Best Visual Arts Exhibitions London 2020

Dora Maar exhibition review, Tate Modern ★★★★★

You may not be familiar with the work of Dora Maar, unless you know the details of Pablo Picasso's biography. For decades she has been seen only as his tragic muse, a footnote in his epic career, overshadowed and overlooked. This exhibition at Tate Modern changd all that.

Nan Goldin: Sirens, Marian Goodman Gallery review ★★★★★

Nan Goldin’s first major solo show in London since 2002 has opened at Marian Goodman Gallery. With new and archival material, this exhibition is a moving and timely testament to the American photographer's friends, to lives lived and lost.

The images in this exhibition are some

Léon Spilliaert exhibition, Royal Academy review ★★★★★

An exhibition of works by angst-ridden Belgian artist Léon Spilliaert - who he can be seen as Belgium’s answer to Munch, always searching his own reflection for meaning- opened at the Royal Academy in February 2020.

Steve McQueen exhibition, Tate Modern review ★★★★★

Steve McQueen’s exhibition at Tate Modern hit at the soft spots in our humanity. There was a lot to take in, a lot to think about – death, ageing, tragedy, suffering – all heightened by the beauty and vulnerability of the human body.

David Hockney: Drawing from Life exhibition review ★★★★★

This intimate exhibition of Hockney’s drawings at the National Portrait Gallery explored the loves of his life, from Picasso to his beloved mother

Andy Warhol exhibition, Tate Modern review ★★★★★

From soup cans to sixties psychedelia, this immersive exhibition at Tate Modern showed off Andy Warhol’s theatrical side

Michael Clark: Cosmic Dancer review ★★★★★

The Barbican marked 15 years of its association with dancer and choreographer Michael Clark with an exhilarating exhibition that perfectly captured the heady atmosphere of 80s punk London

Among the Trees, Hayward Gallery

Hayward Gallery's exhibition on trees was a celebration of all things arboreal, from the jungles of Japan to the olive groves of Israel. Organised to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, this group exhibition showcased a wide selection of works from an impressive cast of international artists

Artemisia, National Gallery review ★★★★★

Violence, sex, revenge – the National Gallery’s exhibition Artemisia has it all. Artemisia Gentileschi (1593 – 1654) was a sought-after painter, whose works were desired by royal courts, who achieved excellence as a female artist in a time of intense misogyny.

Lynette Yiadom-Boakye: Fly in League with the Night, Tate Britain ★★★★★

Lynette Yiadom-Boakye’s wonderful exhibition of interwoven words and paintings is an intensely intimate affair, a contemplative meditation on our relationship with others.

Tracey Emin/ Edvard Munch exhibition, Royal Academy ★★★★★

The Loneliness of the Soul, organised by the Munch Museum in Norway in partnership with the Royal Academy, puts Emin’s work – she selected Munch’s pieces for the exhibition with curator Kari J Brandtzaeg – in direct conversation with that of her 'fellow lost soul' and kindred spirit. The result is powerful, to say the least; prepare yourself for a heart-wrenching experience.