Art exhibitions to see in London in February 2024
As London's art calendar starts to get into full swing, February promises a diverse array of exhibitions. Highlights include solo showcases by Barbara Kruger and Refik Anadol at the Serpentine, an exploration of art's entanglement with colonial histories at the Royal Academy of Arts, and a retrospective dedicated to the career of Yoko Ono. Here's a look at 11 exhibitions opening in London this February.
Entangled Pasts, 1768–now: Art, Colonialism and Change
Installation view of the ‘Navigation Charts’ exhibition at Spike Island, Bristol, 2017, showing Lubaina Himid RA, Naming the Money, 2004. © Lubaina Himid. Image courtesy the artist, Hollybush Gardens, London and National Museums, Liverpool. © Spike Island, Bristol. Photo: Stuart Whipps.
#FLODown: The Royal Academy of Arts will host Entangled Pasts, 1768–now: Art, Colonialism and Change, featuring over 100 artworks spanning 250 years. The exhibition explores art's entanglement with colonial histories, showcasing diverse mediums and artists. From historical portraits to contemporary installations, the showcase prompts reflection on colonial legacies, offering a comprehensive platform for acknowledgment and contemplation of art's role in shaping global narratives.
Date: 3 February - 28 April 2024. Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD. Price: £22. Book now.
Barbara Kruger: Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You
Barbara Kruger; BARBARA KRUGER: THINKING OF YOU, I MEAN ME, I MEAN YOU Installation view, The Art Institute of Chicago - AIC, Chicago, September 19, 2021–January 24, 2022 Courtesy the artist and Sprüth Magers Photo: The Art Institute of Chicago.
#FLODown: Barbara Kruger, renowned for her impactful exploration of visual culture and societal themes, will host her solo exhibition, Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You, at Serpentine South and Outernet Arts in London after more than two decades. This return to Serpentine showcases Kruger's installations, moving images, and soundscapes, engaging deeply with contemporary issues of power, gender, and capitalism. Featuring iconic works like ‘I shop therefore I am’ and ‘Your body is a battleground,’ alongside reinterpretations, this curated exhibition by Kruger herself aims to provoke thoughtful reflection on societal constructs, individual identity, and the evolving digital landscape.
Date: 1 February – 17 March 2024. Location: Serpentine South Gallery, London W2 3XA. Price: Free. Website: serpentinegalleries.org.
BURTYNSKY: Extraction/Abstraction
Ed Burtynsky © Edward Burtynsky.
#FLODown: Saatchi Gallery's upcoming exhibition, BURTYNSKY: Extraction/Abstraction, curated by Marc Mayer, presents Edward Burtynsky's largest collection yet, featuring 94 large-format photos, 13 murals, and augmented reality. The showcase explores humanity's impact on Earth, including a multimedia experience titled In the Wake of Progress that encourages reflection on sustainability. Divided into five sections, the exhibition prompts contemplation of our environmental relationship and highlights organisations dedicated to sustainability.
Date: 14 February – 6 May 2024. Location: Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York's HQ, King's Rd, London SW3 4RY. Price: from £10. Book now.
Frank Auerbach: The Charcoal Heads
Frank Auerbach (b.1931), Self-Portrait, 1958, Charcoal and chalk on paper. Private Collection © the artist, courtesy of Frankie Rossi Art Projects, London.
#FLODown: The Courtauld Gallery will host an exhibition by Frank Auerbach titled The Charcoal Heads, featuring his hauntingly beautiful charcoal portrait heads from the 1950s and 1960s in post-war London. The showcase includes seventeen major charcoal drawings and six paintings, exploring the interplay between Auerbach's painted and charcoal portraits. Drawn from public and private collections, the exhibition reflects Auerbach's enduring fascination with capturing the essence of the human form.
Date: 9 February – 27 May 2024. Location: The Courtauld Gallery, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 0RN. Price: from £14. Concessions available. Book now.
Abraham Kritzman & Daniel Silver : Choir
Abraham Kritzman: Land’s End at Elizabeth Xi Bauer Gallery, London, 9th December 2022 –25th January 2023. Photograph: Richard Ivey. Courtesy the Artist and Elizabeth Xi Bauer Gallery, London.
#FLODown: Choir, a dual exhibition at Elizabeth Xi Bauer Gallery, introduces Daniel Silver's distinctive sculptures, repurposing Greco-Roman statuary, and Abraham Kritzman's large-scale relief paintings influenced by global travels. Kritzman's works, housed in black box structures, and bronze reliefs showcase his multidisciplinary exploration of man-made concepts. Silver's recent sculptural endeavours in unglazed clay and oil paints delve into psychoanalytic theory, while the exhibition also features his semi-abstract ceramic busts and large works on paper from the Untitled series, blurring reality and imagination while exploring human relationships.
