Art exhibitions opening in London in May 2024
In May, London comes alive with longer days, sunshine, and a host of exciting art exhibitions. From Marc Quinn's exhibition at Kew Gardens to Elton John's photography collection on show at the V&A, and a retrospective on Michelangelo's later years at the British Museum. Plus, the return of Photo London at Somerset House. Here is our selection of must-see art exhibitions opening in London this May.
Marc Quinn: Light into Life
Held by Desire Cloud Garden 2023. © Marc Quinn Studio. Photo Hayden Phipps.
#FLODown: Marc Quinn brings Light into Life to Kew Gardens, featuring outdoor sculptures and works in the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art. Through collaboration with Kew's experts, Quinn explores the human-plant relationship, debuting new pieces including monumental sculptures inspired by medicinal plants and a bronze bonsai challenging human control over nature. Inside, visitors will find reinterpretations of Kew's herbarium collection and existing artworks reflecting on nature's role in humanity. Light into Life offers a profound reflection on our connection to the natural world, merging art, science, and environment.
Date: 4 May – 29 September 2024. Location: Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art, Kew Gardens. Price: Entry to the festival is free with a ticket to Kew Gardens. From adult £20, child: £4.50. Book now.
Nan Goldin's Sisters, Saints, Sibyls
Nan Goldin in her Brooklyn, New York apartment, 2023. Photo: Jason Schmidt. Courtesy the artist and Gagosian.
#FLODown: From 30 May 2024, Sisters, Saints, Sibyls (2004–22) will be exhibited as a three-channel projection, resembling a classical religious triptych. The artwork delves into the myth of Saint Barbara, the life of Goldin's elder sister Barbara, who was institutionalised at twelve, and Goldin’s own struggles with addiction and self-harm. This marks the second instalment of Gagosian Open, an off-site project series showcasing extraordinary artworks in unique settings.
Date: 30 May - 23 June 2024. Location: Welsh Chapel, 83 Charing Cross Road, London. Price: Free.
Beyond Fashion
Miles Aldridge, Lookable Legs #1, 2002 © Miles Aldridge : Vogue Italia.
#FLODown: Beyond Fashion at Saatchi Gallery explores the evolution of fashion photography into an art form, featuring over 100 images from 48 photographers. Divided into four sections, it celebrates creativity and beauty while highlighting the intersection of fashion with reality. The exhibition includes Under Your Smell, an installation by students from ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne. They visually interpret Jean Paul Gaultier’s perfumes through staged images, using the scents to tell stories of transgression and fantasy.
Date: 31 May – 8 September 2024. Location: Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York's HQ, King's Rd, Chelsea, London SW3 4RY. Price: from £12. Concessions available. Book now.
Rheim Alkadhi: Templates for Liberation
Rheim Alkadhi. Harvest of Flames. 2019. Courtesy of the artist.
#FLODown: The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) will host the UK's inaugural exhibition of artist Rheim Alkadhi's work. Alkadhi's exhibition,Templates for Liberation explores the enduring impacts of war and colonialism, particularly in contemporary Iraq and the wider region. Through a combination of sculptures, historical records, and narratives of liberation, the exhibition offers a series of counterpoints to the prevailing narratives.
Date: 11 June - 8 September 2024. Location: Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA),The Mall, St. James's, London SW1Y 5AH. Website: ica.art.
REVERB by The Vinyl Factory
Virgil Abloh, 12-inch voices. REVERB by The Vinyl Factory opens at 180 Studios in May 2024.
#FLODown: REVERB, an exhibition presented by The Vinyl Factory at 180 Studios, offers an immersive experience showcasing over 100 artists and musicians. The exhibit will feature a dynamic blend of installations, live performances, and thought-provoking discussions, focusing on the intersection of art and sound. Notable contributors include Theaster Gates, Es Devlin, and Julianknxx, alongside premieres by Kahlil Joseph and the late Virgil Abloh.
Date: 23 May – 28 September 2024. Location: 180 Studios, 180 The Strand, London, WC2R 1EA.Website: 180studios.com
Rory Pilgrim: pink & green
Rory Pilgrim, To Be Written In, (2023). Courtesy of the artist.
#FLODown: Rory Pilgrim, a multidisciplinary artist, reshapes our approach to social change through music, film, text, drawing, and performance. Drawing from activist, feminist, and social influences, Pilgrim collaborates with others to amplify personal experiences and challenge societal norms. By reimagining the emotional and ecological consequences of law, Pilgrim's work engages communities, particularly on The Isle of Portland, navigating its unique landscape dominated by prisons and a dwindling natural environment. Through mediums like screenplay, live performance, and music, Pilgrim's commission is a collaborative exploration of these pressing issues.
Date: 17 May - 21 July 2024. Location: Chisenhale Gallery, 64 Chisenhale Rd, Old Ford, London E3 5RG. Price: Free.
Photo London
Valérie Belin, Still Life with mirror, 2014. Copyright: Valérie Belin. Courtesy of Galerie Nathalie Obadia Paris:Brussels.
#FLODown: Photo London's ninth edition highlights French photographer Valérie Belin as the Master of Photography for 2024, presenting her solo exhibition, Silent Stories. This year's public programme features exhibitions curated by Robert Hershkowitz and the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation. Additionally, visitors can explore curated spaces by Belmond, sections curated by Kamiar Maleki and Charlotte Jansen, and awards dedicated to emerging photographers and students.
Date: 16 – 19 May 2024. Location: Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA. Price: from £35. Book now.
Simply Fragile, 2022 by Tyler Mitchell © Tyler Mitchell. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.
