Art exhibitions to see in London in July 2023

This July, London welcomes a range of captivating exhibitions. Highlights include a dedicated showcase of Japanese Graphic Arts, an exhibition spotlighting Herzog & de Meuron at the Royal Academy, and the reopening of the transformed Young Victoria & Albert Museum. Discover the must-see art exhibitions in London this month. With an abundance of art to explore, our guide presents the must-see art exhibitions awaiting you in London this July.

  

WAVE: Currents in Japanese Graphic Arts

Image: Life is GoodJapanese Titl/不小心摔了一跤. Artist Jenny Kaori

#FLODown: Discover the vibrant diversity of Japanese graphic arts at WAVE: Currents in Japanese Graphic Arts. This bold exhibition features works by 60 Japanese artists, showcasing a fusion of fine art, commercial illustration, and counterculture. From pop art to surrealism and the concept of heta-uma, challenge your perception of beauty and skill. Curated by Hiro Sugiyama and Takahashi Kintarō, WAVE offers a rare opportunity to explore the dynamic world of Japanese illustration and graphic arts outside Japan.

Date: 6 July 2023 – 22 October 2023. Location: 101-111 Kensington High St, London W8 5SA. Price: Free. Book now.
 

Lagos, Peckham, Repeat:
Pilgrimage to the Lakes


Image: Adeyemi Michael, Entitled, 2018. Lagos, Peckham, Repeat:
Pilgrimage to the Lakes
. South London Gallery

#FLODown: This major group exhibition explores the connections between Lagos and Peckham, showcasing the works of over ten Nigerian and British Nigerian artists. Through sculpture, installation, photography, and film, the exhibition delves into themes of transnational exchange, sense of place, and the contemporary metropolis. Highlights include a large-scale installation evoking the Lagos marketplace and a Lagos-inspired beer brewed specifically for the exhibition. Don't miss this opportunity to witness the artistic reflections of Nigerian diaspora communities and the journeys that shape their creative practices.

Date: 
5 July – 29 October 2023
. Location: South London Gallery, Main Building 65–67 Peckham Road, London, SE5 8UH. Price: Free. Book now.

Young V&A

Image: Young V&A. June 2023. © MTotoe

#FLODown: Young V&A, the UK's new national museum designed for and by young people, is set to open on July 1 2023. Formerly known as the V&A Museum of Childhood, it has undergone a three-year transformation. The museum aims to inspire the next generation through playful learning, creative agency, and imagination. It features three galleries: Play, Imagine, and Design, curated to help children develop skills and creative confidence. They offer interactive and hands-on activities for children of all ages, including sensory landscapes, storytelling spaces, a design studio, contemporary displays, and a games design area. The museum is suitable for children and teenagers aged up to 14 years old.

Location: Cambridge Heath Rd, Bethnal Green, London E2 9PA. Website: vam.ac.uk/young

Herzog & de Meuron

Image: Herzog & de Meuron. Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, 2001-16. Photo © Iwan Baan.

#FLODown: Showcasing the renowned Swiss architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron (H&dM), this exhibition will provide visitors with a unique opportunity to explore H&dM's methodology, philosophy, and groundbreaking projects. Co-curated by the architects themselves, the exhibition offers unparalleled insight into the innovative approach that H&dM brings to the field of architecture. Showcasing a diverse range of projects, including museums, hospitals, stadiums, and public buildings, such as London's Tate Modern and the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, the exhibition highlights the contextualised beauty and creative vision behind H&dM's masterpieces. Divided into three rooms, the exhibition features objects from H&dM's Kabinett, photographic works by Thomas Ruff, films depicting life at the REHAB Clinic, and a special focus on healing architecture with an interactive mock-up of a hospital patient room. With its global reputation and iconic projects, H&dM continues to shape the architectural landscape with their innovative designs.

Date:14 July – 15 October 2023. Location: Herzog & de Meuron, The Gabrielle Jungels-Winkler Galleries, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD. Price: from £13. Concessions available. Book now.

