The Best Exhibitions To See In London This January

The Best Exhibitions In London | January 2025

London is full of exhibitionists.

In fact, we have some of the finest in the world.

And right now, they’re doing what they do best: showcasing some utterly fascinating topics at the array of amazing museums and art galleries in London. Must-see shows right now include exquisite scientific artefacts from the court of Versailles; a rare peek at Picasso prints; a party with all the big Renaissance figures; a retrospective for an overshadowed 20th century female artist; the intimately raw portraiture of Francis Bacon; and outré outfits from 1980s clubland…

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27 AMAZING LONDON EXHIBITIONS TO SEE RIGHT NOW:

1) Jeff Wall: Life in Pictures | White Cube

With over 40 arresting images on display, this free exhibition is as much about Jeff Wall’s life in pictures as well as his  mission to capture life in pictures. The acclaimed photographer has a unique way of working; staging elaborate shots to replicate images and ideas that pop into his head. Every photo demands something new of him in terms of set-up, design or technology. The result is a strange collection of frozen moments that feel both familiar and unfamiliar, by turns eerie and entertaining, with the kind of surreal edge that triggers double takes and encourages slow looking.

Details: Jeff Wall: Life in Pictures is on at the White Cube until 12th January. Entry is free.

 

2) Versailles: Science and Splendour | Science Museum

When you think of Versailles, you tend to think of enormous wigs, cake, and debaucherous balls. You don’t tend to think ‘world-changing scientific advancements’. Well, apparently we should all give the lavish 17th century court a break, because it was basically the CERN of its day: more than 100 objects on display here demonstrate the link between knowledge and power. You’ll see the world’s most elaborate pocket watch, designed for Marie Antoinette; discover how the palace was a launch pad for the first ever hot air balloon flight; and gawp at Louis XV’s pet rhinoceros, who was stuffed for posterity after he too fell victim to the revolutionaries.

Details: Versailles: Science and Splendour is on at the Science Museum until 21st April 2025. Tickets cost £12.

 

3) Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael | Royal Academy

Come and sit at the table with the big boys of the Renaissance at the RA this month. Three of the most influential figures in the Western art canon are on display here, linked by their brief period of overlap in Florence in about 1504. Through dozens of precious sketches and drawings, this exhibition tells the story of Michelangelo and Leonardo’s rivalry, and their influence over the up-and-coming Raphael. It’s a wonder nobody’s made a Netflix drama of it all.

Details: Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael runs at the Royal Academy of Arts until 16th February 2025. Tickets cost £19-21.

 

4) Picasso: Printmaker | British Museum

It’s not all mummies and ancient chess sets at the British Museum, you know – they actually hold the UK’s largest and most comprehensive collection of prints by Picasso, and now they’re getting dusted off and plucked out the archives for this major exhibition. They cover the entire span of his life and career, from his proto-Cubist prints in the early 1900s to 1930s etchings that reflect his volatile personal life, and the prints he made in a flurry of activity at the age of 86. As well as being striking works of art in themselves, they all offer a window into his changing practice, and his world outside art – particularly the problematic relationships he maintained with the women in his life.

Details: Picasso: Printmaker runs at the British Museum until 30th March 2025. Tickets start at £11.

 

5) Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers | The National Gallery

Yep, this one’s a biggie. The Dutch post-impressionist made over 2100 works of art in his short life, the bulk of which were in his final two years spent in the south of France. This exhibition makes the case that they marked a revolution in his style, influenced by the poetic, bohemian types he was mingling with at the time. And with  blockbusters like Sunflowers, The Yellow House and Starry Night over the Rhône on show, they’ll probably convince you – after all, pretty much every major critic has given the show 5*.

Details: Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers is on at The National Gallery until 19th January 2025. Tickets start at £24.

 

6) Francis Bacon: Human Presence | National Portrait Gallery

The NPG’s new Francis Bacon show has been littered with praise – which is no real surprise given he’s considered one of the 20th century’s greats – and it seems that even two short years after the RA’s major exhibition we’re still hungry for Bacon. This collection of portraits is another head-long hurtle into the Irish-born artist’s tortuous world; a post-war abyss still echoing with humanity’s basest deeds, occasional set alight by a carousel of close friends, muses and lovers. It’s both harrowing and invigorating – a real blockbuster of a show that shouldn’t be missed.

