Support Us Login

Visual Arts

The best art exhibitions: London 2020

By Emily Spicer on 3/3/2020

We round up the best art exhibitions London 2020 has to offer, from a blockbuster Andy Warhol show at Tate Modern to the enchanting world of Alice in Wonderland at the the V&A

Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk, V&A

To walk through this theatrical exhibition is to experience the five-hundred-year history of the kimono, from its place in the domestic sphere, to its later importance as an iconic export.

WHEN

29 Feb 2020 – 21 Jun 2020, Check website for daily opening

WHERE

V&A, South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL

Picasso and Paper, Royal Academy

2020 gets off to a strong start with the Royal Academy's exhibition exploring Picasso's relationship with paper. Expect drawings, cut-outs and one epic collage.

WHEN

25 Jan 2020 – 13 Apr 2020, Daily 10am–6pm, Fridays 10am–10pm.

WHERE

Royal Academy, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BD

Antonio Verrio, The Sea Triumph of Charles II (c.1674), The Royal Collection Trust

British Baroque: Power and Illusion, Tate Britain

This exhibition explores a very British baroque, replete with swaggering monarchs, symbols of power and more velvet that than you can shake a sceptre at.

WHEN

05 Feb 2020 – 19 Apr 2020, 10am–6pm daily

WHERE

Tate Britain, Millbank, London, SW1P 4RG

Installation shot of Static. © Steve McQueen; courtesy the artist and of Thomas Dane Gallery, London License this image

Steve McQueen exhibition, Tate Modern

This exhibition will whip the art world up into a frenzy of excitement. Bringing together Steve McQueen's immersive film and video installations of the last 20 years, this show at Tate Modern will explore the Oscar winning auteur's output as a video artist.

WHEN

13 Feb 2020 – 11 May 2020, Sunday–Thursday 10am–6pm. Friday–Saturday 10–10pm

WHERE

Tate Modern, Bankside, London, SE1 9TG

Kehinde Wiley: The Yellow Wallpaper, William Morris Gallery

Nigerian-American artist Kehinde Wiley has painted the women of Dalston for an exhibition at the William Morris Gallery.

WHEN

22 Feb 2020 – 25 May 2020, Tuesday – Sunday 10am – 5pm. Closed Mondays<

WHERE

William Morris Gallery, Lloyd Park, Forest Road Walthamstow, E17 4PP

Léon Spilliaert exhibition, Royal Academy

Get to know Belgium's answer to Edvard Munch at the Royal Academy. Léon Spilliaert was plagued by bad health and lived in an apparently perpetual state of existential angst. As a result, his art is imbued with strangeness and mystery.

WHEN

23 Feb 2020 – 25 May 2020, Daily 10am–6pm

WHERE

Royal Academy, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BD

Masculinities: Liberation through Photography, Barbican Centre

Consisting of more than 300 images this exhibition promises a sweeping exploration of modern masculinity from 1960 to the present day, as captured by a diverse range of photographers.

WHEN

20 Feb 2020 – 17 May 2020, Mondays – Saturday 9am–11pm. Sundays 11am–11pm

WHERE

Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS

British Surrealism 1783–1952, Dulwich Picture Gallery

British surrealism started with William Blake and Henri Fuseli, or so curator Dr David Boyd Haycock claims. Get to grips with these purveyors of the strange at what promises to be a fascinating exhibition.

WHEN

26 Feb 2020 –; 17 May 2020, Tuesday - Sunday, 10am - 5pm. Closed Mondays, except bank holidays

WHERE

Dulwich Picture Gallery, Gallery Road, London, SE21 7AD

Left: David Hockney. Celia, Carennac. 1971. © David Hockney. Right: David Hockney Mother, Bradford. 1979 © David Hockney. Photo Credit: Richard Schmidt Collection The David Hockney Foundation

David Hockney: Drawing from Life

David Hockney is nothing if not prolific. This exhibition will explore the octogenarian’s journey as portraitist from his school days in the 1950s to the present day. This is one for the diary.

WHEN

27 Feb 2020 – 28 Jun 2020, 12:00 AM

WHERE

National Portrait Gallery, St Martin's Place, London, WC2H 0HE

Illustration for Oscar Wilde’s Salome 1893 The Peacock Skirt Line block print on paper Stephen Calloway Photo: © Tate

Aubrey Beardsley, Tate Britain

We can't wait for this exhibition. Fin-de-siècle enfant terrible Aubrey Beardsley had a reputation for being somewhat of a dandy and an eccentric. He was also an extremely talented illustrator. Tate Britain's exhibition of more than 200 of his works, will include many rarely-seen ink drawings.

