What's On At London's Best Art Galleries

We don’t often visit art galleries.

They always tell us off for taking pictures.

Nevertheless, London is awash with art – and so we’ve put together a running list of all the major (and quite a few independent) art galleries in London, complete with opening hours and the run-down on the exhibitions to see now:

 

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JUMP TO: CENTRAL | NORTH | SOUTH | EAST | WEST

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CENTRAL LONDON ART GALLERIES

180 Studios | Strand

Set in the concrete subterranean labyrinth of an iconic Brutalist building, 180 Studios is building a name for itself as the home for innovative, large-scale, tech-infused audio-visual art installations.

WHAT’S ON

The Vinyl Factory – REVERB (until 28th September, £25) – a heavily cinematic exhibition that rewards slow looking. Artists like Es Devlin, Julianknxx and Virgil Abloh come together to showcase films, and stage set-ups, that bring together music and vision.

Address: 180 Studios, 180 Strand, WC2R 1EA | Opening Hours: Daily, 10am-7pm | Entry: Exhibitions ticketed individually, from £10-25
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The Courtauld Gallery | Strand

Back open after the biggest refurbishment in its history, the Courtauld has an incredible collection of art particularly known for its trove of Impressionist paintings including Manet’s A Bar at the Folies Bergère and Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear. The permanent collection could keep you occupied for hours, but the gallery often plays host to visiting exhibitions, too.

WHAT’S ON

Henry Moore: Shadows on the Wall (until 22nd September) – Best known for his huge, undulating outdoor sculptures, Henry Moore was fascinated with space and form. During the Blitz of the early 40s he sketched his impressions of the Underground stations that functioned as bomb shelters, and this exhibition is a rare case to see these drawings, and the interest he took in the architecture of these subterranean refuges.

Address: Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 0RN | Opening Hours: Daily 10am-6pm (last entry 5.15pm) | Entry: Permanent collection £10-14, exhibitions £3+. Free entry for 18 and under.
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Hayward Gallery | South Bank

A Brutalist and, quite frankly, brutal concrete metropolis is home to the Hayward Gallery; an exhibition space designed to receive touring work and host major modern collections. Sat within the cultural playground that is the Southbank Centre, it normally holds three to four temporary exhibitions a year and due to the sheer size of the space, they’re often huge installations that allow for lots of audience interaction. Retrospectives are also popular, with German photographer Andreas Gursky and our very own Bridget Riley showing off their illustrious careers here.

WHAT’S ON

Closed until Haegue Yang: Leap Year opens on 9th October.

Address: Southbank Centre, 337-338 Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX | Opening Hours: Tues-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-8pm, Sundays 10am-6pm | Entry: £18+
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ICA | St James

The errant, wayward child of the RA, the ICA was established as a space for artists and scientists to discuss ideas freely and without limitation. An avid promoter of the avant-garde, it’s been an epicentre of experimental work ever since. With galleries, a theatre, and two cinemas you’re bound to find something, in some medium, that suits your fancy.

WHAT’S ON

Geumhyung Jeong: Under Construction (opens 24th September) – this is going to be a real one-of-a-kind: see sculptures, video and the occasional live performance by the South Korean artist who investigates the uncanny link between man and machine with her handmade animatronic body parts.

Check out upcoming screenings, talks and more on the ICA’s events page

Address: The Mall, St James’s, SW1Y 5AH | Opening Hours: Tue-Thurs 4-9pm, Fri-Sun 12pm-9pm | Entry: £6
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National Gallery | Trafalgar Square

Pride of place in London’s art scene, presiding over the four lions of Trafalgar Square, is the National Gallery. Amongst the most visited art museums in the world, the National Gallery has a premier league roll call of great works amongst the 2,300 paintings in its possession. Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, Turner’s The Fighting Temeraire and Da Vinci’s The Virgin of the Rocks all adorn its walls. Most major Western artists are represented in some way or another here, making it an absolute mecca for Art History bingo.