Details: Francis Bacon: Human Presence runs at the National Portrait Gallery until 19th January 2025. Entry starts at £23; you can book tickets here.

 

7) Tirzah Garwood: Beyond Ravilious | Dulwich Picture Gallery

Tirzah Garwood is perhaps best known as the wife of artist Eric Ravilious. But she also made a name for herself (and what a name) with her own artwork, as well as her autobiography Long Live Great Bardfield. Now largely forgotten, her work is getting a long-deserved survey at Dulwich Picture Gallery, which has gathered pieces from right across her career. There are beautiful marbled papers and detailed oil paintings, as well as 11 Ravilious watercolours on show to highlight the parallels between this remarkable artistic duo. Sounds like the kind of show that’ll make you want to get your own paints out.

Details: Tirzah Garwood: Beyond Ravilious is on at Dulwich Picture Gallery until 26th May 2025. Tickets cost £20 (inc. optional donation).

 

8) Medieval Women: In Their Own Words | British Library

There isn’t a lot of surviving literature from medieval-era women, on account of most of them being totally illiterate. However the British Library’s new exhibition is setting out to rebalance the history books by shining a spotlight on the rare gems we do have. You’ll get to pore over 140+ original documents, books and other objects, each with a fascinating history – from Julian of Norwich (a woman)’s Revelations of Divine Love, the first known English book ever (definitely) written by a woman, to a 15th century birthing girdle inscribed with protective charms and prayers.

Details: Medieval Women: In Their Own Words runs at the British Library until 2nd March 2025. Tickets cost £17.

 

9) Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s London | Fashion and Textile Museum

The 80s was pretty much the epitome of bonkers, adventurous fashion choices. And performance artist/fashion designer Leigh Bowery was pretty much the epitome of the 80s. The Fashion and Textile Museum’s latest exhibition promises to dazzle your eyes with outfits worn by icons like Boy George, Pam Hogg and Bowery himself at his outré nightclub Taboo (where the dress code was ‘dress as though your life depends on it, or don’t bother’).

Details: Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s London is on at the Fashion and Textile Museum until 9th March. Tickets cost £12.65.

 

10) Turner Prize 2024 | Tate Britain

The Turner Prize is probably the most prestigious award a British artist can receive. Since its inauguration in 1984, it’s been awarded for Tracey Emin’s unmade bed, Damien Hirst’s pickled shark in a tank, and – almost – to Anthea Hamilton for her 18ft sculpture of a man’s hands pulling his buttocks apart. Basically, it’s the artiest of art world occasions, and you can catch works by this year’s winner Jasleen Kaur alongside nominees Pio Abad, Claudette Johnson and Delaine Le Bas on display at Tate Britain this month.

Details: The Turner Prize 2024 is on at Tate Britain until 16th February. Tickets cost £14, or £5 for free Tate Collective members (U25s).

 

11) The World of Tim Burton | Design Museum

The Design Museum is hosting a long overdue exhibition about the creative work of Tim Burton – and frankly, we’re half expecting the secret to his gothic imagination to be ‘eating a lot of cheese before bedtime’. The show’s here in London as the final stop on a decade-long world tour, and offers a rare insight into the workings of the man’s gothic mind with a heap of original material plucked from his own personal archive. Pore over 500+ sketches, sculptures, photographs and more, and you’ll probably leave feeling even more mystified than you were when you came in.

Details: The World of Tim Burton runs at the Design Museum until 21st April 2025. You can find out more and book tickets (£19.69) on the Design Museum website.

 

12) Monet and London. Views of the Thames | Courtauld Gallery

You’re going to an art exhibition from 119 years ago. See, that’s when Monet intended to show his beautiful, dream-like landscapes of London in London – only it never happened. Now, The Courtauld’s bringing his aspirations to life by displaying these rare paintings together in the UK for the first time ever. Expect to see the Thames, the Houses of Parliament and other London icons shrouded in swirling, muddy fog, with the inklings of the blurry colouring that would feature in his Water Lilies just a few years later.

