Tabish Khan the @LondonArtCritic picks his top 5 museum exhibitions to see in 2024. Each one comes with a concise review to help you decide whether it’s for you. If you’re looking for more shows, check out last week’s top 5 where two remains open to visit.
Hiroshi Sugimoto: Time Machine at Hayward Gallery
A black and white photo split perfectly between the sea below and the sky above, cinemas snapped in long exposure and museum dioramas that are a look back through time – both in what they’re showing and our experiences with them. Sugimoto is a master of black and white photography and this subtle and beautiful exhibition shows us why. Until 7 January.
Idris Khan & Annie Morris: When Loss Makes Melodies @ Pitzhanger
Housed within the family of home of John Soanes this is the perfect fit for exhibition about familial grief. Annie Morris’ towers of colourful orbs look ready to topple over and Idris Khan’s words are overlaid to such an extent that they become illegible. These are powerful pieces placed within both the gallery and domestic space. Until 7 January.
Sarah Lucas: Happy Gas @ Tate Britain
Nothing about Sarah Lucas’ work is subtle, it’s leery and sexually charged at every turn with not a white wall in sight – leaning fully into the Irreverence of Sarah Lucas’ art. From a car cut in half covered in cigarettes and a hanging seat made from breasts. Until 14 January.
Andrew Salgado: Tomorrow I’ll be Perfect @ Saatchi Gallery
Portrait painter extraordinaire Andrew Salgado has his latest series of paintings at Saatchi Gallery, with fantastical tableaus including a look at the artist himself with paint brushes to hand and filled with details that make you want to spend an age analysing each piece. Until 7 January.
Claudette Johnson: Presence @ The Courtauld
Larger than-life black persons that are sometimes powerful, other times tender. This is an excellent collection of figurative paintings and drawings by Claudette Johnson, accentuated by her sparing use of colour in some of the strongest works. Until 14 January.
All images copyright respective artist and gallery. Hayward Gallery photo: Mark Blower. Sarah Lucas image Lucy Green. Andrew Salgado image courtesy Beers London.
