Art exhibitions to watch out for in London this summer 2024

This summer in London promises an impressive lineup of art exhibitions, including the return of the Royal Academy of Arts' summer exhibition, a retrospective of Ernest Cole's work at the Photographers Gallery, Judy Chicago's solo showcase at the Serpentine, and a dedicated exhibition highlighting Beryl Cook and Tom of Finland at Studio Voltaire. Here's our pick of 13 must-see exhibitions in London this summer.

Ernest Cole: House of Bondage

SOUTH AFRICA. 1960s. Students kneel on floor to write. Government is casual about furnishing schools for blacks. © Ernest Cole / Magnum Photos.

#FLODown: The Photographers’ Gallery will showcase the groundbreaking work of South African photographer Ernest Cole, who exposed the brutal reality of apartheid. Born in 1940, Cole documented the injustices faced by Black South Africans, fleeing the country in 1966. His banned book, House of Bondage, became iconic, shedding light on apartheid's violence. The exhibition features over 100 photographs, including previously unpublished works, curated in collaboration with Magnum Photos.

Date: 14 June – 22 September 2024. Location: The Photographers’ Gallery 16–18 Ramillies Street London W1F 7LW. Price: £8 / £5 concessions (members go free) Advance online booking: £6.50 / £4 concessions. Book now.

Beryl Cook / Tom of Finland

Tom of Finland, Untitled, 1962 (From the Athletic Model Guild 'The Tattooed Sailor' series) © 1962 Tom of Finland Foundation.

#FLODown: Studio Voltaire presents a groundbreaking exhibition showcasing the works of two cultural icons for the first time: Beryl Cook, known for her vibrant portrayals of everyday life, and Tom of Finland, renowned for pioneering depictions of homosexual machismo. The exhibition delves into themes of fleshly excesses, gender, sexuality, taste, and class, revealing interconnected ideas through archival materials never before seen by the public. Both artists hyperrealise the body to celebrate pleasure and reject shame, leaving a profound impact on wider popular culture through their direct engagement with audiences.

Date: 15 May–25 August 2024. Location: Studio Voltaire,1A Nelsons Row, London SW4 7JR. Price: Free. Website: studiovoltaire.org. 

Judy Chicago: Revelations

Judy Chicago In the Beginning from Birth Project (detail), 1982 Prismacolor on paper 65 x 389 in. (165.1 x 988.06 cm) © Judy Chicago/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York; Photo © Donald Woodman/ARS, NY Courtesy of the artist.

#FLODown: The Serpentine will host Revelations, Judy Chicago's largest solo exhibition in a London institution. Spanning her six-decade career, Chicago challenges the art world's male dominance, exploring gender equality and feminist identity. The exhibition features rare drawings, multimedia elements, and an AR app, offering a unique experience. Accompanying the show is Chicago's manuscript Revelations, reimagining forgotten women's stories. This exhibition embodies the Serpentine's mission of connecting art with pressing social and environmental issues.

Date: 23 May – 1 September 2024. Location: Serpentine North, West Carriage Drive,
London W2 2AR. Price: Free. Website: serpentinegalleries.org.

Gavin Jantjes: To Be Free! A Retrospective (1970 – 2023)

Gavin Jantjes, Untitled, 1989, Acrylic on canvas, Arts Council Collection, Image courtesy the artist.

#FLODown: Gavin Jantjes' retrospective at the Whitechapel Gallery, titled To be Free!, marks his largest solo exhibition in the UK to date, showcasing over 100 prints, drawings, and paintings. It traces his evolution as a painter, printmaker, writer, and curator, emphasising his critical role in shaping discussions around Africa and its diasporas. The exhibition coincides with the 30th anniversary of South Africa's first free elections and delves into Jantjes' anti-apartheid activism and subsequent exile to Europe. Structured in chapters, it highlights key periods in his career, from groundbreaking print works to recent non-figurative paintings. Accompanying the exhibition is a publication and documentary, providing insight into Jantjes' significant contributions to the art world.

