City Guide London – Summer ’24 - ART FIX
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City Guide London – Summer '24

Things are heating up and London's art scene is buzzing with the bees once again. Grab your iced latte to-go, and get ready for Art Fix's roundup of not-to-be-missed shows, exhibits and artists in London this season.

New to London? Don’t lose time getting lost – this handy Art Fix map has all our picks saved and ready for you. Share it with your travel companions and keep your phone charged!

MUSEUMS AND ART SPACES

Yayoi Kusama at Liverpool Street Station

Here’s something to wake you up on your daily commute – ‘Infinite Accumulation’ is Kusama’s first public installation, welcoming you into the hustle and bustle of North East London.

The Wallace Collection | Flora Yukhnovich & François Boucher

Bringing together two artists who lived more than 200 years apart, this exhibition finds an unlikely commonality in the work of Flora Yukhnovich and François Boucher: their Rococo origins.

Serpentine North Gallery | Judy Chicago

Judy Chicago is a headlining star in feminist conceptual art – this summer, her largest solo exhibition in Britain is due to open at Serpentine North Gallery featuring works from across her six decade-long career.

Serpentine South Gallery | Yinka Shonibare 

Yinka Shonibare returns to London for his first solo exhibition there in twenty years! This is an unmissable show, especially if you’re getting warmed up for his feature in the 2024 Venice Biennale.

Tate Modern | Yoko Ono

Titled ‘Music of the Mind’, this exhibition showcases the seminal career of this trailblazing conceptual performance artist from the 1950s to present – including her most iconic works such as ‘Cut Piece’ (1964) and ‘Add Color (Refugee Boat)’ (1960).

Tate Modern – Turbine Hall | Mire Lee

Each year, the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall homes a large scale, site-specific installation commissioned in partnership with Hyundai. This year, the venue will showcase an artwork by Mire Lee – a Korean sculpture artist and graduate of the Rijksacademie in Amsterdam.

Tate Britain | ‘Now You See Us: Women Artists in Britain’

For centuries, women artists have been erased or undermined in their importance and contribution to art history – this exhibition covers 400 years of little-known history relating to professional women artists.

Sir John Soane Museum | Lina Iris Viktor

  • Until 19 Jan ‘24
  • 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields
  • soane.org

British-Liberian artist Lina Iris Viktor is known for her decadent sculptural pieces which involve centuries-long artistic practices such as gold gilding to parse notions of ‘blackness’.

The Design Museum | Enzo Mari

Curated by Francesca Giacomelli and the one and only Hans Ulrich Obrist, this retrospective centres Enzo Mari: a multifaceted designer, artist, teacher, and theorist, who was a critical voice in advocating for socially responsible design throughout his influential career.

Two groups of men and boys on Southam Street, North Kensington, London. A young West Indian boy looks straight at the camera. Date: 1959

The Courtauld | Roger Mayne

This exhibition celebrates the acclaimed British photographer Roger Mayne, known for his evocative mid-20th-century documentary images of British youth, iconic street scenes and intimate family portraits, marking the first showcase of his work since 2017.

National Portrait Gallery | Six Lives

  • 20 Jun – 8 Sept ’24
  • St Martin’s Place
  • npg.org.uk

Juxtaposing the portraiture of tudor paintings by Hans Holbein the Younger and contemporary photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto, this exhibition explores the representation of six women integral to English history.

Victoria & Albert Museum | Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection

  • Until 5 Jan ’24
  • V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road
  • vam.ac.uk

What a treat – get a peek inside the unparalleled photography collection of Sir Elton John and David Furnish. These photographs are a luscious exploration through fashion, celebrity culture and the male body.

Royal Academy | Summer Exhibition 2024

Every year since its founding in 1769, the Royal Academy has held a prestigious open-call exhibition showcasing the talents-to-watch of the contemporary art world. This year, it will be coordinated by renowned sculptor Ann Christopher, and you can also expect new works from established names, like Ed Ruscha, Bruce Nauman, Wim Wenders and Tracey Emin.

Saatchi Gallery | Beyond Fashion

Featuring works from fashion giants such as Mario Testino, Viviane Sassen, Peter Lindbergh, and many many more – this exhibition highlights how fashion photography has evolved into a creative art form that shapes the identity of enormous brands.

