Tabish Khan, the @LondonArtCritic, picks his Top 5 Museum Exhibitions to see in London this Summer. Check out the previous top 5 if you’re after more shows to visit.
Jenny Saville: The Anatomy of Painting at The National Portrait Gallery
Big fleshy nudes, close-up faces filled with detail and expressive paintings, this is a must-see for all fans of figurative paintings and painting in general. I’ve always been a fan of her work, which challenges the traditional male gaze. It’s a superb collection of work from some of her earliest paintings to her latest works. Until 7th September, ticketed.
Hiroshige: artist of the open road at The British Museum
Everyone remembers Hokusai for his Great Wave, and Hiroshige is often thought of as the lesser-known artist, which is unfair, as he was just as important and popular at the time, documenting everything from geishas to samurai and everyday life. The exhibition charts how he influenced other Japanese artists, the Impressionists and even contemporary artists today. Plus, it’s chock-full of phenomenal prints filled with painstaking detail. Until 7th September, ticketed.
Leonardo Drew: Ubiquity II at South London Gallery
This show is explosive, quite literally. Fragments of material extend up the walls to the ceiling and all across the floor as if a sculpture had existed at one point before it was blown apart. It relates to the chaos of the world, both man-made and natural disasters. What I like best is how it utilises the grand space to immerse you within his maelstrom. Until 7th September, free.
1880 THAT: Christine Sun Kim and Thomas Mader at Wellcome Collection
I had no idea what to expect and was impressed by these playful works, which feature inflatable fingers and a mutant combo of multiple noses. They make pertinent observations on how deaf people have been treated, including when sign language was sidelined at a conference in Milan, where only one deaf person was present, with the accusatory inflatable fingers pointing to Milan and Parliament. It’s an integral part of history that the hearing community should be aware of. Until 16th September, free.
He was quite the character, and Tate has ensured that this exhibition is just as over-the-top as he was, with vibrant wallpaper, larger-than-life outfits, and plenty of videos so we can see what a fun and mischievous artist he was. He’s a character whose work will be seen as controversial in today’s lens, so I can only imagine the ruckus he caused in his time. Until 31st August, ticketed.
All images are copyright of the respective artists and museums. National Portrait Gallery photo copyright David Parry. South London Gallery photo: Andy Stagg. Leigh Bowery photo: (c) Tate Photography (Larina Annora Fernandes). Hiroshige image: © The Trustees of the British Museum. 1880 THAT image: © Christine Sun Kim and Thomas Mader. Gallery Photo: Steven Pocock.
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Art Critic for both FAD and Londonist. See as many exhibitions as possible and write reviews, opinion pieces and a weekly top 5 for FAD.