Welcome to the IanVisits alternative guide to London.
Lectures, talks, heritage events, organised walks and other random geeky miscellany.
This is quite an old listings page, did you want: Saturday, 22nd June 2024?
Displayed in date order by how soon they close.
Free
Daylight Robbery
Andy Billman’s new photographic series documents the bricked-up windows of London, examining the role that light and air play for our wellbeing in the spaces we inhabit. (Ending Soon Sat, 26th Jun)
Bermondsey Project Space
Opium, Silk and the Missionaries in China retells one of the largely forgotten histories between Britain and China in the 19th Century. (Ending Soon Sat, 26th Jun)
Brunei Gallery, SOAS
Free
Power Structures
A new photographic exhibition curated by Francisco Ibáñez Hantke and Luke O’Donovan, focusing on the ways in which socioeconomic and political powers shape the built environment (Ending Soon Sat, 26th Jun)
Bermondsey Project Space
Global gathering of designers with installations and presentations across Somerset House. (Ending Soon Sun, 27th Jun)
Somerset House
An affordable art fair is to take over a large number of commercial advertising displays across East London for a fortnight. (Ending Soon Sun, 27th Jun)
Various locations
Zoe Zenghelis’ paintings are inspired by metropolitan structure, landform, and abstract tectonics. (Ending Soon Wed, 30th Jun)
Architectural Association
This exhibition follows the lives of soldiers in Germany over the past 75 years. (Ending Soon Thu, 1st Jul)
National Army Museum
This monumental sculpture by Luke Jerram amazes audiences as it rotates slowly while suspended in mid-air, an exact scale replica of Earth made using NASA imagery. (Ending Soon Thu, 1st Jul)
Old Royal Naval College
This exhibition showcases the innovative work of Japanese textile designer Sudō Reiko, who is renowned for pushing boundaries of textile production and championing new methods of sustainable manufacturing. (Ending Soon Sun, 11th Jul)
Japan House
A new outdoor exhibition, Gunnersbury Park Museum celebrates the life and work of Ealing Studios stills photographer Roy Gough. (Ending Soon Sun, 11th Jul)
Gunnersbury Park Museum
Works from the period of the two artists’ friendship will be shown side by side for the first time, along with unseen materials from Beard’s archives including letters and photographs. (Ending Soon Fri, 16th Jul)
Ordovas
Taking inspiration from Bloomberg’s location in the City of London, Dant’s epic sepia ink drawing encapsulates 2,000 years of the everyday life and times of Budge Row, the famous once-lost thoroughfare now reinstated as Bloomberg Arcade. (Ending Soon Sat, 17th Jul)
London Mithraeum
This exhibition celebrates the Company’s history and its crafts of joinery and woodcarving, to mark the 450th anniversary of the granting of the Company’s Royal Charter in 1571. (Ending Soon Sun, 18th Jul)
Guildhall Art Gallery and Roman Amphitheater
This first solo exhibition of new works by Rafael Trelles, explores the notion of the Axis Mundi, a mythic tree that represents a portal between this and other worlds. (Ending Soon Sat, 24th Jul)
October Gallery
For this occasion, the artist presents a new series of 6 acrylics on canvas inspired by the latest trends in the contemporary Asian avant-garde. (Ending Soon Fri, 30th Jul)
Dorothy Circus Gallery
A collection of limited edition prints and original drawings including maps that salute London’s Theatres, Lost Rivers and bustling London Squares. (Ending Soon Sat, 31st Jul)
St Martin-in-the-Fields
Free
Hackney in the 1980s
This exhibition brings 1980s Hackney to life through photographs found in the basement of the Rio Cinema, Dalston. (Ending Soon Sat, 31st Jul)
Hackney Museum
The richly decorated Victorian Leadenhall Market has been filled with neon lighting from Gods Own Junkyard. (Ending Soon Sat, 31st Jul)
Leadenhall Market
This show brings together two of the most important figures in twentieth-century British painting, exploring between them, figuration, abstraction, cubism, ‘concrete’ art, and collage. (Ending Soon Sat, 31st Jul)
Annely Juda Fine Art
This exhibition looks at how spirituality continued to be an important source of inspiration for artists in the post-war years. (Ending Soon Sat, 31st Jul)
Hanina Fine Arts
Free
Tom Sachs - Ritual
An exhibition of new works by Tom Sachs, never previously seen in the UK, including four new sculptures conceived for the exhibition. (Ending Soon Sat, 31st Jul)
Thaddaeus Ropac
In this landmark exhibition, Tracey Emin selects masterpieces by Edvard Munch to show alongside her most recent paintings. (Ending Soon Sun, 1st Aug)
Royal Academy of Arts
The fifty-sixth Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition will immerse you in the breathtaking diversity of the natural world. (Ending Soon Sun, 1st Aug)
Natural History Museum
An exhibition that promises to fulfil your curiosity with the ethereal and ghostly, as well as offering a little something out of the ordinary as we emerge from lockdown. (Ending Soon Fri, 6th Aug)
The College Of Psychic Studies