The Barbican | Ibrahim Mahama

As part of their past exhibition ‘Unravel’, which explored the political potential of textiles, the Barbican Centre’s brutalist façade have been draped in 2000 square metres of hand-woven cloth by Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama – a breathtaking installation titled ‘Purple Hibiscus’.

The Lightroom | David Hockney

Did you miss this blockbuster event last year? Well, your chance is here – grab a friend and get yourselves to this picture-worthy immersion into David Hockney’s summery world.

GALLERIES

David Zwirner | Sosa Joseph

Telling whispers of stories from the Pamba River in Kerala, Indian artist Sosa Joseph paint luscious scenes of ritual, leisure and introspection.

Lisson Gallery | Otobong Nkanga

Antwerp-based Nigerian artist Otobong Nkanga is known for her work across multiple mediums: tapestry, sculpture, sound installations and more. Using these frameworks she explores themes relating to environmentalism, cross-cultural exchange and self-care.

Hauser & Wirth | ‘Digital Art School’

Hospital Rooms is an initiative that aims to connect mental health services to artists and art spaces in an effort to bring creative solutions to mental healthcare. Their three-year programme, called ‘Digital Art School’, will be recreated in the North Gallery of Hauser & Wirth this summer.

Kristin Hjellegjerde | Makiko Harris

Japanese-American visual artist Makiko Harris plays with gender expression and femininity with galvanised steel that subverts the preconceived sensuality of fishnet stockings.

Thaddaeus Ropac | Robert Rauschenberg

  • Until 3 August ’24
  • 37 Dover Street
  • ropac.net

A leading force in the field of Abstract Expressionism, Robert Rauschenberg’s impressive six decade-long career has inspired generations of artists. This exhibition highlights his series of Combines from the 50s.

White Cube Bermondsey | Al Held

Al Held’s abstract expressionism was truly a sign of the times – his career is often lauded as pioneering hard-edged abstraction.

White Cube Mason’s Yard | Minoru Nomata

Set in hauntingly uninhabited locations, Nomata’s stunning architectural paintings evoke a sense of heroic beauty and the sublime.

Timothy Taylor | Eduardo Terrazas

These large-scale, geometric paintings might be familiar to visitors of the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale ‘Stranieri Ovunque – Foreigners Everywhere’.

Pace | Kiki Kogelnik

Kiki Kogelnik is widely agreed to be the most important Pop artist to come from Austria. Her work is instantly recognizable from her futuristic flair, and playful use of colour and flatness.

Stephen Friedman | Anne Rothenstein

These dreamlike compositions of Anne Rothenstein will be unveiled in her first UK institutional show in Charleston, Sussex.

LONDON EATS, DRINKS, AND STAYS

At Sloane

A luxury boutique hotel located in Chelsea, with a secret restaurant and speakeasy bar serving Parisian dishes in a stylishly English setting. For reservations, call +44 (0)20 3750 0750.

NoMad London

CitizenM

The Ned

Firmdale Hotel Covent Garden

Layla

Start your day off strong with a perfect breakfast from this cosy local bakery – sourdough, pastries, coffee… You name it, they’ve got it.

Chestnut Bakery

Gallery visits got you hungry? Chestnut Bakery has breakfast and lunch options. Drop by one of their locations in Belgravia or Covent Garden for the perfect mid-afternoon sweet treat.

Bubala Soho

For Middle Eastern vegetarian feasts.

Wild Tavern

Deliciously simple Mediterranean cuisine using seasonal ingredients from local producers.

Cecconi’s Mayfair

Authentic Italian flavours including seafood and handmade pasta, with plant-based and vegetarian options for all to enjoy.

Granger & Co.

With a total of five locations all over London (and three more in Sydney, Seoul and Tokyo), you’ve no excuse to skip this restaurant. Who doesn’t love all-day Aussie brunch?

The River Cafe

Treat yourself to a Michelin-star meal in the Italian restaurant where none other than Jamie Oliver earned his stripes as a sous-chef!

Bar Termini

Too early for dinner? Hit up Bar Termini in Soho for London’s best aperitivo and yummy cocktails.

The Connaught’s Red Room

This is a one stop shop for the perfect end to an art-filled day – the sensual, dreamy interior of this bar perfectly highlights artwork by female artists like Louise Bourgeois and Jenny Holzer.

PAST SHOWS

Gagosian | Nan Goldin

  • Until 22 June ’24
  • 28 – 29 Burlington Arcade
  • gagosian.com

This intimate series of photos are treasures from the earliest years of Nan Goldin’s career – delicate snapshots of her closest personal friends who were part of Boston’s transgender community in the 70s.

