Hurtwood
 

Art to look forward to in 2021

Hurtwood’s top tips for art to look forward to in 2021, in and around London and the rest of the world.

All that pent up demand from our culturally starved year is finally bursting forth in a huge creative splurge! There’s a wealth of wonderful exhibitions and events to choose from this year, but here are the Hurtwood team’s top ten art events and exhibitions to look forward to – the ones we really don’t want to miss!

Van Gogh Alive. Photograph: Maag Zurich.

1 Two huge Van Gogh Exhibitions

Van Gogh Alive at Kensington Gardens and Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience (a secret location)

Interactive displays which will surround you with sound, light and colour. We’re starting with these as you’ll need to be quick to get tickets, particularly for Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience which is coming to a secret location in London after a hugely successful world-wide tour. Demand for tickets has been immense and slots for this year are almost sold out, although there is more availability in the early part of 2022! Find out about tickets here.

And if you miss out on that or can’t wait till next year try stepping into Van Gogh Alive, another fabulous interactive experience at Kensington Gardens in London. Find out more information and book tickets here.

Tracey Emin: It - didnt stop - I didnt stop, 2019. Royal Academy of Arts, London

2 Tracey Emin / Edvard Munch, The Loneliness of the Soul, Royal Academy, London

The Royal Academy’s landmark exhibition has been long delayed, but booking is now open for Tracey Emin / Edvard Munch, The Loneliness of the Soul which will run alongside the free virtual tour of the exhibition. The show is much acclaimed, but has also been described as harrowing: all the more so with the recent knowledge that Emin has undergone radical treatment for cancer since the planned opening of the exhibition last year. The exhibition, which was curated by the artist herself, displays masterpieces by her favourite artist Edvard Munch alongside Emin’s most recent paintings.

The show runs from 18 May – 1 August 2021 and you can book tickets on the Royal Academy website here. 

 

3 Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirror Rooms, Tate Modern, London

Delayed from last year, this exhibition by Japanese artist Yoyoi Kusama at Tate Modern is being re-scheduled for this spring and dates should be available any time now. There are two installations to experience – you can immerse yourself in the endless reflections of the Infinity Mirrored Room – Filled with the Brilliance of Life and Chandelier of Grief – two of the artist’s most famous works. The exhibition promises to be an enthralling and possibly slightly narcissistic experience as we gaze at image after image of ourselves!

Check Tate Modern’s website for booking options tate.org.uk.

Photo by Eric Ward on Unsplash.

4 The Art of Banksy, an unauthorised exhibition, Covent Garden, London

There’s something about seeing an exhibition that’s being promoted as ‘unauthorised’ that makes it all the more appealing! But that aside, if you’re curious about the work of Banksy this is an opportunity to see the world’s biggest private collection of the artist’s work.

The exhibition in Covent Garden is running from 20 May – 21 November 2021 at 50 Earlham Street, London WC2H 9LJ

Tickets for this seem to going fast too. Find out more on the website  artofbanksy.co.uk.

Modernity Stockholm at Masterpiece London 2019, photography by Ben Fisher.

5 Masterpiece, The Royal Hospital, Chelsea

We were hoping to bring you news that the London Masterpiece Art Fair would be back in June at its usual home in the grand setting of The Royal Hospital, Chelsea. However, given the number of international exhibitors, the fair has been postponed until Autumn 2021 with no news of a date as yet. Keep an eye on the website for further news masterpiecefair.com.

Instagram images from @affordableartfairuk.

6 The Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, London

And if your budget wasn’t going to stretch to the works at Masterpiece anyway, The Affordable Art Fair is planning to be back in its London home at Battersea Park from 8–11 July 2021.

Artworks start from £50 and range from paintings and prints to photographs and sculptures. The art fair brings together emerging and established galleries and artists, mainly from London and the UK. Find out more on the website affordableartfair.com.

Image from frieze.com.

7 Frieze, London

Frieze London and Frieze Masters plan to be back this year from 13–17 October in their old home at Regent’s Park. You can check for further details on their website here. Frieze are also opening an exciting permanent new exhibition space at No.9 Cork Street in October this year with a programme of visiting galleries throughout the year.

 

8 Beano: The Art of Breaking Rules, Somerset House, London

This one is for Francis our MD, a fully paid-up member of the Dennis the Menace fan club! Take a trip into Beanotown at Somerset House this autumn for ‘a nostalgic look’ at Britain’s favourite comic. Curated by artist and lifelong Beano fan Andy Holden, with contributions from other contemporary artists who’ve been influenced by Dennis the Menace including Simeon Barclay, Holly Hendry, Sarah Lucas, Lindsey Mendick, Hardeep Pandhal, Heather Phillipson, Martin Rowson, Bedwyr Williams and lots more to be announced.

21 October 2021 – 6 March 2022 visit the website to find out more: somersethouse.org.uk.

Bridget Riley: Pleasures of Sight.

9 Bridget Riley: Pleasures of Sight, The Lightbox, Woking

Celebrating Bridget Riley’s 90th birthday, The Lightbox in Woking is exhibiting a retrospective of Bridget Riley’s work spanning sixty years. With lots of examples from each decade, the exhibition will show the artist’s inspiration and fascinating working methods.

18 December 2021 – 10 April 2022  learn more and book on the  The Light Box website here.

The biggest exhibitions of 2021 from The Art Newspaper.

10 And for our other friends across the world?

A great article from The Art Newspaper on the biggest art exhibitions around the world in 2021.

 

Sources: The Art newspaper, The Art Fund.org, Visit London, Luxury London, Condé Nast Traveller.