Brown's London Art Weekend 2015

Brown's London Art Weekend is the perfect opportunity to discover the Mayfair and St James's heartland of modern and contemporary art in central London. 100 of the best galleries and auction houses open their doors across the weekend, letting visitors soak up all that expertise locked away in sumptuous upper-floor dealerships and edgy white cube contemporary spaces. Brown's Hotel is the hub of all activities, boasting a stellar VIP programme. And if all that art is too much to handle, we recommend the curated walks as a brilliant way to get to grips with the pick of the crop. A particular highlight must be the tour led by French fashion royalty Nicole Farhi.
Galleries
With so many galleries getting involved, here are some of our favourites to plan into your visit, particularly those smaller names you may not have heard of. Bonhams Auction House takes visitors through its illustrious Old Masters selection before it goes under the hammer on 8th July; Bowman Sculpture spotlights incredible works by Auguste Rodin, while Connaught Brown steals the limelight with a summer exhibition filled with modern masters like Picasso and Chagall. If you're gearing up for some of the big blockbusters in London, Dominique Lévy prepares for the Alexander Calder Tate Modern show with a single mobile on display and Victoria Miro celebrates the Barbican Station to Station show with an exhibition of Doug Aitken. But the real highlights must be James Hyman Gallery's sumptuous photography show of New Wave photographer Raymond Cauchetier and the haunting portraits by Lucian Freud on display at Ordovas. David Zwirner is also keeping its doors open late for the eerie Michaël Borremans exhibition and hosting a particularly special gallery talk with ArtReview Editor Mark Rappolt on Saturday 4th July, 5pm. 
During the weekend you'll find some of the galleries are also hosting some fascinating free talks. We recommend musing on Modern Master: Artist as Genius? at Mayfair heavyweight Connaught Brown (Saturday 11am) or hearing Erarta Galleries London Director Matthew Burgess talking about the latest trends in Russian contemporary art (Saturday 4pm). Rising star Doug Aitken will also be worth a listen at Victoria Miro (Saturday 4pm) before he takes over the Barbican for his new show. 
As the Royal Academy prepares to undergo a major redevelopment, Brown's London Art Weekend is a perfect opportunity for a street party in Burlington Gardens (4th July, 12 noon - 6pm). Pop along to catch esteemed Royal Academicians Yinka Shonibare, Bob and Roberta Smith and Richard Wilson enjoying the fun, with new art installations, performances, workshops and music. Royal Academy fans will also be curious to explore the forthcoming transformation and learn more from architect Sir David Chipperfield.
Special VIP events
For those with more flexible budgets, don't miss out on the amazing array of events in the Brown's specialist talks programme. Art 15 Director Kate Bryan, the art fair to be seen at this year, gives a point by point analysis of how to read contemporary art, shares her insider knowledge of the global art market and muses on the future of Mayfair galleries. For design lovers we recommend the talk by April Russell, apprentice to Piers Westenholz and Percy Bass, and now essential Mayfair interior designer, in conversation with the experts about choosing the right artwork for your home. Each talk is 45 minutes long with the very reasonable price tag of £30 for all that knowledge. Click here for the full programme.
Where to eat?
Over at Brown's, Director of Food Mark Hix has conjured up a spectacular new seasonal menu with dishes inspired by the artists that display their work in HIX Mayfair, Brown's luxurious restaurant. Look out for the Glen Ligon, Obama's favourite artist, inspired spelt with cuttlefish and sea purslane, and we will definitely be ordering Mat Collishaw's f-lame'd duck with New Forest cherries. There's even Tracey Emin's birthday cake on the dessert trolley. You can also take a sip from the platter of colourful mini cocktails, which charmingly resembles an artist's palette. 
Make sure you check the full programme to reserve your place early for some of the specialist talks, but the best part of this weekend is the open door policy and free events at some of the finest galleries around. If you've been putting off exploring the Mayfair and St James world, this is the best time to dive in.