WHAT’S ON

Currently main collection only. Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers opens 14th September.

Address: Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DN | Opening Hours: Daily, 10am-6pm (9pm Fridays) | Entry: Free / Exhibitions from £20
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National Portrait Gallery | Trafalgar Square

The National Portrait Gallery is back and better than ever, which isn’t too surprising considering the refurb cost £35 million and includes a new wing, a café and a late night cocktail bar. Of course in saying all that, the main attraction is still the portraits; showcasing famous Brits in painting, photo and sculpture form.

WHAT’S ON

Herbert Smith Freehills Portrait Award 2024 (until 27th October, free) – The annual award returns, open to anyone around the world over the age of 18. Over its 40 years it’s seen some 40,000 entries, and this exhibition showcases the cream of this year’s crop.

Francis Bacon: Human Presence opens 10th October.

Details: St Martin’s Place, Charing Cross, WC2H 0HE | Opening hours: Daily 10.30am-6pm (open until 9pm Friday & Saturday) | Entry: Main collection free, exhibitions £21+ or £5 for U25s, Fri-Sun
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The Photographers’ Gallery | Soho

After snapping up a tea bar in Covent Garden, founder and director Sue Davies quickly developed the space into the UK’s first dedicated space for photography and photographers. The gallery’s now moved into an old textiles factory in Soho, but continues to act as a centre of excellence for, and research into the 20th century’s iconic medium, with plenty of wonderful camera work to admire over its six floors. Check out the Soho Photography Quarter outside, an old alleyway that’s been revamped as a kind of al fresco gallery space.

WHAT’S ON

Ernest Cole: House of Bondage (until 22nd September) – Over 100 photographs taken from the seminal project by Ernest Cole, which documented Black lives under apartheid in South Africa. He fled the country in 1966, publishing his photobook in New York a year later, where it was ground-breaking in its unflinching portrayal of the system’s terrible injustices.

Meditations on Love (until 22nd September) – a guest exhibition curated for the gallery by Develop Collective, bringing together images that capture love in all its forms, and the wide spectrum of emotions it can induce.

Graciela Iturbide: Shadowlines (until 22nd September) – poetic images from the Mexican photographer, who captured her subjects with sensitivity, humanism, and an astounding understanding of light and shadow.

Address: 16-18 Ramillies Street, W1F 7LW | Opening Hours: Mon-Wed 10am-6pm, Thurs-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 11am-6pm | Entry: £8/6.50 online (entry to all exhibitions), free Fridays from 5pm
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The King’s Gallery | St James

Once an exclusively royal affair but these days awash with the unwashed, the King’s Gallery is the dictionary definition of a fine art gallery – “a place that houses work created primarily for aesthetic and intellectual purposes”. The collection is, unsurprisingly, fit for a king and contains a revolving exhibit of works owned by the royals to ensure their protection for, and presumably from, the Great British public.

WHAT’S ON

Royal Portraits: A Century of Photography (until 6th October, £19) – More than 150 prints are on show at this highly glamorous exhibition, with portraits going back as far as the 1920s. There are Cecil Beaton’s beautiful, Vogue-style shoots of the Queen Mother as a young woman; intimate snaps of Princess Margaret through the lens of her future husband, the Earl of Snowdon; Andy Warhol’s iconic pop art screen print of Queen Elizabeth; and more relaxed shots of the current King & Queen at home (so yes, in the palace).

Address: Buckingham Palace, Buckingham Palace Road, SW1A 1AA | Opening Hours: Daily 9.30am-5.30pm | Entry: £19
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Royal Academy | Piccadilly

Perhaps in a moment of his famed “madness”, King George III dipped into his own pocket to establish the RA in order to raise the professional status of artists and foster a national school of art. Off his rocker or not, it proved a big success (alumni include Turner, Kauffman, Constable et al.), and the RA lives on to this day as a privately funded institution training, and promoting, artists and art appreciation. The gallery has moved with the ebbs and flows of artistic taste, and its annual open-call summer exhibition showcases the best new art on the scene.