Art Fix Tip: If you’re a Goldin fan, the fun doesn’t stop here – head over to 83 Charing Cross Road and check out Gagosian Open, where you can view the exhibition ‘Sisters, Saints, Sibyls’.

The Perimeter | Andy Holden

Andy Holden’s artwork spans across multiple mediums – from installation, to sculpture, to paintings and performance. At the Perimeter, his hour-long film titled ‘Laws of Motion in a Cartoon Landscape’ will be unveiled.

Carl Freedman Gallery | Studio Lenca

Okay, so maybe it’s a little out of the way from London – but it deserves its place on this list. In ‘Leave to Remain’, El Salvadoran artist Studio Lenca considers what it means to belong in a country whilst being displaced.

Stephen Friedman Gallery | Kenturah Davis

Drawing inspiration from the groundbreaking work of pioneering Black figures such as Katherine Dunham, Florence B. Price, Saidiya Hartman, and Toni Morrison, Kenturah Davis’ work captures the movement and dynamism of her dancing subjects.

Pilar Corrias | Lina Iris Viktor

Glimmering gold leaf sparkles in the walls of Pilar Corrias – British-Liberian artist Lina Iris Viktor constructs altar-like sculptures which contrast light and dark, the sun and the moon.  

Art Fix tip: Can’t get enough? Lina Iris Viktor is also being spotlighted from July ’24 until January ’25 at the Sir John Soane Museum her solo exhibition titled ‘Mythic Time / Tens of Thousands of Rememberings’. These works draw careful connections among the artistic traditions of ancient civilisations and indigenous communities across time and space.

Pitzhangar | Alice Irwin

As part of Pitzhanger’s recent initiative to highlight new emerging artists, Alice Irwin’s solo show is a vibrant and playful exhibition of her screenprints, etchings and sculptures.

Pilar Corrias | Hayv Kahraman

Born an Iraqi refugee in Sweden, Hayv Kahraman reappropriates the practice of botanical drawing by Carl Linnaeus as an act of resilience and defiance against coloniality.

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Timothy Taylor | Hayal Pozanti

Hayal Pozanti’s tender odes to the beauty of nature are absolutely transfixing. Her painting process begins with en-plein-air sketches, which serve as a guide for her to paint with sustainable oil sticks, using her fingers to blend the luscious colours into hazy layers.

David Zwirner | ‘All the Lovers’

Gasworks is a contemporary art organisation established in 1997 that aims to provide studio spaces for London-based artists, as well as commision pieces from international artists. At David Zwirner, ‘All the Lovers’ will celebrate thirty years since its founding, and its innovative young artists that have shaped the London art scene since.

Stephen Friedman Gallery | Woody De Othello

Miami-based Woody De Othello created an other-worldly mise-en-scène in the space of Stephen Friedman with these strangely anthropomorphic ceramic objects.

The Barbican | Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art

Ever stopped to consider the political potential of textile art? At the Barbican, you’ll get to experience the works of giants such as Sheila Hicks, Louise Bourgeois, Judy Chicago, Tracey Emin and so on.

Saatchi Gallery | Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

Taking notes from legends like Rachel Ruysch and Saar de Swart, these Dutch female artists have been brought together to challenge the status quo of art historical narratives that centre men.

Victoria & Albert Museum | Thomas J. Price

  • Until 27 May ’24
  • V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road
  • vam.ac.uk

Rotterdam residents will recognise the work of Thomas J. Price, whose 4 meters tall bronze sculpture of a young black woman stands proudly at Stationsplein. At the V&A, Price’s work prompts us to reconsider questions about representation, and what it means to be monumentalised.

National Portrait Gallery | The Time is Always Now

  • Until 19 May ’24
  • St Martin’s Place
  • npg.org.uk

Featuring world-renowned artists of the African diaspora such as Michael Armitage, Njideka Akunyili Crosby and Thomas J. Price, this group exhibition takes a close look at representations of the Black figure throughout contemporary art.

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The Courtauld | Frank Auerbach

Alongside Francis Bacon, David Hockney and Lucian Freud, Frank Auerbach is a forerunner of the School of London painters. This exhibition spotlights a spectacular selection of his large-scale charcoal works from the early years of his career.

The Design Museum | Skateboard

A story of design, performance and communities progressing together, all united by this simple mode of transportation: the skateboard.