An annual exhibition showcasing the world's greatest space photography. (Ending Soon Sun, 8th Aug)
Royal Observatory Greenwich
This exhibition charts the development of Blake’s approach to collage-making, beginning with his layering of subject matter in early painted compositions and experiments with collaged paper (Ending Soon Fri, 13th Aug)
Waddington Custot
Speaking to architects, public sector workers and young people, artist and filmmaker Ayo Akingbade creates moving image work that forges conversations on urbanism, gentrification, power and resilience. (Ending Soon Sun, 15th Aug)
Whitechapel Gallery
Calero’s display invites us to think about the act of collecting, about what we choose to surround ourselves with in our homes and the importance and presence of the natural world. (Ending Soon Sun, 15th Aug)
Whitechapel Gallery
This display weaves together a rich tapestry of artistic expression from artists born in, or connected to, countries from Iran to Morocco. (Ending Soon Sun, 15th Aug)
The British Museum
For the first time in over two hundred years, Peter Paul Rubens’s two great masterpieces of landscape painting will be reunited as part of an exhibition at the Wallace Collection. (Ending Soon Sun, 15th Aug)
Wallace Collection
This display marks the launch of Network Rail’s new customised typeface, Rail Alphabet 2, designed by her in close collaboration with Henrik Kubel. (Ending Soon Tue, 17th Aug)
The Design Museum
This exhibition marks only the second time each work has been on view and the first time these important works have been shown together. (Ending Soon Fri, 20th Aug)
Michael Werner Gallery
An exhibition that introduces the shrines and royal palaces of Korea’s Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). (Ending Soon Fri, 20th Aug)
Korean Cultural Centre UK
Free
Summer Lights
A colourful exhibition celebrating natural light across the Canary Wharf estate. (Ending Soon Sat, 21st Aug)
Canada Square Park
An exhibition celebrating French artist Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985), one of the most singular and provocative voices in postwar modern art. (Ending Soon Sun, 22nd Aug)
Barbican Centre
Discover the murder that shook the Middle Ages in this dramatic exhibition about the life, death and legacy of Thomas Becket. (Ending Soon Sun, 22nd Aug)
The British Museum
This exhibition uncovers how forensic and other evidence about the death marches has been gathered since the end of the Holocaust. (Ending Soon Fri, 27th Aug)
Wiener Library
An exhibition devoted to the life and work of Claudia Andujar and her collaboration with the Yanomami, one of Brazil’s largest indigenous peoples. (Ending Soon Sun, 29th Aug)
Barbican Centre
This definitive retrospective charts her ground-breaking career from the 1920s to the 1990s. (Ending Soon Sun, 29th Aug)
Whitechapel Gallery
Free
Holding the baby
A portrait of the strength and resilience of single parent families facing austerity. (Ending Soon Sun, 29th Aug)
The Museum of the Home
This is a rare opportunity to see one of Poland’s most loved works of art. (Ending Soon Mon, 30th Aug)
National Gallery
The first exhibition in 20 years to explore the pioneering aesthetics and lasting legacy of this influential association of artists, designers and craftspeople. (Ending Soon Tue, 31st Aug)
William Morris Gallery
Meet one of the giants of 20th century design, a free spirit who championed good design for all and was often overshadowed by her famous male collaborators. (Ending Soon Sat, 4th Sep)
The Design Museum
Outdoor art exhibition by Malwawi-born artist Samson Kambalu, who has been creating flags throughout lockdown that explore ideas of national and individual sovereignty and links to emancipatory movements such as Pan-Africanism. (Ending Soon Sun, 5th Sep)
Southbank Centre
£13.15
Chintz: Cotton in Bloom
A collection with an extraordinary story, spanning hundreds of years and thousands of miles. (Ending Soon Sat, 11th Sep)
Fashion and Textile Museum
A collection of work exploring artists’ responses to the Battle of Britain and the Blitz. (Ending Soon Sun, 12th Sep)
RAF Museum
Featuring works by children from 30 different primary schools, the exhibition showcases the richness of children's creative responses – from armoured beasts and shining shields to plumed helmets and printed flowers. (Ending Soon Sun, 12th Sep)
National Gallery
This landmark exhibition brings together major works by Turner from Tate and other collections, including The Fighting Temeraire 1839 and Rail, Steam and Speed 1844. (Ending Soon Sun, 12th Sep)
Tate Britain
Embrace the wonderfully weird world of plant biodiversity through newly commissioned interactive art installations using music, sound and colour. (Ending Soon Sun, 19th Sep)
Kew Gardens
An exhibition about the 20th century’s most influential floral decorator, Constance Spry. (Ending Soon Sun, 26th Sep)
Garden Museum
Made in the spring of 2020, during a period of intense activity at his home in Normandy, this exhibition charts the unfolding of spring, from beginning to end, and is a joyous celebration of the seasons. (Ending Soon Sun, 26th Sep)
