Art for the summer
A list of exhibitions to inspire in London and beyond
When I’m in a slump (creative or non-creative) my favourite thing to do is visit an exhibition. I think it’s the easiest pick-me up; it feels like you’re nourishing yourself without doing much, simply walking around and viewing art. It’s like an espresso shot for my brain, heart and soul. You don’t have to be an artist to reap the benefits, I challenge anyone to visit the Jenny Saville exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery (mentioned below, opens 20 June) and not be moved by her visceral paintings. Art makes you feel something - be it good or bad, it’s still something, and when you’re in a slump it’s the best thing to push you out of the void, back into the land of the living, fizzing with a creative charge again.
Below is a list of exhibitions for the summer, there’s a mix of free and ticketed shows in London and beyond. As I’m no longer living in London I’ve found it hard to keep up my fortnightly exhibition day (no wonder I’m in a slump!) but have tried hard to find corkers outside the capital because great art SHOULD be available everywhere and to everyone. There are some cracking shows on across the UK in 2025, you just have to search a little harder for them. So I’ve done the searching for you. Here’s my pick of the best things to see over the summer, when the heat gets too much and all you want is an air-conditioned gallery or museum to hide in.
LONDON
Jenny Saville The Anatomy of Painting at The National Portrait Gallery
20 June - 7 September 2025
St Martin's Place, London, WC2H 0HE
Michaela Yearwood-Dan No Time for Despair at Hauser & Wirth,
13 May - 2 August 2025
23 Savile Row, London W1S 2ET
Francesca Mollett Annual Honesty at Modern Art
5 June - 19 July 2025
4–8 Helmet Row, London EC1V 3QJ
Victoria Miro: 40 years exhibition
6 June - 1 August 2025
Victoria Miro, 16 Wharf Road, London N1 7RW
Arpita Singh Remembering at Serpentine North Gallery
20 March - 27 July 2025
West Carriage Drive, London W2 2AR
Kate Spencer Stewart & Odilon Redon Nuit at Emalin Gallery
06 June – 23 August 2025
Emalin, 118 ½ Shoreditch High Street, London
BEYOND LONDON
Nikki de Saint Phalle & Jean Tinguely Myths & Machines at Hauser & Wirth Somerset
17 May 2025 -1 February 2026
Durslade Farm, Dropping Lane, Bruton, Somerset BA10 0NL
Thread Memory: Embroidery from Palestine at V&A Dundee
Opens 26 June 2025
1 Riverside Esplanade, Dundee, DD1 4EZ, Scotland
Lubaina Himid with Magda Stawarska Another Chance Encounter at Kettles Yard
12 July - 2 November 2025
Kettle's Yard, University of Cambridge, Castle Street, Cambridge CB3 0AQ
Open every weekend until 27 July 2025
Saturdays & Sundays only, 12–5PM
99 Victoria Road, Margate, CT9 1RD
John Bellany A Life in Self-Portraiture at Edinburgh Museum
31 May - 28 September 2025
City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, Edinburgh EH1 1DE
Sahara Longe: The Other side of the Mountain at Arnolfini
28 June - 28 September 2025
16 Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QA
Andy Goldsworthy Fifty Years at Royal Scottish Academy
26 July - 2 November 2025
The Mound, Edinburgh, EH2 2EL
Acts of Creation: On Art and Motherhood at Dundee Contemporary Arts
19 April - 13 July 2025
Dundee Contemporary Arts, 152 Nethergate, Dundee DD1 4DY
If I’ve missed any great shows that you think are worth a visit please comment below, I’d love to add more to my list. Have a happy summer of exhibition wandering!