WHAT’S ON

In the Eye of the Storm (until 13th October, £17) – a dynamic exhibition of expressionist art from early 20th century Ukraine, when artists were redefining their practice against a backdrop of war & political upheaval.

Address: Burlington House, Piccadilly, Mayfair, W1J 0BD | Opening Hours: Tues-Sun, 10am-6pm (9pm Fri) | Entry: Free / Exhibitions from ~£20
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Somerset House | Strand

Originally the Tudor crib to end all cribs, this imposing residence on the river Thames became a Stuart royal palace, a brief home of the Royal Academy, and now holds the offices of over a hundred creative organisations and artists, alongside numerous exhibition spaces for a range of different media. The Duke of Somerset, despite being executed before it was completed, would no doubt lose his head over how brilliant it’s become.

WHAT’S ON

Imran Perretta: A Riot in Three Acts opens on 27th September.

Address: Strand, WC2R 1LA | Opening Hours: Sun-Thurs 10am-6pm, Fri & Sat 12-9pm | Entry: Free/£15+ for exhibitions
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Tate Britain | Pimlico

The epicurean, slightly dotty uncle of the Tate Modern is concerned with one thing only – old Blighty (and the artists who come from within it). A national treasure full of national treasures, expect to see all the big names from 1500 to the present day –Turner, Constable, Bacon, Blake, and Emin – and there’s even a series of exhibitions titled Art Now that shines a light on our stars of tomorrow.

WHAT’S ON

Now You See Us  (until 13th October, £20) – If you were asked to name a famous artist in the Western canon from the 19th century or earlier, it’s likely you’d think of at least 20 male names before coming up with a female one. Tate Britain’s latest exhibition sets out to put historic women artists into the spotlight, from Royal Academy founder Angelica Kauffman to 17th century portraitist Mary Beale.

Alvaro Barrington: Grace (until 26th January 2025, free display) – The artist raised between the Caribbean and NYC stages a trio of monumental installations to honour the women in his family.

Address: Millbank, SW1P 4RG | Opening Hours: Daily, 10am-6pm | Entry: Free / Exhibitions from £16
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Tate Modern | Bankside

Some people think modern art is just a load of Pollocks. And they’d be right. But he’s not the only artist you’ll find in this behemoth of modern and contemporary works. Tate Modern holds the British collection of pieces from 1900 to the present day, and is one of the largest modern art museums in the world. Housed within the old Bankside power station, it has become an iconic landmark on the Thames’ riverscape. Pieces from Picasso, Dali and Matisse lead the permanent line-up, while the old turbine hall dwarfs its visitors and holds specially commissioned, larger-than-life exhibits.

WHAT’S ON

Expressionists: Kandinsky, Münter and The Blue Rider (until 20th October, £22) – The Tate’s critically acclaimed new exhibition brings together 130 or so masterpieces from the expressionist movement that swept the Western art world in the early 20th century, telling the colourful story of the revolutionary group of friends who set out to transform modern art.

Zanele Muholi (until 26th January 2025) – A critically acclaimed mid-career survey of the artist’s work photographing the LGBTQIA+ community in South Africa, veering from the haunting images of abuse survivors to celebratory images and Muholi’s defiant series of self-portraits that reclaim their Blackness.

Anthony McCall: Solid Light (until 27th April 2025, £14) – A quartet of installations from the 1970s, in which the artist plays with sculpting light using projectors and misty air. Unfortunately, given how much this concept’s been developed over recent years, the show feels a little underpowered and overpriced.

Address: Bankside, SE1 9TG | Opening Hours: Daily 10am-6pm | Entry: Free / Exhibitions from £22
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Wallace Collection | Marylebone

A collecting hobby that got a little out of hand is now a major collection of 18th and 19th century works collected by subsequent Marquesses of Hertford, and bequeathed to the public. Housed within an imposing regency townhouse, the Wallace is famed for its triumphant collection of French decorative arts; the grandest one outside of Gaul. It’s a fancy family’s fancy private collection, so expect gilded frames, suits of armour, and offensive levels of wealth to dominate your surroundings on your sojourn through the wings.

