Exhibitions

Aliya de Tiesenhausen Aliya de Tiesenhausen

Is the Turner Prize having a mid-life crisis?

Britain’s biggest art prize is back in London. The four nominated artists all have a lot to say, but will it be enough to lure the crowds? The Turner Prize, now celebrating its 40th year, may have a mid-life crisis on its hands.

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Aliya de Tiesenhausen Aliya de Tiesenhausen

What made the Tudors look so cool?

The latest exhibition at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, provides an immersive Tudor experience, no VR headset in sight.

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Aliya de Tiesenhausen Aliya de Tiesenhausen

9 must-see exhibitions opening in February 2024 in London

Once you’re over dry January and ready to face the world again, but the weather is still wintry, head to the nearest gallery. February is a huge month for new exhibitions, and this year I really can’t decide where to start. Fortunately, we have until summer to catch most of these.

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Aliya de Tiesenhausen Aliya de Tiesenhausen

Where can you find guaranteed snow and ice in London?

Five must-see winter landscapes at the National Gallery to immerse yourself in yule spirit and escape the holiday crowds. Snow makes everything pretty, but the real one also raises your gas bills. In London, there is one place we can relax and enjoy snow and ice year round – at the National Gallery – bill-free.

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Aliya de Tiesenhausen Aliya de Tiesenhausen

From smiles to secrets – what makes Frans Hals’ portraits so special?

The 17th century Dutch artist is known for his lively technique and jolly sitters. But is there more under the surface? A new exhibition at the National Gallery reveals all.

Smiling presented two problems 400 years ago. First, in polite society it was deemed inappropriate to show teeth when smiling. Second, smiles were rather hard to paint. But neither of these stopped Frans Hals. Not only did he paint people smiling and laughing, he also became famous for it.

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Aliya de Tiesenhausen Aliya de Tiesenhausen

How comfortable are you with performance art?

Horror, fascination, distress, sadness: having spent over 50 years as a performance artist, Marina Abramović is anything but dull. Love her or hate her, hardly anyone can be left untouched. She says that she does not concern herself with the audience’s reaction to the exhibition; she does her best and then the rest is up to you, the viewer.

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Aliya de Tiesenhausen Aliya de Tiesenhausen

This female artist couldn’t have been more Impressionist if she tried

Berthe Morisot was one of the founder-members of the Impressionist movement, participating in all but one of the Impressionist exhibitions.

She was also one of the very few successful nineteenth-century women artists. While the men tended to concentrate on novel depictions of city life, Morisot is known for her attention to contemporary life and the activities of women in private or interior spaces. Her work became a record of these alternative lives. As we find out in Berthe Morisot: Shaping Impressionism at the Dulwich Picture Gallery, it also formed a link between the art of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

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Aliya de Tiesenhausen Aliya de Tiesenhausen

Why af Klint and Mondrian make a very happy marriage

This is one of the most unusual exhibitions I have come across. Why put two artists who never met or exchanged ideas into a forced conversation many years after their deaths? Yet Tate Modern has done exactly that with Hilma af Klint and Piet Mondrian.

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Aliya de Tiesenhausen Aliya de Tiesenhausen

How far would you go for Vermeer?

Vermeer exhibition in Amsterdam is sold out. What makes the enigmatic 17th century Dutch artist so popular? And why is it ok if you haven’t got the ticket?

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Aliya de Tiesenhausen Aliya de Tiesenhausen

Here is one Royal Academy exhibition that refuses to be pigeonholed

This isn’t an exhibition about Spain. Not the Spain you go on holidays to anyway. Not even the Spain of Velazquez and Goya – both of whose works feature prominently in the promotional material. But don’t worry. I am not suggesting that the Royal Academy is misleading you in any way.

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Aliya de Tiesenhausen Aliya de Tiesenhausen

9 must-see art exhibitions in London in 2023

Let’s say you can visit just one art show each month this year. Where should you go? Obviously, you’d want to prioritise the best art exhibitions in London – and given tickets are typically around £20 per adult and shows take approximately 2 hours to see (if you plan to read any of the wall text, that is) it’s a serious decision to make. But don’t worry – here are my must-see shows for 2023, plus some alternatives.

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Aliya de Tiesenhausen Aliya de Tiesenhausen

Why were these women artists making modernism?

Exhibitions of women artists are to be celebrated. I know that. But I am also finding it problematic. Why is it ok to group artists by gender? A few years ago, I co-curated an exhibition of artists from one country – I think even that is questionable. Art is not the World Cup. But we humans do like to compartmentalise.

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