Welcome to the IanVisits alternative guide to London.
Lectures, talks, heritage events, organised walks and other random geeky miscellany.
Displayed in date order by how soon they close.
Experience Ainu culture as it exists today in this exploration of the contemporary lives of this indigenous people of northern Japan. (Ending Soon Sun, 21st Apr)
Japan House London
Free
The Glass Heart
This bold new exploration of glass in the UK brings together for the very first time rarely seen works from key UK collections, celebrating this remarkable material. (Ending Soon Sun, 21st Apr)
Two Temple Place
An exhibition of tea towels that have been overlaid with a statement to create a different perspective in a gently humorous and sometimes wicked way. (Ending Soon Sun, 21st Apr)
Riverside Studios
This free display brings together ten works by the two artists: with four views of Yorkshire by Turner and five scenes of Normandy and Venice by Bonington. (Ending Soon Sun, 21st Apr)
Wallace Collection
Oxford House hosts Falmouth University's annual photography exhibition, revealing the hidden life of Bethnal Green over the course of a single 24-hour period. (Ending Soon Fri, 26th Apr)
131 Thornlaw Road
Free
The Cult of Beauty
This exhibition explores notions of beauty across time and cultures. (Ending Soon Sun, 28th Apr)
Wellcome Collection
Around 120 examples of the fusion between sportswear and fashion from the Westminster Menswear Archive. (Ending Soon Sun, 28th Apr)
Ambika P3
A large scale new commission from Hong-Kong based artist Zheng Bo, transforming Somerset House’s courtyard into a bamboo garden. (Ending Soon Sun, 28th Apr)
Somerset House
Spanning over 60 years of contemporary sculpture, this exhibition highlights ways in which artists draw on familiar experiences of movement, flux and organic growth. (Ending Soon Sun, 5th May)
Hayward Gallery
This exhibition marks the largest exhibition ever mounted in the 40+ year career of world-renowned photographic artist, Edward Burtynsky. (Ending Soon Mon, 6th May)
Saatchi Gallery
Explore how music shapes our lives in this interactive exhibition. (Ending Soon Mon, 6th May)
Science Museum
For his first show at the gallery in London since 2016, Oehlen continues to explore the rich possibilities and the future of painting. (Ending Soon Sat, 11th May)
Gagosian Gallery
Free
Terry Frost
This survey presents an extensive collection of Frost's most compelling paintings from 1966-2003. (Ending Soon Sat, 11th May)
Flowers Gallery
How do you develop a vaccine quickly and effectively to combat a global pandemic? (Ending Soon Sun, 12th May)
Science Museum
Free
Marriner 100
This exhibition about Sir Neville Marriner features record sleeves and boxes, photographs, awards, tributes from friends and colleagues and memorabilia from a life of great achievement and personal enjoyment. (Ending Soon Sun, 12th May)
St Martin-in-the-Fields
This exhibition showcases the difference between refillable, returnable (prefill) and repurposed product packaging of the past, present, and future. (Ends on Wed, 15th May)
Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising
A small display of documents about Billingsgate Market in the Guildhall Art Gallery's Heritage room (lower basement). (Ends on Thu, 16th May)
Guildhall Art Gallery and Roman Amphitheater
A major study of the Black figure – and its representation in contemporary art. (Ends on Sun, 19th May)
National Portrait Gallery
Through photographs, possessions, interviews, maps and more, this exhibition explores the lives and stories of generations of UCL students. (Ends on Mon, 20th May)
UCL Octagon Gallery
A display exploring the body of literature about London by European writers from across the centuries. (Ends on Mon, 20th May)
Bloomsbury Campus
The museum exhibition features first-hand accounts of the horrors and moments of hope faced by doctors tackling the impact of the virus. (Ends on Fri, 24th May)
Royal College of Physicians Museum
Using textiles, fibre and thread, 50 international artists challenge power structures and reimagine the world in this major group exhibition. (Ends on Sun, 26th May)
Barbican Arts Centre
A group of hauntingly beautiful, large-scale portrait heads in charcoal by Frank Auerbach - considered some of his early masterpieces – are being presented together for the first time. (Ends on Mon, 27th May)
Courtauld Institute of Art
This exhibition features personal stories, photographs and objects from from the 1950s to the present day. (Ends on Sat, 1st Jun)
Hackney Museum
A virtual reality tour around the French cathedral, Dame de Paris telling its history right up to the recent devastating fire. (Ends on Sat, 1st Jun)
Westminster Abbey
An exhibition about the west London hive of workshops and design studios that fed into some of the country’s most iconic Sci-Fi films and TV shows. (Ends on Sun, 2nd Jun)
Gunnersbury Park and Museum
Turn back the hands of time and discover a beautiful exhibition of mechanical marvels. (Ends on Sun, 2nd Jun)
Science Museum
£18
Skateboard
The first major UK exhibition to map the design evolution of the skateboard from the 1950s to today – a story of design, daring and disobedience. (Ends on Sun, 2nd Jun)
The Design Museum
From 1970s activism to the current party scene, the exhibition displays five decades of Hackney life through a camera lens. (Ends on Sat, 15th Jun)
Hackney Museum
Free
Rediscovering gems
A display of gems collected in classical times -- including some recently recovered by the British Museum from an alleged theft. (Ends on Sat, 15th Jun)
British Museum
