Barbican announces first major survey of pioneering Indian art
The Barbican Gallery is set to unveil a groundbreaking exploration of Indian art with The Imaginary Institution of India: Art 1975-1998. Representing the first major survey of its kind, this exhibition delves into a pivotal era of cultural and political evolution within India. Opening in October 2024, visitors will have the opportunity to witness over 25 artists' profound reflections on the country's transformations. Curated in collaboration with the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi, the showcase will feature nearly 150 works spanning various mediums, many of which will make their debut in the UK.

Gieve Patel, Off Lamington Road, 1982-86. Collection: Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi © Gieve Patel. Courtesy Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke and Kiran Nadar Museum of Art.
Between the declaration of the State of Emergency by Indira Gandhi in 1975 and the Pokhran Nuclear Tests in 1998, artists navigated a complex socio-political landscape, blending social commentary with personal innovation. Themes of gender, communal politics, urbanisation, and evolving class structures found expression through diverse artistic practices, including painting, sculpture, photography, installation, and film. Through the lens of renowned artists like Bhupen Khakhar, Nalini Malani, and Arpita Singh, a unique insight into India's late 20th-century art scene will be presented.

The Barbican will host an exhibition dedicated to the evolution of Indian art. Alongside this, they will also host a curated film programme. Photo by Lawrence Chismorie.
Complementing the exhibition, Barbican Cinemas will host a curated film programme that echoes the thematic essence of the artwork. This collaboration underscores the Barbican's commitment to interdisciplinary programming, offering a holistic experience that transcends traditional gallery displays. The Imaginary Institution of India: Art 1975-1998 will offer an intriguing transformative journey through India's artistic heritage, inviting audiences to explore its rich tapestry of history, politics, and culture.
Click here to discover more art exhibitions to see in London in 2024.
Date: 5 October 2024 – 5 January 2025. Location: Barbican Art Gallery. Website: barbican.org.uk.
Robyn Orlin had her first encounter with the rickshaw drivers of Durban at the young age of five or six, an experience that left such a deep impression on her that she later sought to learn more about their fate. Rickshaws were first introduced to Durban in 1892…
TOZI, derived from the affectionate Venetian slang for “a close-knit group of friends,” is the brainchild of an Italian trio that met while opening Shoreditch House under the Soho House Group. In 2013, Chef Maurilio Molteni, fresh from his time as Head Chef at Shoreditch House and developing the menu at Cecconi’s, opened the first TOZI restaurant in London…
Multitudes at Southbank Centre will reimagine live music through bold collaborations across dance, theatre, and visual arts…
Multitudes Festival · Ed Atkins, Tate Britain · Brick Lane Jazz Festival · Teatro La Plaza’s Hamlet · Holly Blakey: A Wound with Teeth & Phantom · Roof East · Hampton Court Palace Tulip Festival 2025 · London Marathon 2025 · ROOH – Within Her · Sultan Stevenson Presents El Roi · Carmen at The Royal Opera House · The Big Egg Hunt 2025 · Architecture on Stage: New Architects · The Friends of Holland Park Annual Art Exhibition 2025
Autumn 2025 will bring two exciting exhibitions to the Barbican: ‘Dirty Looks’, a bold fashion exhibition exploring imperfection and decay, and an innovative art installation by Lucy Raven in The Curve…
Robyn Orlin: We wear our wheels with pride · Architecture on Stage: Lütjens Padmanabhan · Jay Bernard: Joint · Black is the Color of My Voice · Joe Webb Trio · Rhodri Davies at Cafe OTO · Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award 2025 · Lyon Opera Ballet: Cunningham Forever · AVA London · Sister Midnight · Astonishing Things: The Drawings of Victor Hugo · Eunjo Lee · Arpita Singh: Remembering · Fiona Banner aka The Vanity Press: Disarm · Bunhead Bakery · Time & Talents
Looking for something truly special this Mother’s Day? There are a variety of unique gifts and experiences to take advantage of in London, whether your mother loves exploring world-class art galleries and museum exhibitions, wandering through historic homes filled with fascinating stories and remarkable collections, indulging in a luxurious spa treatment, or enjoying an unforgettable dining experience..