Pace | Yto Barrada

Franco-Moroccan multimedia artist Yto Barrada returns to Pace for a third presentation of her oeuvre, this time with a special focus on her textile artworks which use dyes from her eco-feminist dye garden in Tangier.

Pilar Corrias | Ulla von Brandenburg

Synaesthesia is the perfect word to describe this colour-bursting show – perfectly on time for the spring months, Savile Row will be bathed in the colours and quilts of German artist, Ulla von Brandenburg.

Timothy Taylor | Hovering on the Edge

Against the backdrop of Willem de Kooning’s 1983 painting ‘Untitled XVI’, this group exhibition places five contemporary artists in dialogue with one another and revisits the influence of abstract expressionism today.

Gagosian | Albert Oehlen

Albert Oehlen is best known for his abstract expressionist paintings, which seem to burst with colour and energy. The title ‘New Paintings’ says it all – here, you’ll find never-before-seen works by the German artist.

Almine Rech | Cristina de Miguel

Marking her debut solo exhibition in London, ‘Dissolving’ by Cristina de Miguel presents a thrillingly voracious energy that’ll put a pep in your step.

Thaddaeus Ropac | Erwin Wurm

  • Until 14 Apr ’24
  • 37 Dover Street
  • ropac.net

Austrian artist Erwin Wurm often approaches formal techniques with a humour that is very distinct to his style. This exhibition at Thaddaeus Ropac plays with the mundanity of everyday life and how it relates to art.

Kristin Hjellegjerde | Tuan Vu 

Vietnamese painter Tuan Vu creates worlds on his canvases; his style inspired by the Parisian Les Nabis group. These ethereal landscape of a tropical dreamland are totally breathtaking.

Lisson Gallery | Accordion Fields

  • Until 4 May ’24
  • 27 Bell Street
  • lissongallery.com

This group exhibition is centred on the theme of depicting spaces and places. Joseph Yager, one of our all time favorites, is part of this show.

The Perimeter | Shuvinai Ashoona

Shuvinai Ashoona is a third-generation Inuit artist working in the Arctic north of Canada. Her work received a special mention at the Venice Biennale in 2022, and this solo exhibition will be the first to show her work in Europe.

David Zwirner | Richard Serra

You probably know Richard Serra for his huge, site-specific sculpture installations – but this exhibition will be showcasing his drawn works. Head to Grafton Street to experience these impressive diptychs for yourself.

Royal Academy | Entangled Pasts, 1768 – Now

In a bold, confrontational move, the newest headlining exhibition at the Royal Academy grapples with its own relationship to coloniality with a powerful group exhibition of British artists belonging to African, Caribbean and South Asian Diasporas.

Hayward Gallery | When Forms Come Alive

Featuring the works of contemporary art VIPs such as Tara Donovan, EJ Hill and Ruth Asawa, this group exhibition is an ode to movement, gesture and dynamism.

Towner Eastbourne | Turner Prize Exhibition

And the winner is… Jesse Darling. At Towner Eastbourne you can enjoy the presentation of four outstanding British artists nominated for the best-known award in the art world.

Tate Modern (Turbine Hall) | El Anatsui

‘Behind the Red Moon’ is a gigantic panel suspended from the ceiling of the Turbine Hall, made from recycled bottle tops. Viewed from different perspectives, the form of the work changes before your eyes to reveal new landscapes.

Serpentine North Gallery | Refik Anadol

Using AI technology to blanket the walls of the gallery with morphing images of rainforests and coral reefs, Refik Anadol explores how art, technology and nature interact with one another.

Book cover use of this asset requires approval. Please contact your Account Representative. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Roger Schall/Condé Nast/Shutterstock (11807239a) Designer Coco Chanel wearing large-rimmed glasses surrounded by sketches of her designs. Coco Chanel Vogue May 01, 1938 Portrait

Victoria & Albert Museum | Gabrielle Chanel

  • Until 10 Mar ’24
  • V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road
  • vam.ac.uk

The first ever blockbuster retrospective exhibition of the life and work of Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel in the United Kingdom.

Art Fix: Tickets for this exhibition are currently sold out, but you can still see it if you become a member of the V&A.

Victoria Miro | Stephen Willats

Yet another pioneer of the conceptual artists – Stephen Willats’ works challenge our understanding of free will, communication and social interaction.

