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, 23rd March 2024?
Displayed in date order by how soon they close.
This exhibition will be a release event for curator Manami Okazaki‘s new book, Japan’s Best Friend: Dog Culture in the Land of the Rising Sun by Prestel, one of the world’s leading publishers of art and design books. (Ending Soon Thu, 31st Mar)
Sway Gallery
This exhibition follows the pioneering Russian scholar of Ismaili studies, Wladimir Ivanow (1886 – 1970) across the Muslim world. (Ending Soon Thu, 31st Mar)
The Aga Khan Centre
This exhibition combines photographs taken by Shirley Baker of dogs in everyday settings, as well as at dog shows, providing an insight to her affection and admiration for man’s best friend. (Ending Soon Fri, 1st Apr)
The Kennel Club
America in Crisis brings together 40 leading American photographers and over 120 works exploring social change in the U.S from the 1960s till today. (Ending Soon Sun, 3rd Apr)
Saatchi Gallery
A landmark group exhibition spanning a whole ocean and half a century (Ending Soon Sun, 3rd Apr)
Tate Britain
Using virtual reality headsets, you can see Paolo Veronese's 'The Consecration of Saint Nicholas' as it would have originally been seen - as an altarpiece instead of a museum painting. (Ending Soon Sun, 3rd Apr)
National Gallery
Free
Time Being
A meditative 14-minute film that explores what it means to wait in and through experiences of care. (Ending Soon Fri, 8th Apr)
The Peltz Gallery
This exhibit explores relations between space, time and materials through titanium, and can be found in the lobby of One Canada Square. (Ending Soon Fri, 8th Apr)
One Canada Square
A display exploring the central role food plays in Black enterprise and identity in South East London. (Ending Soon Sat, 9th Apr)
Museum of London Docklands
£14.50
Amy: Beyond the Stage
Celebrate the legacy and creativity of one of the greatest musicians of our time, Amy Winehouse. (Ending Soon Sun, 10th Apr)
The Design Museum
Explore how windows take on cultural significance and surprisingly shape all our views on the world in an exhibition by the Tokyo-based Window Research Institute. (Ending Soon Sun, 10th Apr)
Japan House
An exhibition of photography of the enormous talent and resilience of London's theatreland. (Ending Soon Tue, 12th Apr)
House of Photography
Animal Therapy: The Cats of Louis Wain reintroduces the public to the resplendent work of this lately overlooked figure. (Ending Soon Wed, 13th Apr)
Bethlem Museum of the Mind
The exhibition features more than 70 European fans incorporating both handmade and machine lace leaves dating from the 18th century to present day. (Ending Soon Sat, 16th Apr)
Fan Museum
£24.50
Francis Bacon: Man and Beast
Explore Francis Bacon’s visceral paintings, where the line between human and animal is constantly blurred, reminding us that our primal instincts lie just below the surface. (Ending Soon Sun, 17th Apr)
Royal Academy of Arts
The first major UK exhibition of woodcuts by leading Abstract Expressionist, Helen Frankenthaler. (Ending Soon Sun, 17th Apr)
Dulwich Picture Gallery
Described as an "interactive experience", this exhibition showcases unseen Marley photographs and memorabilia with a focus on his lifestyle, passions, influences, and legacy. (Ending Soon Mon, 18th Apr)
Saatchi Gallery
Free
Kehinde Wiley
Kehinde Wiley is an American artist best known for his portraits that render people of colour in the traditional settings of Old Master paintings. (Ending Soon Mon, 18th Apr)
National Gallery
£8
Beethoven
Against the backdrop of war and revolution raging in Europe and the United States, a young man grew up in Bonn inspired by the ideals of freedom, and went on to compose some of the greatest works of music ever written. (Ending Soon Sun, 24th Apr)
The British Library
Free
Body Vessel Clay
For their 10th annual exhibition, Two Temple Place will showcase the ceramic medium through artworks by three generations of Black women artists working in clay. (Ending Soon Sun, 24th Apr)
Two Temple Place
£8.50
Dredd @45
8 original artworks by different artists and eras are displayed in our In Focus space in the museum’s main gallery. (Ending Soon Sun, 24th Apr)
Cartoon Museum
This exhibition showcases images by photographers who have used their cameras to support political struggle and social change in Britain from 1968 to today. (Ending Soon Sat, 30th Apr)