Date: 12 June – 1 September 2024. Location: Whitechapel Gallery, 77-82 Whitechapel High St, London E1 7QX. Price: £12.50. Concessions available. Book now.

Lonnie Holley

The Unidentified Laborers', 2023 Wooden standand pitch forks. Image courtesy the artist and Edel Assanti.

#FLODown: A major solo exhibition by Lonnie Holley, an American artist and musician known for his totemic sculptures and paintings will be showcased at the Camden Art Centre this summer. Holley's work, rooted in the Black Art tradition of the southern states, blends salvaged materials with narrative storytelling, reflecting his experiences in the civil rights movement and his deep love for the natural world. Through his art, Holley conveys messages of regeneration and optimism, offering profound insights into the human condition. This exhibition celebrates Holley's significant contributions to contemporary art.

Date: 5 July - 15 September 2024. Location: Camden Art Centre, Arkwright Rd, London NW3 6DG. Price: Free. Website: camdenartcentre.org.

The Royal Academy of Arts  Summer Exhibtion 2024

Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition 2022. Photo by MTotoe.

#FLODown: The world's largest open submission exhibition is set to return in 2024 to the Royal Academy of Arts, offering an annual celebration of art in all its forms. Held continuously since 1769, the Summer Exhibition presents a diverse range of contemporary works, spanning prints, paintings, films, photography, sculpture, and architectural pieces. Coordinated by sculptor Ann Christopher RA, this year's show will feature a curated selection of artwork by both open-submission artists and Royal Academicians, showcasing a mix of established names and emerging talent. Many of the exhibited works will be available for purchase, with proceeds directly supporting the artists and the Royal Academy's charitable endeavours, including the training of future generations of artists at the Royal Academy Schools.

Date: 18 June - 18 August 2024. Location: Royal Academy of Arts,Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD. Price: £22- £24.50. Book now.

 Anthoy McCall: Solid Light

Anthony McCall, Eye Film Museum exhibition (installation view) 2014. Photo: Hans Wilschut, courtesy Sprüth Magers.

#FLODown: An exhibition showcasing the works of Anthony McCall will open at Tate Modern this summer. Through beams of light projected into mist, McCall creates large three-dimensional forms that shift and change as viewers interact with them. Blending sculpture, cinema, drawing, and performance, McCall's installations redefine the possibilities of art, with his seminal work ‘Line Describing a Cone’ revolutionising sculpture in 1973.

Date: 27 June 2024 – 27 April 2025. Location: Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG. Price:£10.Concession available. Book now.

Barbie Exhibition

1985 Day to Night Barbie. Photo Mattel Inc.

#FLODown: The Design Museum is set to host a significant exhibition on the history of Barbie™, coinciding with the doll's 65th anniversary in 2024. In collaboration with Mattel Inc., the museum has gained special access to the extensive Barbie archives in California. Curated by Danielle Thom, the exhibition will explore Barbie's design evolution and legacy since its creation in 1959 by Ruth Handler. It will delve into various design aspects like fashion, architecture, furniture, and vehicle design. The exhibition is scheduled to open in July, and will feature rare and unique items, offering an exciting glimpse into the iconic brand's journey over the past six-and-a-half decades.

Date: 5 July 2024 - 23 February 2025. Location: The Design Museum. Website: designmuseum.co.uk.

NAOMI

NAOMI is at the V&A, 22 June 2024 – 6 April 2025. Photographer by Marco Bahler.

#FLODown: The V&A museum is set to host NAOMI, a unique exhibition showcasing Naomi Campbell's 40-year career as a trailblazing British fashion model and icon. Taking place in Summer 2024, the exhibition will feature around 100 looks from top global designers, as well as fashion photography curated by Edward Enninful. It will also highlight Campbell's advocacy for social change and her support for emerging creatives.

Date: 22 June 2024 - 6 April 2025. Location: V&A Museum, Cromwell Rd, London SW7 2RL Price: £16. Concessions available. Book now.

