global fanbase. Physical highlights include a dramatic 1989 Thierry Mugler car-inspired corset, a pink Valentino ensemble worn at the 2019 Met Gala, and the staggeringly high Vivienne Westwood platform shoes worn by Campbell during her famous 1993 catwalk fall. Alongside around 100 looks and accessories from brands including Karl Lagerfeld, Burberry and Chanel, fashion photography by famous figures such as Campbell Addy, Nick Knight, and Peter Lindbergh features prominently around the space, curated by ex-British Vogue’s Edward Enninful OBE.
Address: V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL
Website: vam.ac.uk
Price: £18
Dates: Until Sunday 6 April 2025
Image still from willow music video, 2020. Courtesy of TAS Rights Management, LLC4. Taylor Swift Songbook Trail, V&A South Kensington
For all those mourning the end of the first leg of Taylor’s UK tour, the V&A has you covered. Fans can now continue to get their Swiftie fix for free at this gallery trail celebrating the success and creativity of the global pop icon. Installations are theatrically staged across various permanent galleries, each spotlighting a particular era in her impressive career. From custom cowboy boots to music video dresses, the collection includes costumes and accessories from 16 of Swift’s most famous looks, all on loan from her personal archive. Look out for the instruments, awards and unseen childhood clips which are on display alongside. Layla Quaedvlieg
Address: V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL
Website: vam.ac.uk
Price: Free
Dates: Saturday 27 July - Sunday 8 September 2024
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Trustees of the Natural History Museum5. Natural History Museum Gardens
Journey through 2.7 billion years of history in the Natural History Museum’s five-acre gardens this summer. Experience the planet’s past through plants, geology, and representations of reptiles, birds and mammals – plus the wildlife found in the surrounding area today. Join a guided tour led by one of the museum’s experts for the full experience, or join one of the events on offer over the coming months, from family-friendly wildlife drawing workshops to adults-only silent discos.
Address: Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, London SW7 5BD
Website: nhm.ac.uk
Price: £10 for members; £18 for non-members
Dates: From Thursday 18 July_2024_Oil%2C%2520acrylic%2520and%2520collage%2520on%2520canvas_200%2520x%2520140%2520cm%25C2%25A9%2520Kate%2520Lyddon%2C%2520Courtesy%2520Cob%2520Gallery.jpg)
Kate Lyddon, Courtesy Cob Gallery6. Sagger, Sinker, Wrinkler, Cob Gallery
British artist Kate Lyddon is behind Cob Gallery’s latest exhibition, Sagger, Sinker, Wrinkler. The eclectic collection of paintings, sculptures and installations launches alongside the publication of Kate’s new monograph of works, which features a commissioned essay by curator Elaine ML Tam. Best known for her distinctive approach to drawing, painting and sculpture, characterised by a blend of surrealism, the grotesque, and intuitive creation, Kate’s new work primarily explores themes of femininity and the human condition. Explore the diaristic pieces inspired by everyday actions and events, as the human form folds in on itself in intricate ways.
Address: The Cob Gallery, 205 Royal College Street, London NW1 0SG
Website: cobgallery.com
Dates: Until Saturday 10 August
David LaChapelle7. Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection, V&A South Kensington
The Victoria and Albert Museum’s latest exhibition sees more than 300 rare prints from 140 photographers showcasing era-defining moments across the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Images were selected from Elton and David’s collection of over 7,000, and offer personal insight into the lives of one of history’s greatest musicians and his filmmaker spouse. Highlights include celebrated works by Robert Mapplethorpe, Cindy Sherman, William Eggleston and Diane Arbus depicting key moments in history such as the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s and AIDS activism of the 1980s.
Address: V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL
Website: vam.ac.uk
Price: £20
Dates: Until Sunday 5 January 2025
Judy Chicago/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Jo Underhill. Courtesy Judy Chicago and Serpentine8. Judy Chicago: Revelations, Serpentine North Gallery
Serpentine North Gallery pays homage to artist Judy Chicago this summer, a vibrant octogenarian who rose to prominence in the late 60s for her work crafted from a woman-centred perspective. Her work challenged the male-dominated landscape of the art world at the time and continues to contest the absence of women in the Western art scene. Captivating illustrations on display until September tackle themes of birth, masculinity, power, climate justice, and Judy’s Jewish identity. The exhibition is possible thanks to support from fashion house Dior and The Hostetler Wrigley Foundation.
Address: Serpentine North Gallery, W Carriage Drive, London W2 2AR
Website: serpentinegalleries.org
Dates: Until Sunday 1 September
9. Design Discoveries, Japan House London
Japan House London’s latest exhibition, Design Discoveries, is a fascinating celebration of Japanese design and craftsmanship. While the country is synonymous with intricate design, no dedicated national museum of design exists. Seven acclaimed Japanese designers from diverse disciplines, such as fashion and architecture, were asked, “If there were a permanent Japanese design collection, what would you put in it?” – this latest showcase is the result. Treasures span 10,000 years of history, and contributors include filmmaker Koichiro Tsujikawa, architect Tsuyoshi Tane, and fashion designer Tamae Hirokawa.
Address: Japan House London, 101-111 Kensington High Street, London W8 5SA
Website: japanhouselondon.uk
Dates: Until Sunday 8 September 2024
Alvaro Castano and Yuuki Obata10. Hello Brain!, Francis Crick Institute
Have you ever paused to think about the complexity of the brain, with its trillions of connections between billions of cells? Do just that at The Francis Crick Institute’s latest exhibition, Hello Brain!, where leading scientists have joined forces to explain some of the organ’s fascinating workings. From how our thoughts and behaviours are shaped to how multiple species interact with each other, it’s a unique insight into human and animal behaviour.