WHAT’S ON

Ranjit Singh: Sikh, Warrior, King (until 20th October, £16) – Learn the story of the Maharaja who established the flourishing Sikh Empire of the 19th century, through over 100 exquisite objects including jewellery, armour and courtly treasures.

Address: Hertford House, Manchester Square, W1U 3BN | Opening Hours: Daily, 10am-5pm | Entry: Free / £14 for exhibitions
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NORTH LONDON ART GALLERIES

Camden Art Centre | Hampstead

What began as a local Arts scheme providing the Hampstead community with classes in everything from painting to pottery, has grown, over the past 50 years, into an internationally acclaimed centre for the arts. Housed on the leafier side of Finchley this enclave of ever rotating, multi disciplinary artistry favours edgy, young contemporary artists and has a bookshop, cafe, and garden to boot.

WHAT’S ON

All Rendered Truth – Lonnie Holley (until 15th September, free) – the Alabama-born artist & musician showcases unseen, brand new pieces exploring humanity, crafted during a UK-based residency earlier in the year.

Address: Arkwright Road, London NW3 6DG | Opening Hours: Tues-Sun 11am-6pm, late opening Thursday until 9pm | Entry: Free
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Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art | Islington

The frontage exudes the class and posture of Georgian England, but step inside and you’ll tumble down into the kaleidoscopic world of Italian Futurist Art. Futurism was one of Italy’s most significant contributions to the 20th century and this museum is Britain’s only one dedicated to the movement. Expect sculptures, paintings, landscapes, and the downright bizarre – all from a young nation looking to find la dolce vita.

WHAT’S ON

Antonio Calderara: A Certain Light (18th September – 22nd December) – Over 50 works are on show by this versatile 20th century artist, who moved from figurative works and magic realism in the interwar period, to pure, harmonious geometric abstraction in the 60s onwards.

Address: 39A Canonbury Square, N1 2AN | Opening Hours: Wed-Sat 11am-6pm (8pm Thurs), Sun 12pm-5pm | Entry: £7.50/£5.50 (concession)
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Victoria Miro | Islington

Representing 40 established and emerging artists, Victoria Miro is one of the largest commercial art galleries in London – and a great place to wile away the afternoon pretending you can afford to buy even one item. The Wharf Road gallery is a converted furniture factory and now houses Grayson Perry’s 15m Walthamstow Tapestry amongst numerous other works including the garden itself, landscaped specifically for the gallery.

WHAT’S ON

Closed until Yayoi Kusama: Every Day I Pray For Love opens on 25th September. Free tickets are available now, right here.

Address: 16 Wharf Road, N1 7RW | Opening Hours: Tue-Sat 10am-6pm | Entry: Free
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William Morris Gallery | Walthamstow

The original hipster, Morris eschewed Victorian trends in favour of more “retro” Medieval vibes – before going on to propagate the socialist movement in Britain and then sow the seeds of fantasy literature by translating Icelandic epic poetry. His life was as intricate and interconnected as his infamous wallpaper designs, and this delightful museum celebrates every facet of his fascinating existence. Plus, there are haggis toasties in the café.

WHAT’S ON

Art Without Heroes: Mingei (until 22nd September, free) – An exploration of the Japanese folk craft movement which took off in the 1920s and 30s, mirroring the British Arts and Crafts style which evolved in reaction to rapid industrialisation.

Address: Lloyd Park, Forest Road, E17 4PP | Opening Hours: Tues-Sun 10am-5pm (8pm Thursdays) | Entry: Free

 

SOUTH LONDON ART GALLERIES

Dulwich Picture Gallery | Dulwich

Do the names Rembrandt and Rubens get your blood racing? Does stroking your chin over classic art make you feel peckish? Then you’re probably gonna like what’s on offer at England’s oldest public gallery. Expect Dutch paintings of cows on bridges, splendid nudity in reenactments of Greco Roman mythology, and a handful of Italian masters. There’s also a variety of more modern-ish temporary exhibitions, if you’ve seen enough classical buttocks for one day. As for the food part: check out the alfresco cafe doing all-day brunch.