Four Corners Gallery
Discover the close-knit world of the Georgian music industry, where not what you knew, but who you knew, was of greatest importance. (Ending Soon Sun, 1st May)
Foundling Museum
Free
Brothers in Arms
Follow the story of the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, an elite British tank regiment whose men fought their way across North-West Europe in the final stages of the Second World War. (Ending Soon Fri, 6th May)
National Army Museum
This exhibition explores master goldsmith, Carl Fabergé – who symbolised Russian craftsmanship, luxury and elegance – and the Anglo-Russian relationship which saw the opening of a London branch in 1903. (Ending Soon Sun, 8th May)
Victoria and Albert Museum
Featuring highlights from the museum's manuscripts collection, this exhibition explores the types of books illuminations came from and the 19th-century context in which they were cut up and collected. (Ending Soon Sun, 8th May)
Victoria and Albert Museum
Discover more about the rise of Greek Revival architecture through contemporary watercolours and contextual images. (Ending Soon Sun, 8th May)
The British Museum
Free
London: Port City
This exhibition will trace more than 200 years of extraordinary experiences and intense activity on a river that has always been essential to the city’s survival. (Ending Soon Sun, 8th May)
Museum of London Docklands
The myth of Van Gogh today is linked as much to his extraordinary life as it is to his stunning paintings. This exhibition will allow both aspects to be explored. (Ending Soon Sun, 8th May)
Courtauld Institute of Art
This exhibition will focus on the role of women during World War Two featuring posters issued by both Allied and Axis powers. (Ending Soon Mon, 9th May)
Antikbar
A once-in-a-century opportunity to see this iconic painting in the UK. (Ending Soon Sun, 15th May)
National Gallery
The first major retrospective of this legendary artist to focus exclusively on her work using fabrics and textiles. (Ending Soon Sun, 15th May)
Hayward Gallery
Free
True is The Dream
The exhibition explores the photography of Derek D’Souza, who has captured glimpses of one of Britain’s most revered groups - and frontman Paul Weller - over 4 decades. (Ending Soon Mon, 16th May)
Barbican Arts Centre
Free
Drifting Terrain
An exhibition featuring recent and newly-commissioned works by UK-based artists, Euphrosyne Andrews, Nia Fekri and Seungwon Jung. (Ending Soon Fri, 20th May)
Korean Cultural Centre UK
Joanna Hiffernan’s relationship with Whistler ran deeper than artist and muse. In this exhibition explore her life and role as a friend, model, lover and collaborator. (Ending Soon Sun, 22nd May)
Royal Academy of Arts
Sweet Harmony looks at a significant five-year period in UK dance music history and the previously undocumented contribution that young people living and working in the London Borough of Waltham Forest made to it. (Ending Soon Wed, 25th May)
Vestry House Museum
Step back through millennia and discover how this ancient civilization questioned, contemplated, and debated the natural world. (Ending Soon Sun, 5th Jun)
Science Museum
£14
Freud and China
This exhibition explores Sigmund Freud's fascination and relationship with China. (Ending Soon Sun, 5th Jun)
Freud Museum
Free
Hidden Masterpieces
This exhibition is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see some of the finest works amongst the drawings collected by Sir John Soane. (Ending Soon Sun, 5th Jun)
Sir John Soane's Museum
This display will present an important group of twenty-two works by Parmigianino from The Courtauld’s collection. (Ending Soon Sun, 5th Jun)
Courtauld Institute of Art
Gaze through the lens of some of the world's best wildlife photographers and marvel at the beauty of our planet. (Ending Soon Sun, 5th Jun)
Natural History Museum
Free
Momentum of Light
A photography exhibition in the former Habitat store on Tottenham Court Road. (Ending Soon Sat, 11th Jun)
Heal's Building
Explore incredible objects, including some never seen by the public before, from Professor Stephen Hawking’s office in this new, free display. (Ending Soon Sat, 11th Jun)
Science Museum
This exhibition, 'If you prick us, do we not bleed?' introduces cabinets of curiosity into the heart of the Sainsbury Wing, containing assembled fragments that might look like relics from another collection. (Ending Soon Sun, 12th Jun)
