Frida Kahlo, Masterpiece Art Fair, Michael Jackson and more. The best of the art world will all be at your fingertips in London this summer. Read our Summer Study faculty suggestions for must-visit exhibitions and shows in London this summer!
Masterpiece
Royal Hospital Chelsea, June 28 – July 4
London’s luxury fair returns for its eighth year, following its recent acquisition by the MCH Group, the parent company of Art Basel. The fair offers collectors a huge range of works, from design and furniture to old masters and contemporary, with Hauser and Wirth gallery appearing at the fair for the first time.
Artnight 2018
South Bank, Vauxhall, Nine Elms, July 7
Artnight is London’s largest free contemporary Art Festival which takes place from 6pm on 7th July until 6am the next morning. In 2018 the festival will take place in the South Bank area of London, featuring a trail of twelve unique sites hosting commissions, one-off events and premieres of internationally renowned artists.
Michael Jackson, On the Wall
National Portrait Gallery, June 28 – October 21
(pictured above)
This is a landmark exhibition that brings together the works of over 40 contemporary artists who were influenced by Michael Jackson, one of the most important pop culture figures of the 20th century. His influence on music, video, dance and fashion is widely acknowledged, but this exhibition explored his considerable influence on contemporary art.
Frida Kahlo: Making Her Self Up
V&A, June 16 – November 4
200 items from Kahlo’s home, the Blue House, unseen for 50 years after her death, will be on display for the first time outside of Mexico. Looking at clothes, jewellery and make up, the show will explore how the artists empowered herself through her art, clothes and style.
Summer Exhibition 2018
Royal Academy, June 12 – August 19
The Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition is a major art world event every summer and is now in its 250th year! It’s the largest open submission exhibition in the world and attracts works from both emerging and well established artists. This year the exhibition will be coordinated by Grayson Perry.
Picasso 1932 – Love, Fame, Tragedy
Tate Modern, March 8 – September 9
Tate Modern’s first ever solo Picasso exhibition focuses on the year 1932, one of the most intensely creative in his life. Three extraordinary paintings of his lover Marie-Therese Walter are shown together since their creation in March 1932, and will feature over 100 paintings, sculptures and drawings allowing you a rare glimpse into Picasso’s personal life.
All Too Human: Bacon, Freud and a Century of Painting Life
Tate Britain, February 28 - August 27
A celebration of British painters who strove to represent human figures, their relationships and surroundings in intimate ways. The exhibition focuses on Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon, but features rare works from Frank Auerbach, Paula Rego, Walter Sickert and David Bomberg.
Monet and Architecture
National Gallery, April 9 – July 29
The first exhibition to explore Monet’s work through the buildings he painted, from coastal villages to Europe’s great monuments. The exhibition includes over 75 works by the French painter, exploring how he used architecture to create his composition, including some of his most famous paintings and lesser-known discoveries.