Black Venus

Image: Delphine Diallo, Highness – Hybrid 1, 2011. Featuring: Joanne Petit-Frère, Nefertiti’s Return Crown, 2010-2011 & Nefertiti’s Return Face Shield, 2010-2011.  © Courtesy of MTArt, Delphine Diallo, Joanne Petit-Frère & JoGoesWest.

#FLODown: Featuring the works of over 20 Black women and non-binary artists, curated by Aindrea Emelife, Black Venus explores the representation and evolving legacy of Black women in visual culture. It examines historical depictions of Black women, addressing the issues of fetishisation, othering, and the reclamation of narratives surrounding Black femininity. The exhibition presents a contrast between colonial-era exploitation and contemporary artworks that delve into the complex narratives of Black femininity. By inviting viewers to confront the enduring oppression and exploitation faced by Black women, while showcasing the transformative power in the hands of today's Black artists, the exhibition sheds light on themes such as the Hottentot Venus, challenging racial prejudice, and the path to freedom and equity forged by Black women. Notable participating artists include Sonia Boyce, Widline Cadet, Shawanda Corbett, Renée Cox, Delphine Diallo, Ellen Gallagher, Ayana V Jackson, Zanele Muholi, Lorna Simpson, and Carrie Mae Weems.

Date: 20 July – 24 September 2023. Location: Terrace Rooms & Courtyard Rooms, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA. Price: In order to make the exhibition as accessible as possible. It is ‘Pay What You Can.’ SS are asking visitors who are able to do so to consider making a donation to support the work of Somerset House. Book now.

Kate Montgomery: Pattern Book

Image: Kate Montgomery, Drawing in the Abandoned Palace, 2023.

#FLODown: Pattern Book is a collection of paintings by Kate Montgomery, influenced by her fascination with textiles and Islamic patterns. The exhibition, opening at Long & Ryle, showcases Montgomery's skillful intertwining of geometric principles and Victorian designs. Her small canvases painted with precision in casein on board become vessels brimming with narratives and nostalgia. Montgomery's work invites viewers to explore private moments and the quiet of domestic life, evoking emotions through vibrant colours and intricate compositions.

Date: until 11 August 2023. Location: Long and Lyle, 4 John Islip Street, London SW1P 4PX. Price: Free. Website:longandryle.com

Thomas J Price at the V&A Museum

Image: Lay It Down (On The Edge Of Beauty), by Thomas J Price, 2018 . Photo: Ken Adlard. © Thomas J Price. Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

#FLODown: The Victoria & Albert Museum is teaming up with artist Thomas J Price for a new sculpture display. The exhibition will feature eight of Price's thought-provoking sculptures placed throughout the museum, including in the Dorothy and Michael Hintze Sculpture Galleries and the Europe 1600 - 1800 Galleries. Price's works challenge preconceived notions of status and appearance, emphasising the shared humanity among individuals. His sculptures, depicting everyday people, address issues of visibility and identity, particularly for Black individuals in visual culture. The exhibition highlights include Lay It Down (On The Edge Of Beauty), a polished bronze head, and Signals, a sculpture of a young man holding his phone up to the sky.

Date: 22 July 2023 – 27 May 2024. Location: Cromwell Rd, London SW7 2RL.Price: Free. Website: vam.ac.uk

 Last chance to see

Ai Weiwei: Making Sense

Image: Ai Weiwei, 2022 ©Rick Pushinsky for the Design Museum

#FLODown: Last chance to see Ai Weiwei's first exhibition focusing on design at the Design Museum. Featuring a mix of recent works and commissioned pieces, the exhibit invites visitors to contemplate value and humanity, art and activism. Through his engagement with material culture, Ai explores the tension between the past and present, the hand and the machine, the precious and the worthless, as well as construction and destruction. The exhibition draws on his fascination with historical Chinese artefacts, placing their traditional craftsmanship in dialogue with the more recent history of demolition and urban development in China.

Date: until 30 July 2023.  Location: 224-238 Kensington High Street, Kensington, W8 6AG. Price: from £15. Concessions available. Book now.