After 18 successful years at Edinburgh Fringe, The Big Bite Size Show arrives in London for the first time at The Pleasance Theatre, no less. A gem of a place for fringe theatre in London…
180 Studios will present the largest showcase of photographer and filmmaker Gabriel Moses’ work to date, featuring over 70 photographs and 10 films in March…
Cartier Exhibition at the V&A · Giuseppe Penone: Thoughts in the Roots · Antony Gormley: WITNESS · Richard Wright at Camden Art Centre · The Carracci Cartoons: Myths in the Making · Eileen Perrier: A Thousand Small Stories · Ed Atkins at Tate Britain · Richard Hunt: Linear Peregrination · Nolan Oswald Dennis at Gasworks · Nora Turato: pool7 · In House: Ree Bradley and Pete Gomes at Studio Voltaire…
The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art at Kew Gardens will showcase new botanical works, cinematic installations, and the connections between artists and trees…
Orchid Festival · Alice Sara Ott: John Field & Beethoven · Our Mighty Groove at Sadler’s Wells East · Seth Troxler at Fabric · North London Laughs – A Charity Comedy Night · London Symphony Orchestra: Half Six Fix – Walton · In Focus: Amir Naderi · Artist Talk: Citra Sasmita - Into Eternal Land · Noah Davis at Barbican · Theaster Gates: 1965: Malcolm in Winter: A Translation Exercise · Ai Weiwei: A New Chapter · Galli: So, So, So · Somaya Critchlow: The Chamber
An important exhibition has opened at the National Gallery co-organised with the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Mayor of Siena, Nicoletta Fabio was in attendance on opening day to mark the exhibitions significance. Normally a major exhibition would take two to three years to come to fruition, in this instance, it has been in the making for eight year…
Máret Ánne Sara to create 2025 Hyundai Commission as Tate and Hyundai extend partnership to 2036.
Claudia Pagès Rabal: Five Defence Towers · Tirzah Garwood: Beyond Ravilious · Heather Agyepong: Through Motion · Christina Kimeze · Citra Sasmita: Into Eternal Land · Mire Lee: Open Wound · Linder: Danger Came Smiling · Galli: So, So, So · Mickalene Thomas: All About Love …
Marylebone Village to host a week of events championing female founders and entrepreneurs, including a panel discussion and fundraising for the Marylebone Project…
Battersea Power Station will host Good Fit, a month-long event featuring workouts, mindfulness sessions, expert talks, and wellness experiences…
Trisha Brown Dance Company & Noé Soulier – Working Title & In the Fall · (LA)HORDE / Ballet National de Marseille – Age of Content · Lyon Opera Ballet – Merce Cunningham Forever (BIPED and Beach Birds) · Neither Drums Nor Trumpets – Pam Tanowitz · Robyn Orlin – We Wear Our Wheels with Pride
Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style · Astonishing Things: The Drawings of Victor Hugo · Arpita Singh: Remembering · 2025 Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize · The Craft of Carpentry: Drawing Life from Japan’s Forests · Grayson Perry: Delusions of Grandeur · Edvard Munch: Portraits · Ficre Ghebreyesus · Textiles: The Art of Mankind · Eunjo Lee…
Highsnobiety: Not In London · LFW Pop-Up Shop · 1664 Blanc Activation · Alo Wellness Activations · Dylon Detergent Pop-Up: Rethink New Laundrette · Morocco - Kingdom of Light at LFW · Pandora x Priya Ahluwalia Collection · Rixo Exclusive Event · Grow Hackney · Meanwhile…In Shoreditch · DREST · LFW Solana X HAPE Social X Never Fade Factory · London College of Fashion, UAL · Margaret Howell · Nosakhari: Able-Graphy Exhibition · Nosakhari · NET-A-PORTER…
Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels Festival · Arpita Singh: Remembering · Romeo and Juliet · Silent Disco at the Painted Hall · Winter Sculpture Park · Czech Philharmonic/Semyon Bychkov: Shostakovich 5 with Sheku Kanneh-Mason · Robyn Orlin: We Wear Our Wheels with Pride · Jasmin Vardimon NOW…
We are offering you the chance to win five pairs of tickets to the 21st edition of Collect Art Fair, the leading international art fair for contemporary craft and design.
Mickalene Thomas brings with her dazzling, vibrant, rhinestone-adorned portraits of Black women, collages, photographs, installations and sets in which she photographed her muses to London. Her selection of female subjects comes from family members, her circle of friends and ex-partners ensuring we see through the gaze of her sitters the love between them…
Kahani, located in the heart of Sloane Square, offers a contemporary twist on traditional Indian cuisine. The restaurant combines elegant decor with a relaxed yet refined atmosphere…
SOIL is an exhibition with earnest intentions but also a forward-thinking approach. Soil underpins all life on Earth, and while scientists have studied it for centuries, our understanding is still in its infancy…
Outspoken Southbank · Much Ado About · Late at Tate: 80s Valentine’s Special · Sketches of Spain · blackbird hour · Linder: Danger Came Smiling · Goya to Impressionism· The Face Magazine: Culture Shift · Donald Rodney: Visceral Canker · Mickalene Thomas: All About Love · Derrick Adams: Situation Comedy · Flowers – Flora in Contemporary · Hardeep Pandhal: Inner World · Southwark Music: Orchestral Playing Day · Randall & Aubin · Vauxhall City Farm
The Cinnamon Club had completely flown under the radar for me. It is in a pocket of London I rarely visit, and even if I did, the building’s exterior gives little indication of what’s inside. But now that I’ve discovered it, I already have plans to return with my husband - and in my mind, a list of friends I would recommend it to…