Showcasing more than 160 rare vintage prints, this exhibition spans the career of both artists – and suggests new ways to look at their work. (Ends on Sun, 16th Jun)
National Portrait Gallery
This exhibition presents the emergence of Indian modern art as a quest for cultural independence. (Ends on Sat, 22nd Jun)
Brunei Gallery, SOAS
An exhibition of costumes inspired by Englands's many folk traditions. (Ends on Sat, 22nd Jun)
UAL: London College of Fashion
Free
Art Now Zeinab Saleh
An exhibition of delicate and intimate paintings and drawings from Kenyan-born, London-based artist Zeinab Saleh. (Ends on Sun, 23rd Jun)
Tate Britain
This exhibition transports you across the Roman Empire through the life and service of a real Roman soldier, Claudius Terentianus, from enlistment and campaigns to enforcing occupation and then finally retirement. (Ends on Sun, 23rd Jun)
British Museum
Robinson explores the ancient myth of Mithras through an immersive space, evocative of the initiation ceremonies thought to have been held in the Temple. (Ends on Sat, 29th Jun)
London Mithraeum
A forest rodeo, a hidden stargazer and a mason bee at work are just a few of the awe-inspiring images featured in the 59th Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. (Ends on Sun, 30th Jun)
Natural History Museum
This exhibition highlights far-right nationalist rhetoric from the 1970 – 90s and the anti-fascist, anti-racist responses that followed. (Ends on Mon, 1st Jul)
Wiener Library
An exhibition for the fans by the fans going some way to explain not just what 2Tone is but why and how we got there. (Ends on Mon, 1st Jul)
Barbican Library
The exhibition explores tea’s complex history and myriad of meanings – from its popularisation and globalisation connected to stories of imperialism and colonial violence. (Ends on Sun, 7th Jul)
Horniman Museum
Step inside a traditional tailor’s workshop in the East End and immerse yourself in the glitz and glamour of a Carnaby Street boutique at the height of the Swinging Sixties – when London was the world's fashion capital. (Ends on Sun, 7th Jul)
Museum of London Docklands
Almost 60 of Sargent’s paintings will be on display, including major portraits that rarely travel (Ends on Sun, 7th Jul)
Tate Britain
From Hokusai to Pokémon, Studio Ghibli, robots and beyond, the exhibition takes young visitors on an atmospheric and playful journey revealing the influence of folklore on Japan’s art and design. (Ends on Sun, 11th Aug)
Young V&A
This exhibition follows the lives of British soldiers in Germany over the past 75 years. (Ends on Wed, 21st Aug)
National Army Museum
An exhibition of photos and artwork inspired by the brutalist appearance of the National Theatre. (Ends on Sat, 31st Aug)
The National Theatre
Free
Shakespeare and War
This exhibition explores some of the ways in which Shakespeare has shaped how we think about soldiers and the Army, and how we imagine war and its consequences today. (Ends on Sun, 1st Sep)
National Army Museum
Delve into the powerful, participatory work of artist and activist Yoko Ono (Ends on Sun, 1st Sep)
Tate Modern
£12.65
The Biba Story, 1964-1975
Exploring how fashion phenomenon Biba blossomed to become the world’s first lifestyle label. (Ends on Sat, 7th Sep)
Fashion and Textile Museum
Offering art lovers a fresh perspective on London, its architecture, and geography, Guildhall Art Gallery celebrates the work of artist and specialist wood engraver, Anne Desmet RA. (Ends on Sun, 8th Sep)
Guildhall Art Gallery and Roman Amphitheater
£20
Enzo Mari
This exhibition celebrates the life and work of one of the greatest Italian designers of the 20th century, Enzo Mari, whose designs have inspired generations of creatives around the world. (Ends on Sun, 8th Sep)
Design Museum
This exhibition explores networks of solidarity between groups campaigning on peace, nuclear weapons and national self-determination. (Ends on Sun, 15th Sep)
LSE Library
The 14 works on display provide a snapshot of digital art practices from the 1960s to early 2000s. (Ends on Sun, 15th Sep)
Victoria and Albert Museum
An exhibition about an architectural style developed in the 1940s and adopted after independence by India and Ghana as a symbol of modernity and progressiveness, distinct from colonial culture. (Ends on Sun, 22nd Sep)
Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum
Loaned from Brighton Museum, this display showcases more than 300 years of popular British history. (Ends on Sun, 29th Sep)
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Wallace Collection explore the remarkable life and legacy of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839), the founder of the Sikh Empire (1799-1849). (Ends on Sun, 20th Oct)
Wallace Collection
This exhibition shows the decade-to-decade evolution of today’s most iconic brands, including Cadbury’s Milk Tray, Bisto, HP Sauce, Ovaltine and many more. (Ends on Thu, 31st Oct)
Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising
This exhibition invites you to discover the key role chocolate played in the revival of Greenwich. (Ends on Sun, 3rd Nov)
Old Royal Naval College
Free
Women of the RNLI
Women of the RNLI at the National Maritime Museum celebrates the work of women in the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. (Ends on Sun, 1st Dec)
National Maritime Museum
The exhibition is a joyful exploration of the body, drawing on the artist’s experience of becoming disabled as a child. (Ends on Sun, 12th Jan 2025)
Wellcome Collection
Free
The Future of Money
Money and the way we use it has changed. This free exhibition responds directly to questions asked by the public about the future of money. (Ends on Fri, 29th Aug 2025)
Bank of England Museum
