The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic had a huge impact on the art sector all over the world. This also includes that most art exhibitions in the last 2 years were either cancelled or held online. Fortunately, the sector starts to revive everywhere, so in the United Kingdom as well. In 2022, we can attend many great art exhibitions throughout the country.
Today, we will review a few interesting art exhibitions that will be organised in London this year. Thus, as a fan of arts, you will know which cultural events are worth attending.
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The Credit Suisse Exhibition: Raphael (The National Gallery)
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Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirror Rooms (Tate Modern)
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Our Time on Earth (Barbican Centre)
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Surrealism Beyond Borders (Tate Modern)
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The Morgan Stanley Exhibition: Van Gogh. Self-Portraits (The Courtauld Gallery)
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Ed Clark: Without a Doubt (Hauser & Wirth)
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Francis Bacon: Man and Beast (The Royal Academy of Arts)
The first exhibition that is worth visiting in 2022 is The Credit Suisse Exhibition: Raphael. Raphael is considered to be one of the greatest artists of his time. He was a painter, poet, architect, draughtsman, and archaeologist at the same time. The exhibition presents Raphael’s entire career, showcasing his most celebrated drawings and paintings. Plus, you can get an insight into his work in poetry, architecture, and his designs for tapestry, prints, and sculpture.
Originally, the exhibition was scheduled to take place in 2020, coinciding with the 500th anniversary of Raphael’s death. However, the event was postponed because of the pandemic. Make sure to not miss this exhibition this year because it provides you with an unprecedented opportunity to admire Raphael’s exceptional talent and creativity through his most amazing artworks.
Date: 9 April – 31 July 2022 Location: The National Gallery, Rooms 1–8 Standard admission: £24
If you are an admirer of contemporary art, you might want to check out Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Rooms exhibition at Tate Modern. The year-long exhibition features Kusama’s famous mirror room installations that with the help of mirrors, water, and light provide you with the illusion of infinite space.
Besides the mirror rooms, there are some photographs and moving images displayed in Tate Modern to give historical context for Kusama’s artworks.
Date: 18 May 2021 – 12 June 2022 Location: Tate Modern Standard admission: £10
Our Time on Earth is a special exhibition of art, philosophy, science, design, and music that will challenge your existing thoughts on climate change. This exhibition will offer you different perspectives on our beautiful planet due to the numerous digital works and impressive futuristic installations. The organisers hope that visitors will realize that it’s possible to live in harmony with nature and make planet Earth more habitable for all species.
Chances are that you will leave the venue feeling more empowered than ever before to change the way you live and tackle climate change.
Date: 5 May – 29 August 2022 Location: The Barbican Centre, The Curve Standard admission: £18
Surrealism Beyond Borders presents the unique concept of surrealism. This movement aims to subvert reality and allow the unconscious mind to emerge and express itself. It seems that surrealist artists can find beauty in everything, even in the uncanny, unexpected, unconventional, and disregarded. For many artists, surrealism also provided an opportunity to challenge authority and create a new world through imagination.
Surrealism Beyond Borders shows how artists from all over the world were inspired by surrealism.
Date: 24 February – 29 August 2022 Location: Tate Modern, The Eyal Ofer Galleries Standard admission: £18
Do you like the brilliant artworks of Vincent van Gogh? Then, you must see Van Gogh. Self-Portraits exhibition at The Courtauld Gallery. The highlight of this exhibition is undoubtedly the iconic Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear. But you can also find plenty of other masterpieces in this collection, such as his early artwork called Self-Portrait with Dark Felt Hat, and the Self-Portrait with a Palette. Van Gogh. Self-Portraits showcases about half of all self-portraits he created during his career.
Date: 3 February – 8 May 2022 Location: The Courtauld Gallery Standard admission: £16
Without a Doubt exhibition is Ed Clark’s first solo cultural event in the United Kingdom, presenting his artworks from the 1970s to the 1990s. Get to know more about Ed Clark’s unique way of expression through his abstract paintings and see how his style has become more loose and assertive over time. With a primary focus on colour, materiality, and form, his artworks will leave you with an unforgettable experience.
Date: 19 January – 20 April 2022 Location: Hauser & Wirth Standard admission: Free
Francis Bacon is an Irish-born artist who certainly belongs to the best painters of the 20th century. He created amazing paintings featuring both humans and animals. However, the line between the two is always blurred. This serves as a reminder for us that the primal instincts of humans lie very close to the surface. The beast can break out of men at any moment. Man and Beast consists of a fascinating collection of Bacon’s paintings, featuring his impressive creations of men and beasts.
If you are planning to see Man and Beast with your family, be aware that the exhibition contains some adult content as well.
Date: 29 January – 17 April 2022 Location: The Royal Academy of Arts Standard admission: £16
There you have it! This was our list of interesting art exhibitions that will be organised in London in the near future. Hopefully, by now you know which ones you would like to check out this year. In our view, all these exhibitions are worth visiting.