12 Art exhibition to see in London in February 2023
A guide to art exhibition to explore in London in February 2023.
February marks the turn of the exhibition calendar, with old shows closing and new ones opening. Our guide highlights the must-see exhibitions of the month, including an exhibition dedicated to exploring the exceptional talents of Renaissance master Donatello at the Victoria & Albert Museum and a spotlight on women in abstract art at Whitechapel Gallery.
Click here to discover last chance exhibition to see in London in February 2023.
Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance
When: 11 February – 11 June 2023
Where: Victoria & Albert Museum
Price: £20/ Concessions available.
Image: San Rossore, Donatello, by permission of the Ministry of Culture – Regional Directorate of Museums of Tuscany, Florence, Italy
#FLODown: Discover the genius of Donatello at this exceptional Renaissance exhibition. Immerse yourself in a fresh perspective of the artist's influence on art and culture during this pivotal time in history. Hailed as the greatest sculptor of all time, see stunning works never before displayed in the UK, including the iconic marble David and bronze Attis-Amorino from Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence, the magnificent San Rossore reliquary bust from Museo Nazionale di San Matteo, Pisa, and the High Altar bronzes from the Basilica of St Anthony in Padua. Location: Sainsbury Gallery, V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL.
“Jesus Died For Us, We Will Die For Dudus!”
When: Wednesday 22 February – Sunday 14 May 2023
Where: The Institute of Contemporary Arts
Price: £5/Concessions available.
Image: R.I.P. Germain, Lekan’s Genie, 2023
#FLODown: The ICA presents R.I.P. Germain's first solo exhibition in the UK, "Jesus Died For Us, We Will Die For Dudus!" This thought-provoking show features a groundbreaking, immersive installation exploring the intricate cultural gatekeeping within Black culture and its misinterpretation by the wider (white) world. This exhibition is part of the ICA's efforts to support emerging artists and celebrates the institution's 75th Anniversary. Location: The Mall, St. James's, London SW1Y 5AH.
Barbara Chase-Riboud: Infinite Folds
When: until 10 April 2022
Where: Serpentine North Gallery
Price: Free
Image: Image: Barbara Chase-Riboud: Infinite Folds, installation views, Serpentine North © Barbara Chase-Riboud 2022. Photo: © Jo Underhill, courtesy Serpentine.
#FLODown: Discover the works of acclaimed artist, novelist, and poet Barbara Chase-Riboud in the first-ever UK solo exhibition, Barbara Chase-Riboud: Infinite Folds. Experience a captivating collection of large-scale sculptures and works on paper dating from the 1960s to present day, including never-before-seen pieces and some of Chase-Riboud's most renowned works. With over seven decades of experience, her art showcases a unique interplay of cast bronze or aluminium folds and wool and silk coils, expertly knotted, braided, looped, and woven. Don't miss this exceptional exhibition at Serpentine North, which has been extended until 10 April 2023. Location: Serpentine North Gallery, West Carriage Drive,London, W2 2AR. Date: until 10 April 2023.
Action, Gesture, Paint: Women Artists and Global Abstraction 1940 – 1970
When: 9 February – 7 May 2023
Where: Galleries 1,8 & 9, Whitechapel Gallery
Price: from £16.50. Concessions available
Image: Fanny Sanín Oil No. 4 1968, Oil on canvas 157 x 150 cm, Courtesy of Elisa Yu Collection. © Fanny Sanín
#FLODown: Whitechapel Gallery presents Action, Gesture, Paint: Women Artists and Global Abstraction 1940-70, an exhibition exploring the works of international women artists working with gestural abstraction in the aftermath of the Second World War. Discover the practices of prominent figures in Abstract Expressionism like Lee Krasner and Helen Frankenthaler alongside lesser-known talents like Bertina Lopesand and Wook-kyung Choi. This exhibition breaks away from the conventional white, male artists typically associated with Abstract Expressionism. Location: Whitechapel Gallery, 77-82 Whitechapel High Street, E1 7QX.