Details: Monet and London. Views of the Thames is on at the Courtauld until 19th January. Tickets cost £16 (inc. main gallery entry) – you can book here.

 

13) Looks Delicious! | Japan House

Ceci n’est pas un orange. It’s just one example of the thriving Japanese industry for creating hyper-realistic replica food, supplying a century-old trend for restaurants displaying their menu by the entrance in alluring 3D format. Japan House’s free exhibition walks you through the history, hand-crafted production and unexpected applications of these fake foodstuffs. And of course, there’s dozens of impressive trompe l’oeil dishes to drool over, including some particularly imaginative creations arising from the leading manufacturer’s annual competition.

Details: Looks Delicious! runs at Japan House, Kensington, until 16th February 2025, and is free to visit.

 

14) William Morris & Art from the Islamic World | William Morris Gallery

Despite never getting further than Italy, the turn-of-the-century British designer was a passionate and reverent collector of items from across the ‘Islamic world’ (a loose term the gallery’s using to encompass North African and Southwest Asian countries). You’ll get to see a beautiful array of objects from his personal collection, which clearly influenced the way Morris approached his famous patterns and prints of British flora and fauna.

Details: William Morris & Art from the Islamic World runs until 9th March 2025 at the William Morris Gallery. There is a suggested £5 donation.

 

15) The Great Mughals: Art, Architecture & Opulence | V&A Museum

After some blockbuster pop culture exhibitions in recent years – Hallyu! The Korean Wave, Dior, Chanel, NAOMI to name a few – the V&A is opening a really classic, museum-y exhibition this month. Winding back the clock to the ‘Golden Age of the Mughal Court’ (approx. 1560 – 1660), this show takes you on a dazzling tour of the outward-facing, stunningly creative court of the South Asian empire, from bejewelled daggers to incredible paintings.

Details: The Great Mughals runs at the V&A until 5th May 2025. Tickets cost £22.

 

16) Barbie: The Exhibition | Design Museum

The Design Museum’s blockbuster show traces the design story of the world’s most famous 11.5-inch influencer: Barbie. And in a way, it’s quite a difficult exhibition to review, for the simple reason it is exactly what you would expect.

Opening to mark the 65th anniversary of her creation – and coincidentally coming off the back of the 2023 movie that made a billion dollars at the global box office – it’s another vibrant excuse to immerse yourself in pure Barbiecore. And if that sounds good to you, you’ll have an absolute blast…

Details: Barbie®: The Exhibition runs at the Design Museum until 23rd February 2025. You can book tickets here (£14.38+).

 

17) MARILYN – The Exhibition | The Arches, London Bridge

Talking of blonde American icons, another one is getting her own dedicated show this month. But if anything, it’s hoping to reveal a bit more of the life behind the famous beauty spot and curls: her challenging childhood, filled with upheaval; her three failed marriages; and of course her tragically fatal drug overdose. It’s all been put together from the collection of just one superfan, who’s selected his personal 250 favourite objects from his 1.5k-strong collection of Marilyn memorabilia. Which means for 99.999% of the global population, this is a very rare opportunity to see some of these items up close.

Details: MARILYN – The Exhibition runs at The Arches in London Bridge until 23rd February 2023. Tickets start at £28.65; you can book here.

 

18) War and the Mind | Imperial War Museum

Global warfare is often detailed by death tolls, injuries and other tragic, quantifiable losses – but there’s also the question of the long-lasting impact on the mind. The IWM’s free exhibition is a fascinating and important exploration into wartime psychology – from the propaganda used to boost the morale of civilians in war-torn countries to the tactics used to encourage military enrolment, the coping mechanisms of those fighting on the front-lines, and the long-lasting effects of trauma, shell-shock and PTSD.

Details: War and the Mind runs at the Imperial War Museum until 27th April 2025. It’s free to visit; just turn up.