WHEN

04 Mar 2020 – 25 May 2020, Open every day 10am – 6pm

WHERE

Tate Britain, Millbank, London, SW1P 4RG

A portrait of Baba Beaton, the photographer’s sister. Photograph: Cecil Beaton/National Portrait Gallery/PA

Cecil Beaton's Bright Young Things, National Portrait Gallery

Vogue photographer and social butterfly Cecil Beaton captured the bold and the beautiful of high society during a golden age of glamour and fashion. This spring, an exhibition will examine Beaton's portraits of Britain's socialites from the 20s and 30s – the actors and dancers, aristocrats and influencers of the era.

WHEN

12 Mar 2020 – 07 Jun 2020, Daily 10am–6pm

WHERE

National Portrait Gallery, St Martin's Place, London, WC2H 0HE

Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Diptych, 1962. Photograph: Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts/Artists Rights Society/DACS

Andy Warhol exhibition, Tate Modern

This hotly anticipated exhibition of Andy Warhol's work will run at Tate Modern for six months and will include some of his best-known works.

WHEN

12 Mar 2020 – 06 Sep 2020, Sunday to Thursday 10.00–18.00 Friday to Saturday 10.00–22.00

WHERE

Tate Modern, Bankside, London, SE1 9TG

(Detail) Titian, Rape of Europa, 1562. © Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston.

Titian: Love, Desire, Death, National Gallery

You can't go wrong with Titian. For the first time since 1704, the National Gallery are reuniting five of the artist's most extraordinary paintings, which were inspired by Ovid's Metamorphoses.

WHEN

16 Mar 2020 – 14 Jun 2020, Daily 10am–6pm, Fridays 10am–9pm.

WHERE

National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 5DN

Paul Paul Gauguin, Portrait of a Young Woman, Vaïte (Jeanne) Goupil, (1896)

Gauguin and the Impressionists, Royal Academy

Paul Gauguin headlines this all-star exhibition, which will examine the impressionists and their impact on the art that followed.

WHEN

29 Mar 2020 – 14 Jun 2020, Open daily 10am – 6pm

WHERE

Royal Academy, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BD

Zanele Muholi, Tate Modern

Visual activist Zanele Muholi utilises photography, video and installation to produce work that explores black LGBTQI identities, shining a light on the prejudice and often violent discrimination experienced by this community.

WHEN

29 Apr 2020 – 18 Oct 2020, Open daily 10am – 6pm

WHERE

Tate Modern, Bankside, London, SE1 9TG

Jacques le Moyne de Morgues, Daffodils and a Red Admiral butterfly, ca. 1575, watercolour on paper © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Renaissance Watercolours: from Dürer to Van Dyck, V&A

When one thinks of the art of the Renaissance, watercolours are perhaps not the first art form that comes to mind. This exhibition will bring a collection of exquisite examples to the V&A.

WHEN

16 May 2020 – 20 Sep 2020, 10:00 AM – 5:45 PM

WHERE

V&A, South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL

Arctic: Culture and Climate, British Museum

This exhibition will explore the resilient communities of the Artic and what climate change means for their future.

WHEN

28 May 2020 – 23 Aug 2020, Open daily 10am – 5.30pm

WHERE

British Museum, Great Russell St, London, WC1B 3DG

Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Tate Britain

Lynette Yiadom-Boakye is undoubtedly one of her generation's most intriguing painters. Her style is heavily influenced by the old masters, but her work every bit the product of a contemporary genius.

WHEN

19 May 2020 – 31 Aug 2020, Open daily 10am – 6pm

WHERE

Tate Britain, Millbank, London, SW1P 4RG

Artemisia Gentileschi (1593 – 1654 or later) Self Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria about 1615-17. © The National Gallery, London

Artemisia, National Gallery

Artemisia Gentileschi (1593 – 1654 or later) is one of the most important painters of the Italian baroque and somewhat of feminist icon. She achieved the near impossible, becoming a highly successful painter in the face of overwhelming odds and possessed a formidable talent, lending a woman’s perspective to man’s world.

WHEN

04 Apr 2020 – 28 Jul 2020, 10am – 6pm daily. 10am – 9pm Fridays

WHERE

National Gallery

Magdalena Abakanowicz Abakan Red 1969 Tate Presented anonymously 2009 © Magdalena Abakanowicz Foundation

Magdalena Abakanowicz exhibition, Tate Modern

You may not have heard of Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz, but her public works occupy some significant sites. Born in 1930, she battled the odds to become one of the most important sculptors of the 20th century.

