London has an awful lot to offer including an overwhelming amount of amazing exhibitions. However, unless you’re a seasoned frequenter of London’s galleries, or just so happen to have an invested interest in the capital’s art scene, some of the best exhibitions come and go without even registering with the majority of the general public. So if you’re planning a visit to arguably the best city in the world over the next few months, or are lucky enough to call London home, here are HCX’s pick of some of the exciting and beautiful upcoming exhibitions that will be on offer.
Bailey’s Stardust
David Bailey is responsible for photographing some of the most iconic fashion images over the past 50 years, including the likes of Kate Moss and rock and roll legend Mick Jagger. Bailey has chosen the spectacular National Portrait Gallery to showcase his 250 chosen portraits that range from household names to un-known strangers. The exhibition is arranged thematically and promises to ‘take you on a journey through rock and roll London all the way to Papua New Guinea showing the variety of Bailey’s lens.’ The exhibition is running until Sunday the 1st of June and costs £12 for students, which may seem a bit pricer for those of us whose student loan’s are a distant memory but Bailey is truly a living legend of the photography world.
Travelling to the Wonderland: Xu Bing instillation at the V&A
If you’re in need of some escapism then this is the exhibition to head to, and it’s also totally free! The huge interior courtyard of the V&A, the John Madejski Garden, which is dominated by a serene pool has been transformed by Chinese artist Xu Bing into an ethereal fantasy garden. The magical instillation is said to look even more spectacular after dark, and was apparently designed with a fifth-century Chinese fable in mind. Bing has gone to so much effort that large rocks have been shipped all the way from China in order to surround the pool, and give off the impression of mountainous peaks. Plus, in the museum’s TT Tsui Gallery there will be an exhibition of Xu Bing’s further works called ‘Travelling to the Wonderland: Sketches’ – which includes sketches, paintings and calligraphy composed by Bing throughout the composition of the instillation. This exhibition is running until the 2nd of March.
Who Art You? London edition
The Who Art you exhibition originated in Italy, and is now winging its way over to London and putting down roots in the Brick Lane Gallery from the 19th- 23rd of March. The concept promises to showcase over 50 pieces from 14 artists ranging from photography to contemporary painting all in order to showcase the best of British artistic talent.
Picture Credits: www.thebricklanegallery.com, www.ibtimes.co.uk, www.timeout.com, streetartlondon.co.uk