#FLODown: The V&A presents an exhibition featuring over 300 rare prints from Sir Elton John and David Furnish's private collection. Showcasing modern and contemporary photography by 140+ photographers like Mapplethorpe, Sherman, Eggleston, and Arbus, it spans from the 1950s to the present. Themes include fashion, reportage, celebrity, the male body, and American photography. Commemorating 30 years of collecting, it highlights portraits of icons and pivotal historical moments, including the Civil Rights movement, AIDS activism, and 9/11.
Date: 18 May 2024 – 5 January 2025. Location: V&A Museum, Cromwell Rd, London SW7 2RL. Price: £20. Book now.
Design Discoveries: Towards a DESIGN MUSEUM JAPAN
Tsujikawa Kōichirō Himeji Hyōgo Prefecture Spinning.
#FLODown: The upcoming exhibition at Japan House London will showcase a fascinating array of Japanese design treasures, as envisioned by seven prominent creators from various disciplines. Spanning 10,000 years and representing diverse regions of Japan, these treasures include the Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival, a transacoustic piano, haburagin garment, sportswear inspired by paper lanterns, Yanagi Sōri Cutlery, Jōmon Period earthenware, and wooden spinning tops. Each creator provides insight into their chosen treasure's significance and its connection to Japanese culture and design.
Date: 15 May – 8 September 2024. Location: Japan House London,101-111 Kensington High St, London W8 5SA. Price: Free.
Michelangelo: the last decades
Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564), Study for The Last Judgement. Chalk on paper, 1540.
#FLODown: The exhibition offers a deep dive into the last three decades of Michelangelo's life, beginning with his relocation to Rome in 1534. Despite his age being perceived as advanced by his peers, this period was characterised by remarkable artistic accomplishments and meaningful personal bonds. On display are preparatory drawings for iconic pieces such as The Last Judgment, providing glimpses into Michelangelo's religious convictions, interpersonal relationships, and contemplations on aging through his intimate letters, poems, and sketches.
Date: 2 May 2024 – 28 July 2024. Date: The British Museum, The Joseph Hotung Great Court Gallery, Great Russell St, London WC1B 3DG. Price: £18. Book now.
LACED WITH DUST
Installation View, ‘LACED WITH DUST’, STUDIO WEST, 2 - 30 May 2024. Image Courtesy of STUDIO WEST.
#FLODown: STUDIO WEST presents LACED WITH DUST, featuring works by Anna Blom, Naomi Boiko, Elizabeth Dimitroff, Nada Elkalaawy, and Changpeng Li. Inspired by Sheila Heti's 'Alphabetical Diaries', the exhibition reimagines memory through disjointed yet synchronistic images. The artists explore the performative quality of diary entries, the archival anxiety of our digital age, and the surreal nature of loss. Inviting viewers to construct their own narratives from fragments of experience, the exhibition captures the slipperiness of memory without the need for exposition or absolute truths.
Date: 2 - 30 May 2024. Location: STUDIO WEST, Unit 1, 216 Kensington Park Road, London, W11 1NR. Price: Free.
London Craft Week 2024
The London Craft Week returns for its 10th year in May. Photo by Dominik Scythe.
#FLODown: London Craft Week celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2024 with a vibrant array of events across London, featuring over 750 established and emerging artists, designers, and brands from around the globe. The festival highlights various creative fields, including craft, art, design, fashion, and accessories. Notable events include the Secret Ceramics exhibition, Create Lates workshops at the Science Museum, and engaging talks by experts such as Dr. Susy Paisley, Positive Luxury, and The Woolmark Company.
Click here for the full programme of events. Date: 13 - 19 May 2024.
Angel ‘LA II’ Ortiz: The Great Collaborator
D’Stassi Art is set to present The Great Collaborator, paying homage to Angel 'LA II' Ortiz.
#FLODown: D’Stassi Art is preparing for an exciting exhibition at their flagship gallery in Shoreditch this May. Titled The Great Collaborator, the showcase pays homage to the legendary Angel 'LA II' Ortiz and his profound impact on urban art. Joining Angel are celebrated street art icons including STIK, Shepard Fairey, Mr. Doodle, and Mark Kostabi, who will collaborate with him. The exhibition will also feature rare collaborative artworks between Angel and the late Richard Hambleton, offering a unique insight into their artistic synergy before Hambleton's passing in 2017. With over 30 artworks spanning originals, prints, and works on paper, The Great Collaborator will honour Angel's artistic journey while inviting visitors to to explore the inspiration behind his iconic style and witness his ongoing influence on the next generation of artists.
Date: 10 - 24 May 2024. Location: D’STASSI ART, 12 - 18 Hoxton Street, London, N1 6NG. Price: Free. Website: dstassiart.com.
Oliver Enwonwu: A Continued Legacy
Children of Biafra III, 2024, oil on canvas 91.5 x 61.5 cm. Oliver Enwonwu.
#FLODown: OM234 presents Oliver Enwonwu: A Continued Legacy at Mall Galleries, showcasing works by Oliver and his late father, Prof. Ben Enwonwu. The exhibition, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of Ben's passing, explores their shared representation of femininity and indigenous aesthetics. Oliver's new paintings delve into themes of nationhood and female empowerment, challenging traditional art depictions. Archival material shows the evolution of both artists, including Ben's renowned works like Adetutu Ademiluyi and HM Queen Elizabeth II sculpture. The exhibition highlights the fusion of tradition and modernity, celebrating indigenous African identities in the contemporary world.
Date: 21 May - 1 June 2024. Location: Mall Galleries, The Mall, St. James's, London SW1Y 5AS. Price: Free.
Click here to discover art exhibitions to watch out for in London in summer 2024.
Artists Anna Pianim and Adriana Wynne unveil their first collection, blending fine art and functional design with handcrafted sculptural light fixtures, in a dynamic, immersive event celebrating creativity and craftsmanship.