Free art to see in London in April 2023
London's artistic offerings are in full bloom this month, and the city is abuzz with a dazzling array of free art exhibitions. We've sifted through the options to bring you a hand-picked selection of ten must-see shows. From the captivating personal narratives of heritage and migration showcased at Rich Mix, to the stunning Ramadan Pavilion at the V&A, to the ground-breaking world's largest mass participation AI art event at the Design Museum, there's something for everyone. So why not immerse yourself in London's rich cultural tapestry and discover the artistic gems that await you?
‘Our Journey’ StoryTent Exhibition
Image: ‘Our Journey’ StoryTent Exhibition, Rich Mix
#FLODown: A group of parents from Tower Hamlets primary schools collaborated with artists Teresa Hare Duke and Jakia Khanom to create an exhibition showcasing their personal stories of heritage and migration. The project involved exploring archival objects related to the diversity of Tower Hamlets and the significance of the textile trade in migration histories. Through various artistic techniques, the group got to know each other and shared their experiences, resulting in the creation of "Our Journeys" StoryTent. The tent represents the collective stories of the group, highlighting the common threads that bind them as members of their community. Visitors are invited to read and be inspired by the stories and encouraged to share their own journey story.
Date: 4 April – 17 April 2023. Location: 35-47 Bethnal Grn Rd, London E1 6LA. Price: Free.
Saw This Made This
Image: Ai-Da, the world’s first ultra-realistic artist robot. Design Museum.
#FLODown: Bombay Sapphire and Baz Luhrmann have collaborated with the Design Museum to present Saw This Made This, the world's largest mass participation AI art event. The event will run for four days, during which the renowned AI robot artist Ai-Da will be creating artwork based on submissions shared via the hashtag #SawThisMadeThis. The installation, curated by Creative Director Baz Luhrmann and Design Museum CEO and Director Tim Marlow, will showcase Ai-Da's work in real-time, interpreting creative submissions in a diverse range of media, including photography, sculpture, and print-making. Visitors will have the opportunity to witness the robot artist in action, celebrating human creativity and collaboration powered by AI. Ai-Da will create four new works of art, exploring how Artificial Intelligence can enrich and enable human creativity at scale. Finally, Ai-Da's final artwork will be available as a free limited edition digital print downloadable via BombaySapphire.com.
Date: 21-24 April 2023. Location: 224-238 Kensington High St, London W8 6AG. Price: Free.
Ramadan Pavilion 2023
Image: The Ramadan Pavilion at the Victoria & Albert Museum by the Ramadan Tent Project. © MTotoe
#FLODown: The Ramadan Tent Project and the V&A are collaborating to present the inaugural Ramadan Pavilion 2023, designed by Shahed Saleem. This purpose-built architectural structure is inspired by the history of mosques and Muslims in Britain, drawing inspiration from the V&A's Prints and Drawings collection. The Pavilion will host a series of public events and two Open Iftars as part of the annual Ramadan Festival curated by Ramadan Tent Project. The aim of the Ramadan Pavilion is to celebrate the experiences of Muslims across the UK and the globe during the holy month of Ramadan and to promote the core values and traditions of Ramadan through architectural expression and a public arts program.
Date: until 1 May 2023. Location: Exhibition Road Courtyard, V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL. Price: Free.
Nalini Malani: My Reality is Different
Image: Image: Nalini Malani, My Reality is Different, 2022
#FLODown: Enter a mesmerising world of artistry and imagination with Nalini Malani's latest exhibition, My Reality is Different. The exhibition space is engulfed in deep black, serving as a striking backdrop to the monumental artwork that spans over 40 meters of wall. The centrepiece of the exhibition is a collection of 25 new animations, expertly crafted to create a captivating panorama of nine large video projections that play in a continuous loop. Drawing from a unique selection of famous paintings at the National Gallery and the Holburne Museum in Bath, Malani's animations are nothing short of stunning. The exhibition's title, Nalini Malani: My Reality is Different, is inspired by a phrase often associated with Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, where the Cheshire Cat famously states, 'I'm not crazy, my reality is different from yours.’
Location: Sunley Room,The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London,WC2N 5DN. Date: 2 March – 11 June 2023. Price: Free.
Lynda Benglis
Image: © Lynda Benglis. Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Courtesy the artist, Pace Gallery and Thomas Dane Gallery. Photo: Ben Westoby.
