Marina Abramović takes on London this autumn, featuring exhibitions and talks at the city's top institutions
Get ready for a double dose of Marina Abramović's artistry in London this autumn. She'll be showcasing her work at both the Royal Academy of Arts and the Southbank Centre, along with engaging conversations.
Image: Marina Abramović, Four Crosses: The Evil (positive), 2019. Corian, aluminum, iron, oak with LED panels, 550 x 357 x 29 cm. Courtesy of the Marina Abramović Archives. © Marina Abramović
Marina Abramović, a trailblazing artist and pioneer in performance art, is gracing London with a series of extraordinary events throughout the autumn. Immerse yourself in her groundbreaking work at the Royal Academy of Arts' first major solo exhibition, showcasing five decades of her artistic journey. Experience the Institute Takeover at the Southbank Centre, an event that promises an intimate glimpse into the world of durational performances. Join Abramović and author Katya Tylevich as they unravel the pages of Marina Abramović: A Visual Biography, offering an intriguing unparalleled insights into her life and artistry.
Marina Abramović at the Royal Academy of Arts
Marina Abramović Exhibition
The Royal Academy of Arts proudly presents Marina Abramović's first major solo exhibition in the UK. Delve into her pioneering performance art that has revolutionised the mainstream over five decades. Witness a comprehensive display of her practice, featuring photos, videos, installations, and live re-performances of iconic pieces. Abramović's transition from a painter to a performance art icon in the 1970s introduced repetitive, endurance-based actions as her focal point. Explore her relentless push against the boundaries of the live body in art and her exploration of existential and social elements.
Date: 23 September 2023 - 1 January 2024. Time: 10.00am - 6.00pm. Location: Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD. Price: £25.50 - £27.50. Book now.
Image: Marina Abramović, The Hero, 2001. Single Channel Video (black and white, sound); 14 minutes, 19 seconds. Courtesy of the Marina Abramović Archives. © Marina Abramović.
Curator Talk with Marina Abramović
Join curator Andrea Tarsia and Marina Abramović in a discussion about her meticulously curated exhibition at the Royal Academy, exploring pivotal career moments and the future of performance art.
Date: 27 September 2023. Time: 6.30pm - 7.45pm. Location:The Benjamin West Lecture Theatre, Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD. Price: £25/£15 in person or £10/£8 online. Book now.
Marina Abramović at the Southbank Centre
A Visual Biography: Marina Abramović in Conversation with Katya Tylevich
Marina Abramović and author Katya Tylevich will discuss their upcoming book, Marina Abramović: A Visual Biography. Explore Abramović's life and art through unseen images, personal archives, and insightful interviews. The blurred lines between artist and art come to life in this unforgettable journey.
Date: 1 October 2023. Time: 7:30pm. Location: Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. Price: £15 - £25. Book now.
Image: Marina Abramovic book cover image.
Marina Abramović Institute Takeover
Witness a complete transformation of the Queen Elizabeth Hall into a realm of durational performances curated by Marina Abramović and the Marina Abramović Institute (MAI). Experience site-specific, long-durational pieces by diverse artists, encapsulating endurance, presence, and audience engagement.Get backstage access to dressing rooms, green rooms, and the auditorium, and immerse yourself in the artistry of this unparalleled event.
Date: 4 - 8 October 2023. Time: Wednesday - Friday at 6.00pm, Saturday & Sunday at Noon & 4.00pm. Location: Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room, Foyer, and backstage. Price: £60. Book now.
London Gallery Weekend 2026 brings together an exceptional programme of artist talks and live performances across the city. Here is our pick of artist talks and performances not to miss…
Isla at The Standard Hotel is a neighbourhood wine bar leaving behind its fine-dining past and launching a more casual menu of wholesome, tasty dishes…
London will welcome a major new destination for electronic music this October as Ironworks launches at Thames Wharf, a historic riverside site reimagined as a large-scale warehouse venue…
June in London traditionally marks the opening of the much-loved Serpentine Pavilion, and this year is no exception, with the 2026 edition celebrating the programme’s 25th anniversary and designed by LANZA atelier. June also sees the return of the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition…
Located within Bangkok’s creative district, galleries, street art hubs and independent boutiques are all within walking distance. Embraced by the curve of the iconic Chao Phraya River, Sathorn’s bankside also encompasses the revitalised Chao Phraya Estate, home to the Four Seasons Bangkok, an urban haven in one of the city’s most prestigious postcodes…
May has arrived with long lunches, golden-hour drinks and the annual scramble to secure a seat in the sunshine. In this month’s FLO Food Round Up, we’re spotlighting the apps helping Londoners track down the city’s sunniest terraces, alongside the latest restaurant openings, standout seasonal menus and food events worth booking now….