WHAT’S ON

Yoshida: Three Generations of Japanese Printmaking (until 3rd November, £20) – After five minutes in this exhibition, you’ll wonder why the Yoshida dynasty is so little known here. Walk through a century of prints, from the ukiyo-e style landscapes of Yoshida Hiroshi to the site-specific blossom installation of his granddaughter Ayomi.

Address: Gallery Road, SE21 7AD | Opening Hours: Tues-Sun 10am-5pm | Entry: £20 (inc. main collection & exhibitions); 50% off for 18-30s
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Fashion & Textile Museum | Bermondsey

A Bermondsey Street treasure specialising in contemporary fashion design, founded by the legendary Dame Zandra Rhodes. Rather than housing a permanent collection, they stage exhibitions on particular designers, printmakers, or fashion periods and trends, gathering items from around the globe.

WHAT’S ON

Closed until Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s London opens on 4th October.

Address: 83 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3XF | Opening Hours: Tues-Sat 11am-6pm | Entry: £12.65
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NOW Gallery | Greenwich

NOW Gallery is, unsurprisingly, all about cutting-edge, contemporary art; but it’s also art that’s accessible and unpretentious, often taking the form of large-scale, walk-through installations. Commissioned artists are often up-and-coming and from a blend of creative backgrounds – art, fashion and design – with the kinds of ideas that not only spark conversation but plenty of social media opps too.

WHAT’S ON

Up In Smoke (until 22nd September, free) – a colourful installation of five patterned chimneys by designer-architect duo John Booth and Mat Barnes, paying homage to Greenwich Peninsula’s industrial past.

Address: The Gateway Pavilions, Peninsula Square, London SE10 0SQ |  Opening Hours: Tues-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm | Entry: Free
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South London Gallery | Peckham

Camberwell’s contemporary art gallery has always been at the forefront of the South London art scene. Originally the gallery of a local working men’s college, it has always sought to celebrate current artists. That trend continued and, in 1995, it was the first venue to showcase Emin’s infamous “tent”. Now spread across two listed buildings, the SLG houses a number of permanent exhibits with revolving temporary installations.

WHAT’S ON

Closed until Nairy Baghramian: Jumbled Alphabet opens on 27th September.

See SLG’s event page for upcoming talks, workshops and screenings.

Address: 65-67 Peckham Road, SE5 8UH | Opening Hours: Tues-Sun 11am-6pm (9pm Weds) | Entry: Free
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White Cube Bermondsey & Mason’s Yard | Bermondsey & St James

Europe’s biggest commercial gallery has come under its fair share of criticism. Owned and run by an old Etonian and known for displaying works in a cold and clinical manner, it’s easy to see why. But representing the likes of Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst, you can guarantee that the stars of British contemporary art will shine bright on any visit. The whitewashed walls, and strip lighting, can make it feel like a bit like a trip to the hospital, but this institution of the ever-fractious art scene is well worth a wander.

WHAT’S ON

Mason’s Yard | Donna Huddleston: Company (until 28th September, free) – a solo exhibition of paintings and drawings from the artist with a background in theatre set & costume design.

Danh Vo (11th October – 16th November, free) – The conceptual artist investigates the effects of political events and institutions on a sense of individual and collective identity, through paintings of everyday objects.

Bermondsey | Tracey Emin: I followed you to the end (opens 19th September, free) – A major solo exhibition for the award-winning artist, featuring new paintings and a colossal bronze sculpture.

