A selection of ten excellent exhibitions to visit while dodging random bursts of heavy rain in the summer months.
Coronations & Celebrations
Fan Museum, Greenwich
(Note, the exhibition closes 24th June)
Adults: £5 | Children (7-16): £3 | Children (<7): Free | Family £10
Come and see centuries of royal fans from across the continent: from a special, printed, English fan marking the restoration of Charles II almost 400 years ago, to the contemporary fans made by The Fan Museum in honour of the late Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee.
Hallyu! The Korean Wave
V&A Museum, South Kensington
(Note, the exhibition closes 25th June)
Adults: £20 | Young people 12-26: £13 | Under 12: Free
From K-Pop costumes to K-drama props and posters, alongside photography, sculpture, fashion, video and pop culture ephemera, the exhibition invites visitors to delve into the phenomenon known as ‘hallyu’ – meaning ‘Korean Wave’. Hallyu rose to prominence in the late 1990s, rippling across Asia before reaching all corners of the world and challenging the currents of global pop culture today.
The Queen and her Corgis
Wallace Collection, Marylebone
(Note, exhibition closes 25th June)
Free
A special one-room display celebrates through photographs the unique connection The Queen had with her corgis. Each decade of her life will be marked by a single image that captures Her Majesty and her love of the breed.
Life and death in the archives: St Bartholomew’s Hospital, 1123-2023
Aldgate Square, City of London
Free
A free outdoor exhibition of photography, art and history from the archives and collections of St Bartholomew’s Hospital, held by Barts Health NHS Trust Archives.
Saint Francis of Assisi
National Gallery, Trafalgar Square
Free
Come face-to-face with one of history’s most inspirational and revered figures in the first major UK art exhibition to explore Saint Francis of Assisi’s life and legacy.
The Big City: London painted on a grand scale
Guildhall Art Gallery, City of London
Free (donations appreciated)
The display celebrates monumental painters of the capital and showcases some of the largest paintings in the Gallery’s collection. A unique opportunity to view so many of these huge masterpieces together in one space.
Luxury and power Persia to Greece
British Museum, Bloomsbury
Adults: £15 | Children: Free | Concessions: £13 | Members: Free
This exhibition explores the relationship between luxury and power in the Middle East and southeast Europe between 550-30 BC. This was a period when the Persian empire of ancient Iran clashed with the cities and kingdoms of Greece before it was conquered by Alexander, king of Macedon, known to history as ‘Alexander the Great’.
Clothing this Naked Earth: Politics and the Planet
LSE Library, Aldwych
Free
This exhibition brings together some of the stories that offer answers to this question; from the Keep Britain Tidy campaign (founded by chair of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes Elizabeth Brunner), to the extraordinary series of women’s protests held at Greenham Common in the 1980s and 90s.
Brick Dinos
Horniman Museum, Forest Hill
Adults: £9 | Children: £4.50 |Family (1+3): £15.50 |Family (2+2): £20
In this family-friendly exhibition, some of the largest beasts to ever walk the earth have been recreated in miniature form by artist Warren Elsmore and his team. Incredible models include the raptor-like Masiakasaurus, a life-sized flying pterosaur, the swamp-dwelling, crocodile-like Sarcosuchus, and a new Polacanthus model on display for the first time.
Re:Imagining Musicals
V&A Museum, South Kensington
Free
This display celebrates the glittering world of musical theatre, exploring the evolution and craftmanship of iconic musicals, from Miss Saigon and My Fair Lady to modern classics SIX the Musical, and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.
This exhibition has closed for a few months without notice.
Alas, ‘Re:Imagining Musicals’ at the V&A appears to be closed for essential works but is scheduled to reopen in August.
Thanks for these. Reminded me of a few I want to go and see before they close