Date: 2 February – 30 March 2024. Location: Elizabeth Xi Bauer Gallery. Fuel Tank 8-12, Creekside, London SE8 3DX. Price: Free.
When Forms Come Alive
Image: Tara Donovan, Untitled (Mylar), 2011_2018. Mylar and hot glue. Dimensions Variable. Installation view, MCA Denver. Photo_ Christopher Burke. Courtesy the artist and Pace Gallery.
#FLODown: When Forms Come Alive: Sixty Years of Restless Sculpture at the Hayward Gallery explores artists' fascination with movement and organic growth. Spanning 50 years of contemporary art, the exhibition showcases dynamic sculptural forms that evoke fluid experiences and challenge digitalisation. Nineteen international artists present works that emphasise spontaneity, gravity, and evolving sensations. The sculptures reject rigidity, encouraging interaction with ambiguous forms. The exhibition opens with post minimalist works and progresses to contemporary artists drawing inspiration from organic life.
Date: 7 February - 6 May 2024. Location:Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, London SE1 8XX. Price: £18. Concessions available. Book now.
Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art
Image: Teressa Margolles, American Juju for the Tapestry of Truth, 2025. © Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Peter Kilchman, Zurich/Paris.
#FLODown: Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art at the Barbican Art Gallery in February is a compelling exhibition spotlighting the transformative role of textiles in contemporary art. Featuring over 100 works by artists such as Faith Ringgold, Louise Bourgeois, and Tracey Emin, the showcase explores how textiles challenge power structures, transcend boundaries, and address themes like gender, sexuality, colonialism, displacement, and ancient knowledge. From hand-crafted pieces to large-scale installations, the exhibition highlights textiles as agents of resistance and repair, offering a fresh perspective on this often overlooked medium.
Date: 14 February – 26 May 2024. Location: Barbican Art Gallery, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS. Price: £18. Concessions available. Book now.
Yoko Ono Exhibition
Yoko Ono with Glass Hammer 1967 from HALF-A-WIND SHOW, Lisson Gallery, London, 1967. Photograph: Clay Perry © Yoko Ono.
#FLODown: Tate Modern will present a major exhibition dedicated to Yoko Ono, a celebrated artist and activist known for her influential contributions to conceptual and performance art, experimental film, and music. Covering over six decades, the exhibition will feature Ono's diverse body of work, including early performances, works on paper, objects, and music. Visitors will also have the opportunity to engage with some of Ono's significant activist projects, such as PEACE IS POWER and Wish Tree.
Date: 15 February – 1 September 2024.Location: Tate Modern. Website: tate.co.uk.
Soulscapes
Image: Image: Mónica de Miranda, Sun rise (detail), 2023, inkjet print on cotton paper. Courtesy of the artist and Sabrina Amrani Gallery, Madrid.
#FLODown: Soulscapes at Dulwich Picture Gallery seeks to redefine landscape art through the perspectives of over 30 contemporary artists like Hurvin Anderson, Phoebe Boswell, and Njideka Akunyili Crosby. This diverse showcase, spanning painting, photography, film, and collage, explores themes of belonging, memory, joy, and transformation. Artists from the African Diaspora provide insights into their relationship with the natural world, addressing identity, history, and personal experiences.
Date: 14 February – 2 June 2024. Location: Dulwich Picture Gallery, London SE21 7AD. Price: from £17.50. Concessions available. Book now.
Echoes of the Earth: Living Archive
Refik Anadol, Artificial Realities: Coral, 2023. Courtesy Refik Anadol Studios.
#FLODown: Explore the future of art at Serpentine's Echoes of the Earth: Living Archive by AI artist Refik Anadol. An immersive experience blending AI with visual data from coral reefs and rainforests, the exhibition showcases innovation with works like Artificial Realities: Coral. The UK premiere of Living Archive: Nature transforms the gallery into an AI rainforest, highlighting 3D generative outputs. Developed through interdisciplinary research, the model draws from renowned institutions and anticipates future expansion with data partners.
Date: 15 February - 7 April 2024. Location: Serpentine North, Kensington Gardens,London, W2 2AR. Price: Free.
Legion life in the Roman army
Gold coin - oath-taking scene between two soliders © The Trustees of the British Museum.
#FLODown: Discover Rome's military legacy through the eyes of soldiers in this exhibition. From family life in forts to challenging battlefields, the exhibit traces the journey of Roman soldier Claudius Terentianus. Explore daily life through artefacts like letters and the historic Vindolanda tablets, shedding light on the challenges faced by soldiers and their families. The exhibition also explores the transformation of soldiering into a career during Augustus' reign, showcasing the rewards and perils of Roman army life. Legion brings Roman military history to life in a concise and immersive experience.
Date: 1 February – 23 June 2024. Location: The British Museum, The Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery, Great Russell St, London WC1B 3DG. Price: from £22. Concessions available. Book now.