Address: 144-152 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3TQ | 25-26 Mason’s Yard, SW1Y 6BU | Opening Hours: Tues-Sat 10am-6pm, Bermondsey also open Sun 12-6pm | Entry: Free

 

EAST / THE CITY GALLERIES

The Barbican | Barbican

One of the city’s Brutalist icons, the Barbican isn’t just home to theatre, cinemas, concert halls (and an unexpected urban jungle, the Barbican Conservatory). It also boasts a two-storey gallery space that has hosted exhibitions on everything from AI to Japanese architecture, and a retrospective of the pioneering street artist Basquiat.

WHAT’S ON

Closed until The Imaginary Institution of India: Art 1975-1998 opens on 5th October.

Address: Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS | Opening Hours: Sat-Wed 10am-6pm, Thurs-Fri 10am-8pm | Entry: Free/Exhibitions from £17 – pay what you can on Mondays 10-11.45am & Thursdays, 5-7pm
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Guildhall Art Gallery | The City

Established in 1886 as ‘a collection of art treasures worthy of the capital city’, the Guildhall Gallery is exactly that – a sumptuous assembly of art that you’d expect the captains of industry from centuries past to have amassed. Big sexy frames, portraits of gentlemen with enormous wigs, and an impressive number of Pre-Raphaelite masterpieces are the mainstay of their throng which seeks to show off in telling the story of London town.

WHAT’S ON

Anne Desmet: Kaleidoscope/London (until 12th January 2025, PWYC) – see the city through a new lens: artist Anne Desmet has revisited her early lino cuts, sketches and wood engravings to create fragmented, mosaic-like digital collages of the London skyline.

Address: Guildhall Yard, EC2V 5AE | Opening Hours: Daily 10am-5pm | Entry: Free/exhibitions from £10
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Whitechapel Gallery | Whitechapel

Founded in 1901, this gallery set out to give great art to the masses. Since then it’s had some pretty impressive mates round for tea: Picasso’s Guernica popped by; Pollock, Hockney, and Lucian Freud all logged stays. It hasn’t lost any of its mojo from following expansion in 2009 where it doubled in size; Theaster Gates and Mark Dion are just a few of the famous to have dropped by in recent years.

WHAT’S ON

Dominique White: Deadweight (until 15th September, free) – Four dramatic new sculptures, dredged from the Mediterranean Sea itself, from the latest artist to win the Max Mara Art Prize for Women.

Archipelago: Visions in Orbit (until 5th January, free) – The gallery uses the framework of an archipelago to bring together disparate artists in one united show, exploring themes of belonging, migration and connection.

Peter Kennard: Archive of Dissent (until 19th January 2025, free) – a retrospective of the artist’s distinctive, politically charged works addressing everything from nuclear disarmament to climate change, plus a couple of brand new installations.

Address: 77-82 Whitechapel High Street, E1 7QX | Opening Hours: Tue-Sun 11am-6pm, 9pm Thursdays | Entry: Free/ Exhibitions from £9.50

 

WEST LONDON ART GALLERIES

Design Museum | Kensington

The Design Museum is, as you’d expect, very well put together. In the bustling cultural quarter of Kensington, its three floors and two basements serve up permanent exhibitions, learning centres, glass-walled design studios and temporary gallery spaces. The permanent gallery is the only one in the UK to be dedicated completely to contemporary design.

WHAT’S ON

Barbie®: The Exhibition (until 23rd February 2025, £14.38+) – A colourful, nostalgic romp through 65 years of the doll’s indomitable global influence, with over 250 items on display charting the design evolution of Barbie, her friends and her accessories.

Address: 224-238 Kensington High Street, W8 6AG | Opening Hours: Mon-Thurs 10am-5pm, Fri-Sun 10am-6pm | Entry: Free, £16+ for temporary exhibitions
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Graffik Gallery | Ladbroke Grove

Street art off the street is the focus of this gritty and urban gallery. Derived from the Italian to scratch, the ancient form of expression that is graffiti has taken on a new lease of life in our modern times. This collection gives you a vast overview of the city’s strongest pieces – without ever making you step outside. Unless, of course, you want to try your hand at one of their graffiti workshops.

WHAT’S ON: Main collection only.

