27 Awesome Art Exhibitions To See In London In 2019 by Artmobe

     27 Awesome Art Exhibitions To See In                             London In 2019

These are the biggest art exhibitions in London in 2019.

For a full-on art attack, London Got you covered.          Below, we’ve rounded up 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.

Art exhibitions you can visit today come first; keep scrolling for those opening later in 2019. (Prices quoted are generally for adults in advance, walk-up tickets will be a few pounds more, while students and other concessionary fares may be less. Notably, under-25s can visit all Tate exhibitions for £5 when they join the free ‘Collective.’)

Art exhibitions in London open now

These art exhibitions are already here, so go check ’em out!

1. Nan Goldin @ Tate Modern (until Oct 27)

Misty and Jimmy Paulette in a taxi, NYC 1991 by Nan Goldin born 1953

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! More info here.

2. Ai Weiwei: ‘Roots’ @ Lisson Gallery (until Nov 2)

Ai worked with local artisans and communities across Brazil to locate roots and trunks from the endangered Pequi Vinagreiro tree, typically found in the Bahian rainforest. Elements of these rare tree roots, some of which could be over a thousand years old, were painstakingly moulded, conjoined and then cast to create these striking compositions that reflect their Brazilian heritage. These were then  titled by the artist’s young son, who also visited these tree remains with his father. Ai uses tree trunks, iron, and even LEGO bricks to reflect the deforestation and purge of people and their resources. His work also relates to the current political realities of many countries, including his native China (the country he was only allowed to leave in 2015). Free! More info here.

3. Tschabalala Self: ‘Thigh High’ @ Pilar Corrias (until Nov 9)

Tschabalala Self normally lives and works in New York and New Haven, but has brought her second solo exhibition to London. It features new paintings, sculpture and an animation that foreground Self’s exploration into the cultural expectations placed upon the gendered and racialised body. Her use of form and function enables Self to parse the iconographic significance of the Black female body in contemporary culture. 

4. 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! More info here.

5. Shana Moulton @ Zabludowicz Collection

Explore feminist spirituality through the psychic and aesthetic realm of Shana Moultin’s alter ego, Cynthia. Using video, sculptural installation and performance, the American artist reflects on ideas central to today’s cultural debate, such as the personal wellness industry, ecological protest and alternative models of livings, addressed with off-kilter humour and a strange sincerity. Free! More info.

6. 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. More info.

7. Mark Bradford: ‘Cerberus’ @ Hauser & Wirth (until Dec 21, 2020)

Mark Bradford’s first exhibition at Hauser & Wirth extends across the entirety of the gallery’s spaces. The exhibition of new work, including the film ‘Dancing in the Street’ (2019), sees Bradford return to ancient mythology, a consistent source of inspiration for the artist. ‘Cerberus’ is an exhibition dedicated to places difficult and in-between, where conflicts arise, but also where the hope of resolution is to be found. Free! More info.

8. Olafur Eliasson: In Real Life @ Tate Modern (until Jan 5, 2020)

Olafur Eliasson

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. Read our review here.

9. ‘Into the Night: Cabarets & Clubs in Modern Art’ (until January 19, 2020)

LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 03: An installation view of ‘Into The Night: Cabarets and Clubs in Modern Art’ at Barbican Art Gallery on October 03, 2019 in London, England. A recreation of the bar at the Cabaret Fledermaus, originally designed by Josef Hoffman (1907) (Photo by Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Barbican Art Gallery)

This wildly vibrant exhibition explores the social and artistic role of cabarets, cafés and clubs around the world, from the 1880s all the way to the 1960s. The first major show staged on this theme, Into the Night offers an alternative history of modern art that highlights the spirit of experimentation and collaboration between artists, performers, designers, musicians and writers of the avant-garde…£15-£17.

10. Tony Cokes: ‘If UR Reading This It’s 2 Late: Vol I’ @ Goldsmiths CCA (until Jan 19, 2020)

Donald Trump, David Bowie and Malcolm X are just some of the voices that Cokes’ videos voice, bringing together music, colour and texts in the US-based artist’s first UK solo exhibition. Political and social commentary meets cultural theory in a critique of capitalism. A very relevant time to go and check out this exhibition.

11. William Blake: The Artist (until Feb 2, 2020)

Art exhibitions

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. More info.

12. Albert Oehlen @ Serpentine Gallery (until Feb 2, 2020)

This Switzerland-based German painter has been a key figure in contemporary art since the 80s, having exhibited internationally over the past four decades. By bringing together abstract, figurative, collaged and computer-generated elements on the canvas, he continues to explore an inventive diversity of artistic approaches. More info.

13. Mary Quant @ V&A (until Feb 16, 2020)

Art exhibitions

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. More info.

14. Tim Walker @ V&A (until March 8, 2020)

Art exhibitions

Photographer and filmmaker Tim Walker creates fantastic illusions with his camera, and the V&A Museum is the place to find them. £15. More info.

15. Mark Leckey: O’ Magic Power of Bleakness @ Tate Britain (until Jan 5, 2020)

Art exhibitions 

Ten years since his Turner Prize, Mark Leckey’s observances of the impact of technology on culture just keep getting ever more relevant. £13. More info.

16. Human Stories: Circa No Future @ NOW Gallery (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! More info here.

17. Rembrandt’s Light @ Dulwich Picture Gallery (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. More info.

18. Other Spaces @ 180 The Strand (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.

19. The Credit Suisse Exhibition: Gauguin Portraits @ National Gallery (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. More info.

20. Nam June Paik: The Future Is Now @ Tate Modern (until Feb 9, 2020)

Art exhibitions 

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. More info.

21. Pre-Raphaelite Sisters: Models, Artists, Muses @ National Portrait Gallery (until Jan 26, 2020)

Art exhibitions

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. More info.

Art exhibitions in London opening later in 2019

Culture vultures rejoice, for these ace art exhibitions are coming later in the year!

22. Bridget Riley @ Hayward Gallery (opens Oct 23, until Jan 26, 2020)

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. More info.

23. Lucian Freud: The Self Portraits @ Royal Academy (opens Oct 27, until Jan 26, 2020)

Art exhibitions

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. More info.

24. Cars @ V&A (opens Nov 23, until )

Art exhibitions

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. More info.

25. Dora Maar @ Tate Modern (opens Nov 20, until Mar 15, 2020)

Art exhibitions

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. More info.

26. ‘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… More info here.

27. The Clash: London Calling @ Museum of London (opens Nov 15, until Mar 1, 2020)

paul-simonon-guitar

Photo: The Clash Archive

An exclusive display exploring the creation of the iconic album ‘London Calling’. Free! Keep an eye out for information here.

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