Stephen Friedman Gallery | Group exhibition

Bringing together almost 40 artists of all different walks of life (including Art Fixer Kendell Geers), this exhibition tackles the theme of home as both a physical and spiritual concept.

Zabludowicz Collection | All Crescendo, No Reward

An exhibition of works from the Zabludowicz Collection, structured around three major moving image installations by Matt Copson, Oliver Laric and Frances Stark.

Battersea Power Station | David Hockney

David Hockney brings the festivities to London with an iPad and Apple Pencil. The site-specific installation “Bigger Christmas Trees” (2023) blends digital art with Christmas joy, and gives the new Apple UK headquarters a holiday glow.

Tate Britain (South Lawn) | Bobby Baker

Time for an afternoon snack? Don’t miss out on this edible art installation on the South Lawn of Tate Britain, on show as part of the “Women in Revolt!” exhibition that will run until April 2024.

Saatchi Gallery | Season of Sculpture Late

Until 21.00 on selected Fridays (check the Saatchi Gallery website for more details), you can enjoy art after dark with access to multiple shows for a great price – members go free!

GRIMM | Tjebbe Beekman, ‘Drift’

Dutch artist Tjebbe Beekman makes quite the statement with his panoramic abstract works that evoke almost a religious atmosphere.

David Zwirner | Liu Ye

Chinese artist Liu Ye toys with the concept of portraiture, painting subjects from literary giants such as Vladimir Nabokov to the Dutch national treasure, Nijntje (or ‘Miffy’).

White Cube Mason’s Yard | Marina Rheingantz

These richly textured paintings seamlessly blend the disciplines of landscape and abstract painting – they remind us of a modern Monet.

Kristin Hjellegjerde | Charlie Stein

Charlie Stein’s latest series of paintings engages with Instagram beauty standards and digital manipulation, using eerie cyborg subjects as his muse.

Kristin Hjellegjerde | Tom White

A recent graduate of Camberwell College, Tom White paints intimate snapshots of fleeting, private moments.

Stephen Friedman Gallery | Yinka Shonibare

‘Free The Wind, The Spirit, and The Sun’ is an exhibition of brand new works by Yinka Shonibare, and works by artists of his residency project.

Waddington Custot | Ian Davenport, ‘Lake’

Nothing brightens the dullness of a gloomy autumn day in London quite like the flooding of color in Ian Davenport’s immense painting installations!

Albion Jeune | Esben Weile Kjær

  • Until 18 Nov ’23
  • 16-17 Little Portland Street
  • albionjeune

Brand new gallery alert! Opening with an exhibition by the Danish artist Esben Weile Kjær.

Pace | Robert Irwin & Mary Corse

Light – the evergreen source of inspiration for artists across the ages. At this exhibition, Pace presents two artists’ interpretations.

Frieze London

  • 11 – 15 Oct ‘23
  • The Regent’s Park, London
  • frieze.com

The world’s most influential contemporary art fair is celebrating its 20th anniversary, bringing together galleries from 46 countries.

Frieze Sculpture

  • Until 29 Oct ‘23
  • The Regent’s Park, London
  • frieze.com

Returning to Regent’s Park is the amazing (and FREE) outdoor art exhibition, curated by London-based, Turkish-born curator Fatoş Üstek.

1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair

  • 12-15 Oct ’23
  • Somerset House
  • 1-54.com

1-54 is the first and only international art fair dedicated to contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora.

Goodman Gallery | Shirin Neshat

Equal parts moving and confrontational, Shirin Neshat’s photography of the female body revisits the themes of power and subjugation using microscopic detail.

White Cube Bermondsey | Julie Mehretu

Ethiopian-American Julie Mehretu’s layered abstract paintings are an apocalyptic tornado of images from current geopolitical conflicts.

All Saints Chapel | Group exhibition

This gorgeous chapel will also be adorned with a new series of paintings from Gideon Rubin, alongside works from Louise Bourgeois and a soundscape by Nicolas Godin.

Lisson Gallery | Ryan Gander

Ryan Gander asks philosophical questions of language, knowledge and human development with his show-stopping installations.

Gagosian Open | Christo

What better way to celebrate the inaugural show of Gagosian Open – a project aimed at bringing art out of the gallery – than the early masterpieces of Christo?

Thaddaeus Ropac | Daniel Richter

  • Until 1 Dec ‘23
  • 37 Dover Street
  • ropac.net

These intensely colourful artworks play with the human form, taking inspiration from Richter’s musical background.

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