#FLODown: The exhibition at Thomas Dane Gallery showcases the works of Lynda Benglis, an artist with a career that has spanned over 50 years. Benglis uses materials in unconventional ways to express fragility through solid materials and solidity through fragile materials. The exhibition includes new bronze sculptures that reflect distortions of the surrounding space and wall sculptures made of polyurethane that appear to float. Benglis' works are a consequence of her surroundings and evoke memories and emotions from her experiences. Her art explores sensory experiences and pushes the boundaries of painting and sculpture.
Date: until 29 April 2023. Location: Thomas Dane Gallery , 3 Duke Street, St James’s, London SW1 6BN. Price: Free.
Sean Scully: Landline
Image: Sean Scully. Courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Photo by Joseph Hu, 2022
#FLODown: Artist Sean Scully's latest work, Landline, will be revealed on April 18, 2023, to mark the reopening of Hanover Square in London. This is the artist's first permanent sculpture in London and features layers of coloured marble that reflect the history and experiences of the diverse people of Hanover Square and London's West End. The layers of marble were chosen to represent the colours of Hanover Square's landscape, including the surrounding buildings and trees. Scully's work has been influential in contemporary abstraction over his 50-year career. The redevelopment of Hanover Square has been a collaborative effort between Westminster City Council, New West End Company, and other neighbouring landowners and developers.
Date: from April 18 2023 Location: Hanover Square, Mayfair, W1S. Price: Free.
Rites of Passage
Image: Àsìkò Pillars at the Port (2022)
#FLODown: Rites of Passage presents a compelling collection of works from eighteen contemporary artists who share a history of migration. Curated by the talented Péjú Oshin, this exhibition invites visitors to explore the concept of ‘liminal space’ through a diverse array of works that defy linear narratives, delve into the physical, mental, and spiritual realms, and transcend cultural boundaries. The exhibition promises to offer a thought-provoking experience that examines the rituals associated with transitional events, providing a unique perspective on this fascinating phenomenon.
Location: Gagosian Gallery, 6-24 Britannia St, London WC1X 9JD. Date: 16 March– 29 April 2023. Price: Free.
Serge Attukwei Clottey: Crossroads
Image: Symbol of survey, 2022 by Serge Attukwei Clottey, Simon Lee Gallery, March 2023, © MTotoe
#FLODown: The Simon Lee Gallery is showcasing a solo exhibition of Serge Attukwei Clottey's new and recent works called Crossroads. Clottey, a Ghanaian artist, explores the connection between his Ghanaian identity and Western culture, using found materials from the streets of Accra, Ghana. The exhibition features plastic works made of discarded Kufuor gallons that pay homage to the region's rich history of sculpture, as well as oil paintings rendered on duct tape and corkboard, which extends upon the legacy of West African portrait photographers. The works in the exhibition were created between Accra and Los Angeles and explore Ghana's complex history with international exchange and migration while contemplating notions of subjectivity, identity, and home.
Date: until 15 April 2023. Location: 12 Berkeley Street,London W1J 8DT. Price: Free.
Jitish Kallat : Whorled (Here After Here After Here)
Image: Whorled (Here After Here After Here), artist: Jitish Kallat, Somerset House courtyard, February 2023, © MTotoe
#FLODown: Whorled (Here After Here After Here) represents the latest courtyard commission by Somerset House, featuring the talented Mumbai-based artist Jitish Kallat in his debut major public commission within the UK. The installation features two intersecting spirals that span an impressive 336 metres, adorned with symbols that closely mirror the visual identity of the UK's road signage. These symbols serve as markers, highlighting the distance from Somerset House to various locations across the planet and beyond - from celestial bodies such as the Moon and Mars to distant stars nestled within the Milky Way.
Date: until 23 April 2023. Location: Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA Price: Free.
Constellations by Rewind Collective
Image: Imprint Series - Kali #1, Constellations by Rewind Collective
Constellation Series is a collaboration between W1 Curates and Rewind Collective, aimed at celebrating Women's Month. The exhibition features original photographs of real and mythical women throughout history, including Frida Kahlo and Joan of Arc, which have been digitised into empowering constellations imagining leading women throughout the universe. Rewind Collective, a digital arts collective, created this series to address gender and minority imbalances in the art world. The exhibition seeks to shine a light on those who have been overlooked and challenge the patriarchy, misogyny, and segregation in the art world.
Date: Shown daily until 7 April 2023. Location: W1 Immersive (Flannels Basement), 161-167 Oxford Street, London, W1D 2JP. Price: Free.
