Exhibitions not to miss in London this October 2020

We have a brilliant round-up of all the art exhibitions not to miss this October, including the Mayfair Art Weekend’s introduction of a month-long sculpture trail to your last chance to see ‘Among Trees’ at the Hayward Gallery. This exhibition features a collection of works from over thirty artists exploring our complex relationship with trees and forests and their role in our lives and imaginations.

Hogarth: London Voices, London Lives

Where?

Pitzhanger Manor Gallery

When?

Until 31 December 2020

Price: £2.25 - £7.00

Image: @pitzhanger

#FLODown: The Pitzhanger Manor Gallery presents an exhibition that will feature the works of seven contemporary artists who will, through photography, film and sound, offer a modern reading of London and its social challenges. The work will also provide a snapshot of the people and places that give life to the capital today from the polarising views expressed on social media and the hub of social interaction in the barbershop, to the challenges of retaining outdoor space for the public.

 The exhibition is inspired by A Rake’s Progress, a series of paintings by William Hogarth which famously depicted a morality tale of London. In 1802, Sir John Sloane bought the painting and hung it in the Pitzhanger. The painting will form the centrepiece for the exhibition reflecting the voices and issues London faces today.  

Location:

Mattock Lane, London, W5 5EQ

Nearest station:

Ealing Broadway

Opening hours:

Monday – Wednesday: Closed

Thursday – Sunday: 11 am – 7 pm

1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair

Where?

Somerset House

When?

8 October – 10 October 2020

Image:Prince Gyasi, Humility, 2019, Courtesy Nil Gallery

#FLODown: This year is the 8th edition of 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair London 2020 and will feature 35 exhibitors from 17 different countries, showcasing works by 110 African artists. There will also be a preview of the upcoming exhibition ‘Say My Name’ by Signature African Art, an exhibition that will celebrate influential figures and movements in the UK and USA. In partnership with Somerset House 1-54 will debut an exhibition that celebrates the late French Moroccan photographer, video artist and activist Leila Alaoui. The exhibition debuts at 1-54 and will run a Somerset House until January 2021.

This year’s fair will be a series of online and offline events. In collaboration with Christie’s, 1-54 will showcase all exhibitors work online from 7 – 12 October 2020. A curated pop-up exhibition will also be popping at the Christie’s headquarters. It will feature one seminal work from each 1-54 exhibitor and will be on view from 6 – 12 October.  Click here for 1-54 online.

 Similar to previous years, the 1-54 Forum will host talk programmes with international artists, curators, art historians and cultural producers. This year, the forum has been curated by Julia Grosse and Yvette Mutumba of and Contemporary and América Latina (C&AL) and is titled “I felt like a Black guy from New York trapped in Peru”. The talks will take place online across three afternoons and will be looking at creative Afro-Latin American, Caribbean and African perspectives. You must register in advance to join the online talks. Click here for the full line up.

Click here for more works at exhibitions showing contemporary African art shows during 1-54 London 2020.

Location:

Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R 1LA

Nearest station:

Charring Cross station

 Mayfair art weekend  

Where?

Mayfair

When?

Friday 2 October – Sunday 4 October 2020

Image: MTotoe, Artist:Mauro Martinez, UNIT London

 #FLODown: This year marks the 7th annual Mayfair Art Weekend which will be hosted in October. Over 30 galleries and auction houses in Mayfair and St. James’s will be opening their doors for a gallery hop where visitors will be guided around participating galleries. 

Organisers have announced the launch of a new and extended programme of events that will last throughout October. They will also be introducing the Mayfair Sculpture Trail which will last from 1 – 31 October 2020, and will feature works by a variety of artists dotted around Mayfair. In addition, the inaugural Mayfair Gallery Publication Award will be announced at the end of October!

 Click here for a full list of events and participating galleries.

Say My Name exhibition

Where?

Signature African Art

When?

27 October – 28 November 2020  

Price: Free

Image: Giggs Kgole, Signature African Art

#FLODown: To coincide with Black History Month, the Signature African Art gallery will present, Say My Name, an exhibition that will celebrate influential figures and movements in the UK and USA. 

In an exhibition that resonates with the Black Lives Matter movement, 13 African artists will honour the names of black lives who have been lost at the hands of police, including Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. Through paintings and sculptures, they will also pay tribute to black activists who have fought for equality such as Angela Davis and Wangari Maathai. Whilst also reflecting on historical moments in black history, ranging from the Transatlantic trade of enslaved Africans to the Windrush Scandal. 

The exhibition will be curated by Khalil Akar and presented by filmmaker Ava DuVernay, whose works include the critically acclaimed films and series Selma, When They See Us and the Netflix documentary 13th. 

 Click here for more on Signature African Art.

 Location:

20 Davies Street, Mayfair, London, W1K 3DT

Nearest station:

Green Park or Bond Street station

 Opening hours:

Monday – Saturday: 10 am – 5.30 pm

Sunday: By appointment

Holidays: Closed

(Summer) Winter exhibition

Where?

Royal Academy of Art 

When?

6 October 2020 – 3 January 2021

Price: £20- £22

Image: @royalacademyarts

#FLODown: For the first time in history, the Summer Exhibition will be hosted in winter. Discover a myriad of works by emerging artists and household names including Tracey Emin while injecting some of that lost warm summer feeling into those cold winter nights.

Proceeds from tickets purchased for the exhibition go towards supporting the exhibiting artists and the not-for-profit work of the Royal Academy of Arts. 

Location:

Burlington House, Piccadilly, Mayfair, London W1J 0BD

Nearest station:

Green Park station

Opening hours:

Monday –Tuesday: Closed

Wednesday –Sunday: 11am–5pm

Last chance to see...

Among Trees Exhibition 

Where?

Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre

When? 

Until 31 October 2020

Price: £13 

Image: @hayward.gallery

#FLODown: There is one month left to see Among Trees at the Hayward Gallery, an exhibition featuring a collection of works from over thirty artists, exploring our complex relationship with trees and forests and their role in our lives and imaginations. The exhibition will transport visitors around the world, from the Colombian rainforests and remote Japanese islands to olive orchards in Israel and a 9,550-year-old spruce in Sweden.

Location:

Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX

Nearest station:

Waterloo station

Opening hours:

Monday – Tuesday: Closed

Wednesday – Saturday: 11 am – 7 pm

Sunday: 10 am – 6 pm

Kara Walker Exhibition: Fons Americanus 

Where: 

Turbine Hall, Tate Modern 

When: 

Until 8 November 2020

Price: Free

Image: MTotoe

#FLODown: The Tate Modern presents the works of Brooklyn-based artist Kara Walker. Walker has created a 13 metre tall fountain, Fons Americanus, inspired by the Victoria memorial outside of Buckingham Palace. Located in the Turbine Hall, the fountain explores the interconnected histories of Africa, America and Europe. Water is a key theme representing the transatlantic slave trade and the ambitions, fates and tragedies of people from the three continents.

The project was commission by Hyundai and has been built from recyclable or reusable cork, wood and metal. 

Location: 

Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG

Nearest Station: 

Southwark station

Opening hours:

Monday – Sunday: 10 am- 6 pm