Eugène Leroy: The Materiality of Light, Paintings 1950-1999
When:9 February – 15 April 2023
Where: Michael Werner Gallery
Price: Free
Image: “Ciel”, ca. 1950, © The estate of Eugène Leroy. Courtesy Michael Werner Gallery, New York and London
#FLODown: Discover the masterful artistry of French painter Eugène Leroy in the UK's first comprehensive exhibition of his work, with over 30 paintings displayed throughout the gallery. Ranging from Leroy’s rarely seen seascapes to his iconic impasto, almost sculptural, paintings, this exhibition will offer an extensive overview of the artist’s oeuvre as he explored the effects of seasons, passage of time and movement of light. Often painting from life and from the natural light of his studio windows, Leroy’s work sought primarily to capture the presence of a subject and its interaction with light. Focusing closely on traditional genres of painting, namely landscape, still-life and portraiture, Leroy drew inspiration from a host of artists, including Poussin, Rembrandt, Cézanne, Van der Goes, Giorgione, Rubens, Giotto and Bacon. Location: Michael Werner Gallery, 22 Upper Brook St, London W1K 7PZ, UK.
Rafael Peìrez Evans: Dust Bathers
When: 23 February – 16 April 2023
Where: QUEERCIRCLE, London
Price: Free
Image: Study, ‘Rafael Pérez Evans: Dust Bathers’, QUEERCIRCLE © 2022
#FLODown: Experience the innovative installation 'Dust Bathers' by Rafael Peìrez Evans, best known for his earlier work 'Grounding' which saw 29 tonnes of carrots deposited outside Goldsmith's. In 'Dust Bathers,' Peìrez Evans invites audiences to engage in dust bathing, a natural behaviour of moving in dust to promote healthy skin or mark territory, in an earthy setting. This show marks Queercircle's first interactive and participatory installation, where visitors will load earthy materials onto an industrial conveyor belt leading to a hay blower in the gallery, creating an ephemeral dust cloud. Additionally, 'Dust Bathers' is Rafael's debut of addressing queerness in his work, grounding the installation in queer theory. Location: Building 4, Design District, 3 Barton Yard, Soames Walk, SE10 0BN.
Leah Gordon: Kanaval
When: 12 January -18 February 2023
Where: Ed Cross Gallery
Price: Free
Image: De Lansè Kòd (Two Rope Throwers) (1996), Artist Leah Gordon
#FLODown: Kanaval is an exhibition by London-based multi-talented artist, curator, filmmaker, and writer Leah Gordon. The showcase features a captivating series of black-and-white photographs of carnival participants in diverse costumes, melding spiritual and political satire with masquerade and ritual in Jacmel's annual celebration. Composed over 25 years in Haiti's southern commune of Jacmel, "Kanaval" is a remarkable collection of images and stories. Gordon's award-nominated documentary, "Kanaval: A People's History of Haiti in Six Chapters," will be displayed alongside the photography. The feature-length film, which was broadcast in select cinemas in November and on BBC 4's Arena on 27 November, explores the carnival in Jacmel through photographs and oral histories. The accompanying book, also titled Kanaval, has been republished by Here Press in November 2021. Location: Ed Cross Fine Art, 19 Garrett Street, EC1Y OTY.
Alice Neel: Hot Off The Griddle
When:16 February – 21 May 2023
Where: Barbican Art Gallery
Price: from £18. Concessions available
Image: Alice Neel. Self Portrait, 1980. © The Estate of Alice Neel. Courtesy The Estate of Alice Neel.
#FLODown: Alice Neel: Hot Off The Griddle features a curated selection of works from the artist's 60-year career, drawn from international public and private collections. Neel, based primarily in New York, defied artistic trends by painting figuratively and portraying a diverse range of individuals, including pregnant women, labour leaders, Black and Puerto Rican children, and civil rights activists, with a focus on their humanity and dignity. The exhibition highlights Neel's unique perspective and includes her only full-sized self-portrait, created when she turned 80. Location: Barbican Art Gallery, Barbican Centre,Silk Street, London,EC2Y 8DS.