National Gallery
Free
Tower Avenue
Royal Photographic Society (RPS) award-winning photographer, Dexter McLean, MA, focuses on representation of both the black and disabled communities that he embodies in Tower Avenue, his first solo show. (Ending Soon Sun, 12th Jun)
Orleans House Gallery
Free
Chihoi: The Train
A slideshow of selected artworks from Hong Kong artist Chihoi’s graphic novel, based on a story written by Taiwanese poet Hung Hung, evokes a dreamlike train journey. (Ending Soon Sun, 19th Jun)
Southbank Centre
Kawanabe Kyōsai was one of the most exciting Japanese painters of the 19th century. Discover his work – some of which has never been seen before – in the first exhibition outside of Japan in nearly 30 years. (Ending Soon Sun, 19th Jun)
Royal Academy of Arts
The Garden Museum’s exhibition explores the use of roses in fashion from the Victorian era to today. (Ending Soon Sun, 19th Jun)
The Garden Museum
A revelatory new take on art in Britain after the Second World War, a period when artists had to make sense of an entirely altered world. (Ending Soon Sun, 26th Jun)
Barbican Centre
£16
Lubaina Himid
Tate Modern presents Himid’s largest solo exhibition to date, incorporating new paintings and significant highlights from across her remarkable career. (Ending Soon Sun, 3rd Jul)
Tate Modern
Informed by recent archaeological and scientific discoveries, this exhibition offers new insight on one of the world’s great wonders, bringing the true story of Stonehenge into sharper focus than ever before. (Ending Soon Sun, 17th Jul)
The British Museum
Explore the 100-year history of the prestigious Royal Academy of Dance. (Ending Soon Sun, 28th Aug)
Victoria and Albert Museum
In this exhibition, learn more about printmaking in Rudolf's court in Prague during the highpoint of innovative and ambitious prints made from around 1580 until the early years of the 17th century. (Ending Soon Sun, 28th Aug)
The British Museum
This landmark exhibition will rewrite the history of the revolutionary art movement. (Ending Soon Mon, 29th Aug)
Tate Modern
Pitzhanger’s new exhibition by Rana Begum RA explores the perception of light, colour and form within sculpture, painting and installation. (Ending Soon Wed, 31st Aug)
Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery
Life in a cup presents a fascinating beverage story and explores the traditions that make coffee a way of life in parts of the Islamic world. (Ending Soon Sun, 18th Sep)
The British Museum
Life Through a Royal Lens explores the Royal Family through photography and brings together some of the most iconic images ever taken of the Royal Family to Kensington Palace (Ending Soon Sun, 30th Oct)
Kensington Palace
The show traces how menswear has been fashioned and refashioned over the centuries, and how designers, tailors and artists – and their clients and sitters – have constructed and performed masculinity, and unpicked it at the seams. (Ending Soon Sun, 6th Nov)
Victoria and Albert Museum
A display of photographs capturing factories and their workers in an era of rapid transition. (Ending Soon Sun, 6th Nov)
Victoria and Albert Museum
An immersive exhibition exploring the latest cancer research taking place at the Crick - Europe’s largest biomedical research institute under one roof. (Ending Soon Sat, 3rd Dec)
The Francis Crick Institute
Free
Treasures
Spanning centuries, the unexpected treasures on display in the Art Deco library include hand-drawn illustrations, curious texts and beguiling bindings. (Ending Soon Fri, 23rd Dec)
Museum of Freemasonry
An exhibition exploring the Elstree Extension through the Northern Heights that was suspended during World War 2, and never restarted. (Ending Soon Sat, 31st Dec)
Elstree and Borehamwood Museum
Celebrating the life and work of one of the best loved children's authors of the 20th century. (Ending Soon Sun, 8th Jan)
Victoria and Albert Museum
An installation of six large-scale clay columns inspired by traditional architectural practices in Chile, by Swedish-Chilean artist Anton Alvarez (Ending Soon Tue, 28th Feb)
100 Bishopsgate
Visit an 'abandoned' Tube station underworld and discover what secrets lurk beneath our busy streets in this Hidden London exhibition. (Ending Soon Mon, 31st Jul)
London Transport Museum