Royal Academy of Arts
£17.50
Naturally Brilliant Colour
Experience colour like never before in an exhibition that celebrates the spectacular shades of the natural world. (Ending Soon Sun, 26th Sep)
Kew Gardens
£29
Van Gough Alive
This summer, Kensington Gardens will host Van Gogh Alive, an immersive “experience” based around the life and work of the Dutch artist. (Ending Soon Sun, 26th Sep)
Kensington Gardens
Discover the story of Ai-Da, the world’s first convincing humanoid robot capable of creating artworks. (Ending Soon Wed, 29th Sep)
The Design Museum
Original artworks and illustrations from his booklets, inspired by the art in the Painted Hall, will be on display. (Ending Soon Thu, 30th Sep)
Old Royal Naval College
Free
Making Paradise
An exhibition exploring the concept of Eden through Art & Islamic Garden Design (Ending Soon Thu, 30th Sep)
The Aga Khan Centre
This large scale timeline and exhibition in the gallery tells you some of the extraordinary story within the wider context of the changing East End. (Ending Soon Thu, 30th Sep)
Oxford House
Free
On Tenterhooks
Inspired by artist Anna Ray’s Huguenot ancestors who settled in Spitalfields as textile makers in the 18th century, the exhibition explores the past and present of textile making. (Ending Soon Fri, 1st Oct)
99 Bishopsgate
Free
Falling Birds
A series of X-ray photographs and poetic texts highlighting extinction and the alarming decline in bird species around the world. (Ending Soon Sun, 10th Oct)
Horniman Museum
This exhibition explores the true story of Rome's fifth emperor informed by new research and archaeological evidence from the time, challenging the biased historical accounts written after Nero’s death that have shaped his legacy. (Ending Soon Sun, 24th Oct)
The British Museum
Step up and discover the footwear phenomenon that has challenged performance design, inspired subcultures and shaken the world of fashion. (Ending Soon Sun, 24th Oct)
The Design Museum
Come face-to-face with the kings and queens who have shaped British history for over 500 years (Ending Soon Sun, 31st Oct)
National Maritime Museum
A new photographic art display exploring contemporary relationships with spiritualism, reality and surrealism, through a Black British lens. (Ending Soon Sun, 7th Nov)
Horniman Museum
Free
Beuys’ Acorns
In response to the climate emergency, artists Ackroyd & Harvey have installed Beuys’ Acorns, a group of 100 oak trees, on Tate Modern’s South Terrace (Ending Soon Sun, 14th Nov)
Tate Modern
Free
Remember the Future
This group exhibition and artist led research project unearths and interrogates our connection with our habitats and ecosystems, both global and local. (Ending Soon Sun, 14th Nov)
Orleans House Gallery
£24.50
The Art of Banksy
The Art of Banksy holds the world’s largest collection of privately owned Banksy art. (Ending Soon Sun, 21st Nov)
Belgo
Discover where the real world and the Wizarding World intertwine. (Ending Soon Thu, 25th Nov)
Natural History Museum
This display reflects on the role of humour in debates around identity, empire and power over the past two hundred years. (Ending Soon Thu, 25th Nov)
Victoria and Albert Museum
This display of artworks and manuscripts explores the life and interests of Joseph Banks (1743-1820) through some of his extraordinary collections. (Ending Soon Thu, 25th Nov)
Natural History Museum
This exhibition examines the pivotal role of women as both artists and as behind-the-scenes organisers within the Surrealist movement in Britain in the 1930s. (Ending Soon Sun, 12th Dec)
Whitechapel Gallery
An exhibition that reflects on the Building Centre's key activities from 1931 to the present day (Ending Soon Fri, 17th Dec)
The Building Centre
An installation exploring two important social questions: who are our buildings and shared spaces for and how do they affect us? (Ending Soon Thu, 23rd Dec)
Barbican Centre
The exhibition brings together rarely-seen original artwork and costumes, photographs, documents, audio and video to tell the story of Noël Coward's life. (Ending Soon Thu, 23rd Dec)
Guildhall Art Gallery and Roman Amphitheater
Tate presents a rare chance to experience two of Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Rooms. These immersive installations will transport you into Kusama’s unique vision of endless reflections. (Ending Soon Thu, 23rd Dec)
Tate Modern
An exhibition about a dentist and Freemason noted for his philanthropy. (Ending Soon Fri, 24th Dec)
Museum of Freemasonry
Heather Phillipson engulfs Tate Britain’s grand central galleries with colour, sound and motion (Ending Soon Wed, 29th Dec)
Tate Britain
An outdoor exhibition marking the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the seat of Poland’s diplomatic post in London at 47 Portland Place. (Ending Soon Fri, 31st Dec)
Embassy of the Republic of Poland
Explore the fascinating world of primates in this immersive family friendly exhibition. (Ending Soon Sun, 2nd Jan)
Horniman Museum