Address: 284 Portobello Road, W10 5TE | Opening Hours: Daily 11am-6pm | Entry: Free
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Leighton House Museum and Art Gallery | Holland Park

When a noted painter and lord of the realm commissions you to design his house, you’d better bring your A-game. Well, George Aitchison did just that and his creation is now a Grade II listed building, widely revered for its Orientalist and aesthetic interiors – and the home of the Leighton House Museum. The permanent gallery, predictably, contains numerous works from Lord Leighton himself; so expect to cast your eye over lavish oil panoramas of Greek myths, lords and ladies, and ecclesiastical scenes.

WHAT’S ON

Out Shopping: The Dresses of Marion and Maud Sambourne (until 20th October 2024, included with entry) – swoon over the turn-of-the-century dresses worn by the wife and daughter of Punch cartoonist Linley Sambourne, many of which were designed by women and signal the changing fashions and politics of early 20th century London.

Address: 12 Holland Park Road, W14 8LZ | Opening Hours: Wed-Mon 10am-5:30pm | Entry: £14
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Saatchi Gallery | Chelsea

A controversial centre headed by a controversial curator, the Saatchi Gallery has always sought to challenge. Its guiding principle has always been to operate as the quirkier B-side to places like the Tate Modern – so expect to find new and unknown works from artists all hoping to be the Hockney of tomorrow.

WHAT’S ON

Homelessness: Reframed (until 20th September, free) – an exhibition of work made by artists who have personally, or known those who have been homeless, throwing a spotlight on the variety of ways this can be triggered and experienced.

Yoi (until 21st September, free) – Beautifully intricate artwork from nine Munupi artists based along the northwestern coastline of Melville Island.

Painting, Smoking, Eating (until 20th September, free) – A group exhibition of paintings about painting, curated by BEERS gallery.

The Landscape, Reimagined (until 20th September, free) – Another BEERS takeover, this time bringing together eight artists who take radical, contemporary approaches to landscape painting.

Address: Duke of York’s HQ, Kings Road, SW3 4RY | Opening Hours: Daily 10am-6pm | Entry: Free/Exhibitions from £10
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Serpentine Galleries | Kensington

A gallery double-act tucked away in Kensington Gardens, mainly dabbling in the modern, avant-garde side of art. Come here for the daring contemporary stuff and to marvel at the temporary outdoor pavilion, designed by a different world-renowned artist each summer.

WHAT’S ON

Galleries currently closed until Holly Herndon & Mat Dryhurst: The Call opens on 4th October.

Address: Kensington Gardens, W2 3XA | Opening Hours: Tues-Sun 10am-6pm | Entry: Free
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V&A | South Kensington

Like the Queen whose name it bears, the Victoria & Albert is imposing, vast, and spans decades. With 145 galleries and over 5,000 years of art in its free permanent collection, it really is an encyclopaedia of design. Since its inception in 1852, the museum has always adopted a policy of “wide art”; attempting to inspire, dazzle, and entertain with its eclectic collection. Today is no different and you can travel the world and back without ever leaving the building (except to look at the courtyard).

WHAT’S ON

Tropical Modernism (until 22nd September, £14) – Explore the history of this retro architectural style from the 1940s-80s, rooted in the quest to create buildings that are both modern and responsive to the unique environmental challenges and cultural contexts of the tropics.

Fragile Beauty (until 5th January 2025, £22) – Elton John and David Furnish have a mind-blowing personal collection of photography, and this is just a slice of it. But you’ll get to see striking images from some of the art form’s biggest names, including Mario Testino, Diane Arbus, Nan Goldin, David LaChapelle and Irving Penn.

NAOMI: In Fashion (until 3rd March 2025, £18) – A celebration of the supermodel, fashion icon and activist, created in collaboration with Naomi Campbell herself for a uniquely personal perspective.

Address: Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL | Opening Hours: Daily 10am-5.45pm (10pm Fridays) | Entry: Free / Exhibitions from £12

 

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