Welcome to the IanVisits alternative guide to London.
Lectures, talks, heritage events, organised walks and other random geeky miscellany.
Displayed in date order by how soon they close.
A group of hauntingly beautiful, large-scale portrait heads in charcoal by Frank Auerbach - considered some of his early masterpieces – are being presented together for the first time. (Ends on Mon, 27th May)
Courtauld Institute of Art
£16.50
World Press photo exhibition
The World Press Photo Contest highlights the year’s most impactful visual stories, fostering a deeper understanding of pressing global issues. (Ends on Mon, 27th May)
Borough Yards
During the week of the Chelsea Flower Show, loads of shops and streets around Chelsea and Belgravia become a free floral show all of their own. (Ends on Tue, 28th May)
Various locations
A virtual reality tour around the French cathedral, Dame de Paris telling its history right up to the recent devastating fire. (Ends on Sat, 1st Jun)
Westminster Abbey
The exhibition will feature paintings, drawings and sculpture by Oliver Enwonwu, as well as works by his father, the acclaimed pioneer African modernist artist, Ben Enwonwu. (Ends on Sat, 1st Jun)
Mall Galleries
Turn back the hands of time and discover a beautiful exhibition of mechanical marvels. (Ends on Sun, 2nd Jun)
Science Museum
Bella Hoare’s solo exhibition 'A Different Green' showcases paintings that celebrate femininity and its relationship with the natural world. (Ends on Sun, 2nd Jun)
gallery@oxo
£18
Skateboard
The first major UK exhibition to map the design evolution of the skateboard from the 1950s to today – a story of design, daring and disobedience. (Ends on Sun, 2nd Jun)
The Design Museum
From 1970s activism to the current party scene, the exhibition displays five decades of Hackney life through a camera lens. (Ends on Sat, 15th Jun)
Hackney Museum
Free
Rediscovering gems
A display of gems collected in classical times -- including some recently recovered by the British Museum from an alleged theft. (Ends on Sat, 15th Jun)
British Museum
Showcasing more than 160 rare vintage prints, this exhibition spans the career of both artists – and suggests new ways to look at their work. (Ends on Sun, 16th Jun)
National Portrait Gallery
Danish artist, Anders Scrmn Meisner, presents a playful new series of paintings that explore the emotional value of objects and the power of visual storytelling. (Ends on Sat, 22nd Jun)
Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery (Wandsworth)
Free
Art Now Zeinab Saleh
An exhibition of delicate and intimate paintings and drawings from Kenyan-born, London-based artist Zeinab Saleh. (Ends on Sun, 23rd Jun)
Tate Britain
This exhibition transports you across the Roman Empire through the life and service of a real Roman soldier, Claudius Terentianus, from enlistment and campaigns to enforcing occupation and then finally retirement. (Ends on Sun, 23rd Jun)
British Museum
A forest rodeo, a hidden stargazer and a mason bee at work are just a few of the awe-inspiring images featured in the 59th Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. (Ends on Sun, 30th Jun)
Natural History Museum
This exhibition highlights far-right nationalist rhetoric from the 1970 – 90s and the anti-fascist, anti-racist responses that followed. (Ends on Mon, 1st Jul)
Wiener Library
An exhibition for the fans by the fans going some way to explain not just what 2Tone is but why and how we got there. (Ends on Mon, 1st Jul)
Barbican Library
For this exhibition each artist has generated work on the theme of the sky and its symbolic significance within the Nordic and Estonian cultural context. (Ends on Sat, 6th Jul)
Pontone Gallery
The exhibition explores tea’s complex history and myriad of meanings – from its popularisation and globalisation connected to stories of imperialism and colonial violence. (Ends on Sun, 7th Jul)
Horniman Museum
Step inside a traditional tailor’s workshop in the East End and immerse yourself in the glitz and glamour of a Carnaby Street boutique at the height of the Swinging Sixties – when London was the world's fashion capital. (Ends on Sun, 7th Jul)
Museum of London Docklands
Almost 60 of Sargent’s paintings will be on display, including major portraits that rarely travel (Ends on Sun, 7th Jul)
Tate Britain
This exhibition examines a collection of works on paper made by British colonialists in nineteenth-century India. (Ends on Fri, 12th Jul)
The Peltz Gallery
Mary Beale (1633-1699) was one of Britain’s first professional woman artists and is subject of this exhibition featuring 25 of her works from public and private collections, including some never seen before in public. (Ends on Fri, 19th Jul)
Philip Mould & Company
Free
Gérard Schneider
Featuring works created between 1956 and 1981, this exhibition traces the evolution of Schneider’s formal vocabulary through the post-war years. (Ends on Sat, 20th Jul)
Cardi Gallery
Free
The Last Caravaggio
The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula, 1610, lent by the Intesa Sanpaolo Collection, will be displayed alongside another late work by the Italian artist from the National Gallery Collection, Salome receives the Head of John the Baptist, about 1609–10. (Ends on Sun, 21st Jul)
National Gallery
Free
METAMORPHOSIS
This exhibition showcases four award-winning photographers and filmmakers undertaking ground-breaking work in their practices of eco-conscious photography and film. (Ends on Sun, 28th Jul)