WHEN

17 Jun 2020 – 13 Sep 2020, Daily 10am–6pm

WHERE

Tate Modern, Bankside, London, SE1 9TG

Unearthed: Photography's Roots, Dulwich Picture Gallery

Carrots, cabbages and garden flowers might not seem like obvious subjects for an exhibition, but Dulwich Picture Gallery wants to convince us otherwise with a show exploring the history of photography through images of plants.

WHEN

17 Jun 2020 – 20 Sep 2020, Tuesday - Sunday 10am - 5pm

WHERE

Dulwich Picture Gallery, Gallery Road, London, SE21 7AD

Britain and Photography: 1945-79 exhibition, Tate Britain

Post-war Britain saw incredible change. The empire collapsed, civil rights shot to the fore and the Cold War heated up. Captured on celluloid, these are some of the topics covered in what promises to be a brilliant and timely exhibition.

WHEN

30 Jun 2020 – 27 Sep 2020, Open daily 10am – 6pm

WHERE

Tate Britain, Millbank, London, SW1P 4RG

Zenaida Yanowsky as The Red Queen in Christopher Wheeldon's ballet Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The Royal Ballet. Photography by Johan Persson / © ROH. Costumes by Bob Crowley

Alice In Wonderland, V&A

Visitors to the V&A next year are invited to step through the looking glass and fall head first into one of the world's best-loved stories. This big-budget exhibition promises to be an 'immersive and theatrical show' that takes visitors on a 'mind-bending journey down the rabbit hole'. We cannot wait!

WHEN

27 Jun 2020 – 10 Jan 2021, 10:00 AM – 5:45 PM

WHERE

V&A, South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL

Marina Abramović, ‘Artist Portrait with a Candle (C)’, from the series Places of Power, 2013. Fine art pigment print. Brazil. Courtesy of the Marina Abramović Archives © Marina Abramović

Marina Abramović: After Life, Royal Academy

Marina Ambramović is the godmother of performance art. Nobody holds an audience's attention like she does. In September, an exhibition spanning her 50 year career is coming to the Royal Academy in what promises to be the hit exhibition of the season.

WHEN

26 Sep 2020 – 08 Dec 2020, Open daily 10am – 6pm

WHERE

Royal Academy, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BD

Raphael exhibition, National Gallery

2020 marks 500 years since Raphael’s early death at the age of 37. He was one of the Renaissance’s most gifted painters, but had many other talents, too. This exhibition explores the full breadth of this master's artistic output, from his poetry to his tapestry designs.

WHEN

03 Oct 2020 – 24 Jan 2021, Open daily 10am – 6pm, Friday until 9pm

WHERE

National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 5DN

(Detail) Detached folio from an illuminated manuscript of the Shahnameh for Shah Tahmasp, 1525-1535, Tabriz. The Sarikhani Collection, I.MS.4025.

Epic Iran, V&A

Epic Iran will explore 5,000 years of art, design, and culture through 300 objects, in what will be the first major exhibition of Iranian art since a 1931 survey at the Royal Academy.

WHEN

17 Oct 2020 – 04 Apr 2021, 10:00 AM – 5:45 PM

WHERE

V&A, South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL

The best art exhibitions: London 2020

We round up the best art exhibitions London 2020 has to offer, from a blockbuster Andy Warhol show at Tate Modern to the enchanting world of Alice in Wonderland at the the V&A

Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk, V&A

Picasso and Paper, Royal Academy

British Baroque: Power and Illusion, Tate Britain

Steve McQueen exhibition, Tate Modern

Kehinde Wiley: The Yellow Wallpaper, William Morris Gallery

Léon Spilliaert exhibition, Royal Academy

Masculinities: Liberation through Photography, Barbican Centre

British Surrealism 1783–1952, Dulwich Picture Gallery

David Hockney: Drawing from Life

Aubrey Beardsley, Tate Britain

Cecil Beaton's Bright Young Things, National Portrait Gallery

Andy Warhol exhibition, Tate Modern

Titian: Love, Desire, Death, National Gallery

Gauguin and the Impressionists, Royal Academy

Zanele Muholi, Tate Modern

Renaissance Watercolours: from Dürer to Van Dyck, V&A

Arctic: Culture and Climate, British Museum

Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Tate Britain

Artemisia, National Gallery

Magdalena Abakanowicz exhibition, Tate Modern

Unearthed: Photography's Roots, Dulwich Picture Gallery

Britain and Photography: 1945-79 exhibition, Tate Britain

Alice In Wonderland, V&A

Marina Abramović: After Life, Royal Academy

Raphael exhibition, National Gallery

Epic Iran, V&A

The art to see in London's permanent collections

London private galleries: exhibitions opening this month

Top places to see street art in London now

Must-see art exhibitions in the UK

12 artists you should be following on Instagram

In-the-know art exhibitions online