The Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition 2024 review

The Summer Exhibition commences in the Annenberg Courtyard with Nicola Turner's striking sculpture. Created in dialogue with the existing statue of Sir Joshua Reynolds, Turner's work sets an impressive tone for the exhibition and is freely accessible to all. The theme for the 256th Summer Exhibition, "Making Space," is expansive and has sparked some unique interpretations. British sculptor Ann Christopher, in collaboration with the Summer Exhibition committee, has overseen this year's presentation.

Royal Academy of Arts 256th Summer Exhibition 2024. From 18 June - 18 August 2024. Photo by MTotoe.

The meander through the galleries does not begin in the usual Wohl Central Hall (though visible on arrival), but is an immediate left turn into the first gallery. This seems like a logical decision in terms of flow; however, it is less impactful than in previous years. The first gallery has been curated by Hugh O’Donoghue. While there are impressive works of art in this room, the exhibition starts off with a whimper rather than a bang. The most impressive pieces include his own Channel (oil, mixed media on tarpaulin) and Sea and Stars at Night, The Edge of the Universe by Bill Jacklin RA. The walls are white, and the room feels small in comparison to the others.

Royal Academy of Arts 256th Summer Exhibition 2024. From 18 June - 18 August 2024. Photo by MTotoe.

At first glance it seems the entire exhibition will be set against white walls, which would be a departure especially if you visited in 2018, the year Grayson Perry RA curated the exhibition with vibrant colours in every room. The thought is dispelled as soon as one enters the Large Weston Room, curated by Cornelia Parker RA who 10 years ago curated a black-and-white room, this year in stark contrast she has used a vibrant blue, providing a striking backdrop for bold and colourful print works. Works by Sir Michael Craig-Martin RA is an obvious choice and four of his works hang in this room. His latest work Flowers: Iris transforms the natural form with bright bold colours and simple uninflected lines. The Weston Room is traditionally where one would find all the architecture related pieces. With the way that exhibition flowed in the past it was easy to bypass if uninterested in architecture.

In response to the theme of making space Parker has created additional hanging surfaces of repurposed, brightly painted wooden A frames thereby increasing space available and bringing the artwork down to eye level. Each panel is a mini curation of smaller prints and for animal lovers there is a very affordable selection or smaller prints of cats, dogs and birds. There are a few dubious choices in this room (but art is of course personal). For fans of Saltburn, see if you can spot Barry Keoghan, he can be yours for £600 or Rod Stewart (aged 18) (£350).

The Meddling Fiend by Nicola Turner. Royal Academy of Arts 256th Summer Exhibition 2024. From 18 June - 18 August 2024. Photo by MTotoe.

In contrast, the largest room is curated by Ann Christopher RA, uncluttered and spacious in comparison. She has carefully chosen large scale pieces to feature and hung the majority at eye level. Pieces large and small are grouped with a pleasing blend of colour coordination and in combinations that look like works or art in themselves. The area of black and white tones also has the texture of a beautifully complementary wall-mounted sculpture “Finally Beginning” Nigel Hall RA.  As a sculptor Christopher also wanted to show three-dimensional pieces in a room where traditionally no floor-based exhibits are displayed to this end she has either hung or rested sculptures against the walls.

A notable highlight is a collection of Tracey Emin's works. Particularly striking is Did It Ever Get Any Better, which has been awarded the Charles Wollaston Award by a panel of judges for its distinguished contribution to the exhibition. Emin's art is deeply personal, reflecting her journey through squamous cell bladder cancer, a condition with a survival rate of only 33% beyond five years. Now in her fourth year and in remission, Emin continues to create despite battling exhaustion. She has even established an art school, demonstrating her prolific output and resilience. Her recent work is infused with profound emotion, showcasing how she has embraced her second chance and leveraged her diagnosis to produce some of her most compelling pieces.

Royal Academy of Arts 256th Summer Exhibition 2024. From 18 June - 18 August 2024. Photo by MTotoe.

Boldly the architecture portion of the exhibition took centre stage this year in the Central Gallery behind the Wohl Central Hall curated by the Turner prize-winning Assemble collective, deciding to “flip” this year’s Summer Exhibition main theme “Space making” to celebrate “Spaces for Making”  with the feel of back of house storage spaces; workshops and studios where creativity gives birth to form  Using off-the-shelf metal racking systems to display large models and prototypes. The Central Hall uses the room’s geometry to create mini workstations and shelves of a more domestic scale, enabling it to feel like a maker’s studio.

It may be my desire for order, but I was missing the architect’s scaled models displayed on slick plinths and marvelling at the sheer skill involved. When roaming what is an overwhelming amount of art in one day it felt difficult to appreciate what was on display in these rooms, but as intended, they did recreate the sense of clutter of the creative workspace. The photographic image of David Kohn Architects studio titled The Cowshed was a real-life image of a workshop and it was striking that such precision comes from a cluttered, messy and seemingly chaotic environment, yet it is a light filled room which exudes creativity.

While this year’s exhibition had the feeling of subtlety and conservative good taste it lacked excitement and impactful pieces from which one will walk away and remember for years to come. 2024’s Summer Exhibition may very well have you hankering for the vision and creative genius of Grayson Perry’s 2018 stimulating Summer Exhibition which remains a favourite. 

Click here for a visual preview.

Date: 18 June – 18 August 2024. Location: Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD. Price: £22 - £24.50. Book now. 

 Words by Natascha Milsom