Saatchi Gallery
This exhibition looks at the last 30 years of Michelangelo's remarkable life. (Ends on Sun, 28th Jul)
British Museum
From Hokusai to Pokémon, Studio Ghibli, robots and beyond, the exhibition takes young visitors on an atmospheric and playful journey revealing the influence of folklore on Japan’s art and design. (Ends on Sun, 11th Aug)
Young V&A
For centuries, Black communities have created music in the UK, melding global influences into a Black British sound that has echoed through generations. (Ends on Mon, 26th Aug)
British Library
An exhibition of photos and artwork inspired by the brutalist appearance of the National Theatre. (Ends on Sat, 31st Aug)
The National Theatre
Explore how music shapes our lives in this landmark interactive exhibition. (Ends on Sun, 1st Sep)
Science Museum
Delve into the powerful, participatory work of artist and activist Yoko Ono (Ends on Sun, 1st Sep)
Tate Modern
The first-ever, walk-through photography exhibition that tells the untold story of how Princess Diana changed the world – through the lens of her official photographer. (Ends on Mon, 2nd Sep)
Dockside Vaults
Offering art lovers a fresh perspective on London, its architecture, and geography, Guildhall Art Gallery celebrates the work of artist and specialist wood engraver, Anne Desmet RA. (Ends on Sun, 8th Sep)
Guildhall Art Gallery and Roman Amphitheater
Japan’s leading creators share inspirational design that spans disciplines, regions and eras. (Ends on Sun, 8th Sep)
Japan House London
£20
Enzo Mari
This exhibition celebrates the life and work of one of the greatest Italian designers of the 20th century, Enzo Mari, whose designs have inspired generations of creatives around the world. (Ends on Sun, 8th Sep)
Design Museum
This exhibition explores networks of solidarity between groups campaigning on peace, nuclear weapons and national self-determination. (Ends on Sun, 15th Sep)
LSE Library
The 14 works on display provide a snapshot of digital art practices from the 1960s to early 2000s. (Ends on Sun, 15th Sep)
Victoria and Albert Museum
Free
Raise the Roof
See new creative works that unpack narratives of gender, race and imperialism at 66 Portland Place. (Ends on Sat, 21st Sep)
Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
An exhibition about an architectural style developed in the 1940s and adopted after independence by India and Ghana as a symbol of modernity and progressiveness, distinct from colonial culture. (Ends on Sun, 22nd Sep)
Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum
An exhibition of diaries collected by the artist Dylan Jonas Stone. (Ends on Sun, 29th Sep)
Maughan Library
Loaned from Brighton Museum, this display showcases more than 300 years of popular British history. (Ends on Sun, 29th Sep)
Victoria and Albert Museum
Take a deeper look into the human experience of conflict with Storyteller: Photography by Tim Hetherington at IWM London. (Ends on Sun, 29th Sep)
Imperial War Museum
This exhibition charts the evolution of royal portrait photography from the 1920s to the present day, bringing together more than 150 photographic prints, proofs and documents from the Royal Collection and the Royal Archives. (Ends on Sun, 6th Oct)
The King's Gallery, Buckingham Palace
Spanning 400 years, this exhibition follows women on their journeys to becoming professional artists. (Ends on Sun, 13th Oct)
Tate Britain
Discover the story of the friendships that made modern art (Ends on Sun, 20th Oct)
Tate Modern
A display of rare, nationally significant outfits which shines a spotlight on the intimate story of a middle-class mother and her affluent daughter at a moment in history that shaped the way fashion is consumed today. (Ends on Sun, 20th Oct)
Leighton House Museum
The Wallace Collection explore the remarkable life and legacy of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839), the founder of the Sikh Empire (1799-1849). (Ends on Sun, 20th Oct)
Wallace Collection
This exhibition shows the decade-to-decade evolution of today’s most iconic brands, including Cadbury’s Milk Tray, Bisto, HP Sauce, Ovaltine and many more. (Ends on Thu, 31st Oct)
Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising
This exhibition invites you to discover the key role chocolate played in the revival of Greenwich. (Ends on Sun, 3rd Nov)
Old Royal Naval College
Free
Women of the RNLI
Women of the RNLI at the National Maritime Museum celebrates the work of women in the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. (Ends on Sun, 1st Dec)
National Maritime Museum
£16.50
Birds: Brilliant and Bizarre
Unravel the epic story of birds, discover the secrets to their success and learn some of their surprising and often shocking tactics for survival. (Ends on Sun, 5th Jan 2025)
Natural History Museum
Showcasing over 300 rare prints from 140 photographers, this exhibition is a major presentation of twentieth and twenty-first century photography on loan from the private collection of Sir Elton John and David Furnish. (Ends on Sun, 5th Jan 2025)
Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum
Free
The Future of Money
Money and the way we use it has changed. This free exhibition responds directly to questions asked by the public about the future of money. (Ends on Fri, 29th Aug 2025)
Bank of England Museum