Address: Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT
Website: crick.ac.uk
Dates: Until Tuesday 3 December 2024%2520Victoria%2520and%2520Albert%2520Museum%2C%2520London%2520(26).jpeg)
Peter Kelleher11. Tropical Modernism: Architecture and Independence, V&A South Kensington
The V&A’s new major exhibition studies the architectural style of Tropical Modernism. British architects Jane Drew and Maxwell Fry are credited with leading the movement in West Africa from the 1940s, gradually adapting the Modernist aesthetic, which failed to account for the hot, humid conditions of the region. Drew and Fry’s work is still notable in countries including Ghana and India – following independence from the British Empire, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Ghanaian Prime Minister Kwame Nkrumah commissioned major new projects in this style. Despite its colonial associations, Tropical Modernism has become symbolic of these nations’ postcolonial future – this exhibition uses models, drawings, letters, photographs, and film to examine a unique architectural style.
Address: V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL
Website: vam.ac.uk
Price: From £14; concessions available
Dates: Until Sunday 22 September
12. Bubble Planet, Wembley
Bubble Planet is the latest immersive experience encouraging Londoners to unleash their inner child. The opening comes following successful stints in Milan, Los Angeles and Brussels over the past year, and now it’s opened its doors in Wembley. Escape to a whimsical world of bubbles that engages all the senses across 11 themed rooms. Witness a futuristic robot-led bubble show, dip in an ocean full of living balloons, and get carried away by myriad magical illusions before making it out the other side.
Address: Bubble Planet, 22 Fulton Road, Wembley HA9 0TF
Website: feverup.com
Price: £17.90 for adults; £13.90 for children
Dates: Booking until Saturday 31 August
13. Wes Anderson: The Exhibition, South Kensington
If you haven’t heard of it yet, Accidentally Wes Anderson: The Exhibition is undoubtedly just a few scrolls away on your social media feeds. The immersive experience is a partnership between events specialists Fever and social media phenomenon Accidentally Wes Anderson (AWA) – and picks up where the TikTok trends left off. Discover seven themed rooms and revel in the whimsical world of Wes Anderson’s distinctive aesthetics through photography and a scattering of installations designed for hands-on fun. The penultimate space, ‘The London Room’, is devoted to the capital and displays photos captured in the iconic AWA style – submit your own London AWA photos for a chance to be featured.
Address: 81-85 Old Brompton Road, South Kensington, London SW7 3LD
Website: feverup.com
Price: Adults (12+) from £11.99
Dates: Booking until Sunday 28 July.jpg)
Gareth Gardner14. Lina Iris Viktor: Mythic Time / Tens of Thousands of Rememberings, Sir John Soane’s Museum
Making her solo exhibition debut in the UK, Liberian-British artist Lina Iris Viktor presents a thrilling journey through time and culture. Interspersed across the museum, her new series of sculptures and paintings respond to the legacy of the house and even Sir John Soane himself. Her work explores various traditional art forms, from those in ancient Egypt to indigenous Australia, while drawing on the timeless qualities of materials such as bronze and silk. Highlights include a six-and-a-half-foot bronze sculpture surrounded by three black and gold paintings, creating a jewel-like, immersive exhibition room. Viktor describes the paintings in this room as “intricate, golden labyrinths through which the eye can travel”, inviting visitors to lose themselves within their glowing symbols and shapes. Layla Quaedvlieg
Address: Sir John Soane’s Museum, 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3BP
Website: soane.org
Price: Free
Dates: Until Sunday 19 January 2025.jpg)
Credit, Montana Lowery15. Frameless, Marble Arch
Experience art without boundaries at Frameless – a vibrant world of light, colour and sound in the heart of central London. Across a 30,000-square-foot venue, a series of galleries invite the curious to take on new understandings of iconic artworks as they are projected onto the walls. 40 interactive, digital interpretations of masterpieces by 28 iconic artists can be found, including iconic works from the likes of Van Gogh, Monet and Rembrandt.
Address: Frameless, 6 Marble Arch, London W1H 7AP
Website: frameless.com
Price: Adult tickets from £25
Tim Bowditch16. THEM by Oscar Murillo, Burlington Arcade
Following the success of his Marks and Whispers exhibition in Rome, Murillo is once again working with Gagosian galleries, this time in the heart of Mayfair. His latest project hopes to push the boundaries of a simple yet radical art form: mark-making. The centrepiece of THEM is his unpublished book of the same name, filled with abstract markings which overlay childhood photographs, while the display also features a selection of Murillo’s wearable sculptures and printed shirts. These experimentations with mark-making explore themes of community and universality through deliberately obscured identities and ideas of collective consciousness. The month-long display also celebrates the launch of Murillo’s new monograph, Frequencies, and is accompanied by his takeover of the Gagosian Shop on the floor below. Layla Quaedvlieg
Address: 28 - 29 Burlington Arcade, London W1J 0QJ
Website: gagosian.com
Price: Free
Dates: Thursday 25 July - Saturday 24 August 2024
Alison Cooke17. Metamorphic, County Hall Pottery
Following the success of County Hall Pottery’s first exhibition, Beyond the Kiln, London’s shimmery new ceramics hub presents its second exhibit, Metamorphic. The new showcase explores the transformative potential of stone in contemporary ceramics, with the title referencing the natural processes behind the formation of metamorphic rocks. Five artists have employed innovative techniques to transform geological and industrial materials such as stone, brick, and quartz – highlights include Matthew Blakely’s collection of vessels made entirely from clays and rocks he has collected across the country and Tim Copsey’s work inspired by the Japanese arts of tokkuri and guinomi.
Address: County Hall Pottery, County Hall, Belvedere Road, London SE1 7PB
Website: countyhallpottery.com
Dates: Until Sunday 1 September