Zanele Muholi

Zanele Muholi, Manzi I, West Coast, Cape Town, 2022. Courtesy the artist and Yancey Richardson Gallery © Zanele Muholi.

#FLODown: Tate Modern will present a UK survey of visual activist Zanele Muholi, featuring over 260 photographs spanning their career. Muholi documents and celebrates South Africa's LGBTQIA+ communities, challenging stereotypes and taboos through powerful series like ‘Only Half the Picture’ and ‘Faces and Phases.’ The exhibition also includes new works since their 2020-21 Tate Modern exhibition, offering a compelling overview of Muholi's impactful work.

Date: 6 June 2024 – 26 January 2025. Location: Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG. Price:£18.Concession available. Book now.

  Modernism in Ukraine, 1900-1930s

Oleksandr Bohomazov, Sharpening the Saws, 1927, oil on canvas, 138 x 155 cm, National Art Museum of Ukraine.

#FLODown: In the Eye of the Storm: Modernism in Ukraine, 1900–1930s, opening at the Royal Academy of Arts in June 2024, will offer a comprehensive exploration of Ukrainian modern art, featuring approximately 70 artworks from esteemed artists like Alexander Archipenko and Kazymyr Malevych, as well as lesser-known figures such as Mykhailo Boichuk and Oleksandr Bohomazov. Against a backdrop of geopolitical complexity, Ukraine's historical trajectory of division and nascent national identity fostered a vibrant cultural amalgamation, reflected in the exhibition's thematic sections spanning Cubo-Futurism, theatre design, the Kultur Lige's avant-garde synthesis, and the impact of Soviet imposition. This showcase seeks to highlight the quest for a distinct Ukrainian artistic identity amidst broader European modernism, highlighting an essential yet often overlooked chapter in art history.

Date: 29 June – 13 October 2024. Location: Royal Academy of Arts. Price: from £15. Concessions available. Book now.

Tavares Strachan: There Is Light Somewhere

Tavares Strachan, You Belong Here, Prospect.3 New Orleans, 2014. (Installation view from Prospect 3 Biennale, New Orleans, LA). Blocked out neon travelling installation on the Mississippi River. 30 ft x 80 ft on 100-ft barge. Courtesy of the artist.

#FLODown: The Hayward Gallery will host Tavares Strachan: There Is Light Somewhere, the first mid-career survey of the New York-based Bahamian artist. Strachan, known for his bold and imaginative art, challenges boundaries with exhibitions like the 2019 Venice Biennale. The exhibition will showcase monumental sculptures, large-scale collages, and installations focusing on themes of cultural visibility and remembrance. Strachan celebrates unsung explorers and cultural trailblazers while questioning historical biases. Through his art, he sheds light on colonial legacies, racism, and the universal quest for belonging.

Date: 11 June — 1 September 2024. Location: Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre. Price: £18. Concessions available & Southbank Centre Members go free. Book now.

Expressionists: Kandinsky, Münter and the Blue Rider

Erma Bossi, Circus 1909 Lenbachhaus Munich, on permanent loan from the Gabriele Münter and Johannes Eichner Foundation, Munich.

#FLODown: Tate Modern's exhibition, Expressionists: Kandinsky, Münter and the Blue Rider, delves into the influential circle of artists in the early 20th century. Led by figures like Wassily Kandinsky and Gabriele Münter, the Blue Rider collective aimed to transcend borders through art. The exhibition will showcase their diverse perspectives, innovative approaches to form, and lasting legacy, offering a glimpse into their transformative impact on modernist art.

Date: 25 April – 20 October 2024. Location: Tate Modern Bankside London SE1 9TG. Price: £22. Book now.

Click here to discover art exhibitions opening in London in May 2024.

Thumbnail image: SOUTH AFRICA. Mamelodi. 1960s. Typical location has acres of identical four-room houses on nameless streets. Many are hours by train from city jobs. © Ernest Cole / Magnum Photos