Spain and the Hispanic World
When: 21 January – 10 April 2023
Where: Royal Academy of Arts
Price: from £22. Concessions available
Image: Section of ,Vision of Spain (sketch) (detail), 1912-1913. Joaquín Sorolla, Gouache on kraft paper. 107 x 191 cm. On loan from The Hispanic Society of America, New York, NY. © MTotoe
#FLODown: The Royal Academy of Arts presents Spain and the Hispanic World, showcasing the unparalleled collection of the Hispanic Society Museum & Library in New York. The exhibition explores the rich history of Spanish culture through over 150 works of art, ranging from paintings and sculptures to textiles, ceramics, and manuscripts, spanning four millennia of diverse cultural and religious influences, from Celtic, Islamic, Christian, and Jewish, to American, African, and Asian. This landmark exhibit is presented chronologically and offers a visual narrative of the evolution of Spanish culture. Location: Main Galleries, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD.
Mike Nelson: Extinction Beckons
When: 22 February - 7 May 2023
Where: Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre
Price: from £15. Concessions available
Image: Mike Nelson, The House of the Farmer, 2021. Installation view, Palazzo dell’Agricoltore, Parma, 2021. Photo: Lucio Rossi. Courtesy the artist and 303 Gallery, New York; Galleria Franco Noero, Turin; Matt’s Gallery, London; and neugerriemschneider, Berlin.
#FLODown: The Hayward Gallery will present Extinction Beckons, a major survey exhibition showcasing the works of internationally acclaimed British artist Mike Nelson. Famed for his psychologically charged and atmospheric installations, the exhibition will take viewers on an enthralling journey into fictional worlds that eerily mirror our own. Showcasing towering sculptural works and new versions of his epic installations, the exhibition will dramatically transform the spaces of the Hayward Gallery, featuring pieces that have not been on display since their original presentations. Location: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX.
Grayson Perry: Posh Cloths
When: 3 February - 25 March 2023
Where: Victoria Miro London
Price: Free
Image: Grayson Perry, Morris, Gainsborough, Turner, Riley, 2021, tapestry, 274 x 360 cm, 107 7/8 x 141 3/4 in, © Grayson Perry, courtesy the artist, Paragon | Contemporary Editions Ltd and Victoria Miro
#FLODown: Victoria Miro Gallery showcases two exhibitions by renowned artist Grayson Perry, featuring his captivating textile works in London and in Venice. In London, the gallery presents a diverse range of Perry's tapestries from the past eight years, including new pieces, exploring his signature themes and subjects. Perry elevates the narratives of contemporary British life through his playful reinterpretation of traditional tapestry art, infusing the grandiose medium with politics, consumerism, history and art history. The London exhibition offers a unique opportunity to witness Perry's mastery in weaving together different elements of society in his art. Location: Victoria Miro, 16 Wharf Road, London N1 7RW.
Beyond the Streets London
When: 17 Feburary – 9 May 2023
Where: Saatchi Gallery
Price: from £15. Concessions available
Image: The Clash: A large stage backdrop created during the Radio Clash tour by graffiti artist FUTURA2000 at the Lyceum Ballroom, London (1981)
#FLODown: The Saatchi Gallery in London will showcase Beyond the Streets, a groundbreaking exhibition supported by adidas Originals, showcasing the impact and influence of street art on cultural norms and trends. Tracing the evolution of graffiti, hip-hop, punk rock, and more, the exhibition will delve into the artists who made an indelible mark on these movements and examine how they challenged authority through mark-making and social activism. With a focus on painting trains, fashion, and music, Beyond the Streets will celebrate the rebellious spirit of graffiti and pay tribute to the monumental moments that shaped the public's perception of underground art. Location: Duke of York's HQ, King's Rd, London SW3 4RY.
Click here to discover more exhibitions to look out for in London in 2023.