Art exhibitions to see in London this week: 3 - 9 June 2024

Art exhibitions to see in London this week range from new openings at the Serpentine to the artwork of renowned artists from Damien Hirst's collection on show at his Newport Street Gallery. Discover our pick of art to see in London this week:

Opening this week

Discover Degas & Miss
La La

Opening this week at the National Gallery, the exhibition delves into Edgar Degas's iconic Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando, 1879. Unveiling unseen photographs and drawings, it sheds light on the life of its subject, circus artist Miss La La, born Anna Albertine Olga Brown, while exploring Degas's complex relationship with race. Examining the painting's influence on British art, the exhibition offers a fresh perspective on this enduring masterpiece.

Date: 
6 June – 1 September 2024. Location: National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN. Price: Free. Website: nationalgallery.org.uk. 

Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas, Au cirque Fernando, 1879, Lithograph heightened with pastel, 11.9 x 16 cm. Bibliothèque de l'Institut National d'Histoire de l'Art, collections Jacques Doucet (EM DEGAS 1). © Bibliothèque numérique de l’INHA.

23rd Serpentine Pavilion by Minsuk Cho

Minsuk Cho's innovative 23rd Serpentine Pavilion, Archipelagic Void, opens this week. Unlike previous designs, it features a decentralised layout with a central open space. The Pavilion consists of five distinct 'islands' connected by a central void, resembling traditional Korean houses. Each island serves a unique purpose, from housing a gallery and library to providing spaces for public gatherings and experiences. Cho's design promotes engagement with nature and cultural exchange.

Date: 7 June – 27 October 2024. Location: Serpentine, Kensington Gardens, London W2 3XA. Price: Free. Website: serpentinegalleries.org.

Serpentine Pavilion 2024 designed by Minsuk Cho, Mass Studies. Design render, view of void from the Auditorium. Photo © Mass Studies, Courtesy: Serpentine.

#FLOFavourites: This week 

Sharon Walters: Seeing Ourselves  

HackelBury Fine Art, London, presents Sharon Walters’ first solo exhibition, Seeing Ourselves. The exhibition features intricate collages honouring Black women, exploring their history, culture, and identity. Walters uses detailed paper cut-outs and multi-layered portraits to create an alternative narrative, addressing the absence of Black women in mainstream Western media and culture.

Date: 10 May – 6 July 2024. Location: HackelBury Fine Art, 4 Launceston Pl, London W8 5RL. Price: Free.

being alone by Dean Sameshima, features twenty-five black and white photographs of solitary viewers in a Berlin porn theatreat. On show at Soft Opening gallery.

Dean Sameshima: being alone

Dean Sameshima's recent series, being alone, features twenty-five black and white photographs of solitary viewers in a Berlin porn theatre. These images capture the anonymity and isolation of the viewers, reflecting on the hidden and protected nature of queer spaces. Sameshima's work focuses on negative space and the absence of identifying features, highlighting the emptiness and liminality of queer desire. The series, exhibited at Soft Opening, will also be published as a book with a text by Bruce Hainley.

Date: 26 April – 8 June 2024. Location: Soft Opening,  6 Minerva Street London E2 9EH. Price: Free. 

Adriano Costa: ax-d. us. t

Adriano Costa's debut exhibition, ax-d. us. t, is on show at Emalin's new location, The Clerk's House. Through sculptures in bronze, wood, and plaster, Costa explores the transformation of value and life into base material and dust, challenging hierarchies of value and reflecting on the ephemeral nature of existence. Influenced by his surroundings in São Paulo, his work invites viewers to reconsider notions of beauty and permanence.

Date: 12 April – 13 July 2024. Location: The Clerk’s House, 118½ Shoreditch High Street, London, E1 6JN. Price: Free. 

SIN CENTRE at Hannah Barry Gallery is a space dedicated to pleasure, created by artists, writers and designers. Photo by MTotoe.

SIN CENTRE

SIN CENTRE at Hannah Barry Gallery is a space dedicated to pleasure, created by artists, writers and designers. It offers a range of entertainment options, such as a bar and library, along with unprogrammed spaces for leisure. The focus is on promoting comfort, connection, surprise, and delight. Contributors include George Rouy, Jesse Pollock, Mellony Harvey, Nikolaj Schultz, Stevie Dix, and many others, who have also contributed to the Love Library.

Date: 31 May -  14 September 2024. Location: Hannah Barry Gallery, 4 Holly Grove, Peckham, London, SE15 5DF. Price: Free.

Sin Bar opens on Saturdays only 5pm – midnight. Until 14 September 2024.

Sarah Lucas on show at DOMINION at Newport Street Gallery. Photo by MTotoe.

DOMINION 

DOMINION, is open at Newport Street Gallery, showcases 80 works from Damien Hirst's collection across all six gallery spaces. The exhibition features pieces by artists including Johannes Albers, Francis Bacon, Banksy, Georg Baselitz, Tracey Emin, Jeff Koons, Sarah Lucas, Andy Warhol, and many others.

Date: 24 May - 1 September 2024. Location: Newport Street Gallery, 1 Newport St, London SE11 6AJ. Price: Free.

100 Years by Jenny Lewis

Along Regent's Canal, there is an installation of works by Jenny Lewis. On display are portraits from her 2021 series 100 Years, featuring 100 portraits of community members, with one from every age between one and one hundred.

Date: ongoing. Location: along Regent’s Canal from Victoria Park to Broadway Market.

100 Years by Jenny Lewis. Located along Regent’s Canal. Photo by MTotoe.

Metamorphosis: Innovation in Eco-photography & Film

Metamorphosis: Innovation in Eco Photography & Film at Saatchi Gallery, features works by Almudena Romero, Edd Carr, Hannah Fletcher, and Scott Hunter. Supported by Pasqua Wines, the exhibition highlights their pioneering eco-friendly practices in photography and film, addressing environmental issues and inspiring positive change.

Date:  24 May - 28 July 2024. Location: Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York's HQ, King's Rd, London SW3 4RY. Price: Free. 

MONUMENTAL: Tipping the Scales of Historic Design

MONUMENTAL is a landmark exhibition by Carpenters Workshop Gallery, exploring scale through nine innovative artworks by renowned designers like Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perriand. Highlights include rare pieces like Le Corbusier's Bureau des Ministres and Charlotte Perriand's imposing Conference Table. The exhibition extends outdoors with Jean Prouvé's Maison Démontable, showcasing the fusion of art and nature.

Date: 16 May – 22 September 2024. Location: Carpenters Workshop Gallery, Ladbroke Hall, 79 Barlby Rd. Price: Free. Website: carpentersworkshopgallery.com.