London’s public art scene has never been more ambitious, and the best part is that some of the capital’s most talked-about installations are completely free to experience right now. From monumental earthworks at the Barbican to rooftop sculpture trails in Peckham. Here is our guide to the art installations not to miss…
Gallery Weekend Berlin is the original gallery weekend, first launched in 2005 with a very clear ambition, to bring international collectors, curators and museum professionals out of the fair circuit and directly into the city’s galleries, where so much of the conversation actually happens. This guide, shaped by this year’s Berlin experience, will help you navigate future editions like a pro.
Dr Miwako Tezuka is the director of Dib Bangkok, a new contemporary art museum in Thailand that opened in 2025. Originally from New York, she moved to Bangkok to help build the museum and shape its programme and vision…
May will see the end of several impactful exhibitions that opened in London since the start of 2026, from a landmark survey of modern Nigerian art at Tate Modern to the British Museum’s Samurai, which reconsiders Japan’s warrior culture through armour, objects and popular culture. At the Barbican, two of its exhibitions will also come to a close, alongside experimental shows…
The prestigious Turner Prize continues its tradition of spotlighting groundbreaking creativity with the announcement of its 2026 shortlist. Revealed by Tate Britain, this year’s nominees, Simeon Barclay, Kira Freije, Marguerite Humeau, and Tanoa Sasraku…
The Southbank Centre’s Hayward Gallery, in partnership with the RC Foundation, Taiwan (R.O.C.), presents the 2026 RC Foundation Project Space Exhibition Series, a programme of free exhibitions taking place during the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary year…
Bangkok, known for its culture, food and nightlife, is fast emerging as a contemporary art hub. Alongside major events like the Bangkok Art Biennale, new spaces such as Dib Bangkok and Bangkok Kunsthalle, plus institutions like MOCA and BACC, are transforming the city into a rising centre for contemporary art in Southeast Asia…
Onya McCausland is a contemporary artist whose practice combines studio paintings, wall installations, and collaborative, site-specific projects. Her paintings are stunning and deceptive…
Polygon Productions will open Polygon Portal on 7 May 2026 at Dean Street in Soho, introducing a new London venue dedicated to spatial audio presentation, live performance and curated listening sessions…
Five institutions have been announced as finalists for the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2026, the world’s largest museum prize, which recognises excellence and innovation across the museum sector…
This week in London sees the return of several festivals, new exhibition openings and major live shows across the city, including the Little Venice Film Festival and Brick Lane Jazz Festival. Tate Modern Lates also takes place, alongside theatre and dance at Sadler’s Wells East and the National Theatre, and…
This year at Art Central, I decided to try something different. I slowed down. I sat down with the curator and an artist from the fair and asked them how they see a fair, and what they said really touched me and reminded me why we do the work we do…
Local artist Orange Terry's new commission Found Faith: a chapel-like prayer pod on industrial wheels with no entrance. A work about seeking serenity in chaotic times. When I first saw it, I felt that it was asking me to slow down, to look closer, to question, to find a way in….
Enoch is a local curator who is also an artist, who joined Art Central three years ago, right as the city reopened. When we met, he was in a very colourful suit, and his tie matched my top: golden yellow. We hadn't even said hello yet, and already we clicked on colour…
A major exhibition will celebrate the life and work of Sir Peter Blake, one of the most influential figures in British Pop Art, at Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery. The exhibition will present highlights from his seven-decade career, including paintings, collages, prints, sculpture, and works on paper…
Delcy Morelos’ Origo at the Barbican transforms the Sculpture Court with earth, clay and scent, while the Design Museum stages a major survey of NIGO’s influence on global streetwear and design. Francisco de Zurbarán receives a landmark presentation at the National Gallery, and Tate Britain turns to James McNeill Whistler for a major retrospective of his work…
London’s cultural scene this week (13–20 April) features a range of festivals, exhibitions and live events. These include experimental film at the Open City Documentary Festival, cross-disciplinary performances at Multitudes, and the opening of the V&A East Museum…
Vue London is marking the arrival of spring with a celebratory anniversary season that brings some of Hollywood’s most cherished films back to cinemas…
London’s cinema scene thrives with independent venues, festivals and outdoor screenings. Here is our guide to where to get your film fix this summer…