 

19) AdWomen | Museum of Brands

Following on from last year’s Mad Women documentary on Channel 4, the Museum of Brands is hoping to shed some light on the overlooked contributions of women to the once male-dominated world of advertising. You’ll see some of the best-known female-produced ads of the last century, alongside a line-up of vintage products and adverts documenting the changing ways women have been portrayed, and appealed to, over the years.

Details: AdWomen runs at the Museum of Brands until 28th April 2025. Entry is included with museum admission (£10).

 

20) Astronomy Photographer of the Year | National Maritime Museum

Want to see some truly stellar photography? Head on down to the Astronomy Photographer Of The Year. It’s free to visit, and it’s ready to blow your mind into cosmic dust until summer of 2025. This is the 16th year they’ve held the competition, and they’ve received thousands of entries from dozens of countries, whittling them down to just the best 100…

Details: Astronomy Photographer of the Year runs at the National Maritime Museum until summer 2025. It’s free to visit; just turn up.

 

21) Zanele Muholi | Tate Modern

Sometimes an exhibition rolls into town with so much to say, it takes a good few hours for it all to sink in. The sprawling retrospective of the South African artist Zanele Muholi at Tate Modern is one such show. Over 300 photographs are packed into this expanded edition of a previous show that was cut short by the pandemic. Every one of them honours, commemorates or empowers members of the LGBTQIA+ community in South Africa, placing empathetic but harrowing documentation of sexual abuse alongside celebratory images and Muholi’s defiant series of self-portraits that reclaim their Blackness. It’s an epic show that’s been showered with critical acclaim.

Details: Zanele Muholi is on at the Tate Modern until 26th January 2025. Tickets cost £18 or £5 for U25s signed up to Tate Collective.

 

22) Lost Gardens of London | Garden Museum

The picturesque Garden Museum is taking a slightly different tack with its newest exhibition: it’s focussing on gardens that, er, don’t exist. Like the botanical garden that’s been covered up by Waterloo station; the landscaped riverside gardens of the old Somerset House; and the boating lake in Kennington which once housed a smoking mural of Vesuvius erupting. And afterwards, you can enjoy some gardens that have survived through the windows of the charming Garden Café.

Details: Lost Gardens of London is on display at the Garden Museum until 2nd March 2025 – tickets cost £15.

 

23) Vogue: Inventing The Runway | Lightroom

Vogue: Inventing the Runway is the third exhibition to take over the Lightroom space in King’s Cross, and it’s making the most of this 360º, triple-storey digital gallery by splashing every surface – even the floor – with jaw-dropping visuals. Drawing on Vogue’s vast archive of footage, the show takes you from the exclusive salons of the 1940s to the night that the Great Wall of China became one giant runway for Fendi. There’s a lot of ground to cover, so it all moves quite quickly and aims for breadth rather than depth of information, but if you’re a fan of couture there’s no better way to get front row seats to some of the 20th & 21st century’s greatest fashion shows.

Details: Vogue: Inventing the Runway is on at Lightroom until 26th April 2025. Tickets cost £25; you can book here.

 

24) Winter Exhibitions at the Saatchi | Saatchi Gallery

For the princely sum of £6 you can access all three of the Saatchi Gallery’s winter exhibitions – which is good going for anywhere, but especially Chelsea. All photography-focussed, they include a group show celebrating photographers from across the African diaspora; a colourful major survey for American photographer Anastasia Samoylova; and the intimate portraiture of Aneesa Dawoojee, who works to record migrant stories while exploring the rich cultural histories of the Caribbean and Mauritius.

Details: The Saatchi Gallery’s winter exhibitions all run until 20th January. Admission starts at £6 to see all three.

 

25) María Berrío: The End of Ritual | Victoria Miro Gallery

This Bogotá-born artist takes images from folklore, fairytales and mythology and jams them incongruously into modern settings: interlopers, from people in cat masks to dancing geisha, find their way into crowded classrooms, offices and workshops. It’s a way for her to explore the roles we play and the crisis of identity in the face of ecological, political and economic change. But even if all that goes over your head, these are all just beautiful, trippy scenes.

Details: María Berrío: The End of Ritual runs at the Victoria Miro Gallery until 18th January. Entry is free.

 

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