Tabish Khan, the @LondonArtCritic, picks his top 5 museum exhibitions to see in London in March. If you’re after more shows, check out last week’s top 5.
Mire Lee: Open Wound – Hyundai Commission @ Tate Modern, Turbine Hall
Torn fabrics hang from the ceiling, tinged pink as if they have soaked up blood. An industrial mechanism spins while pink liquid drops down and gathers. It’s a horror movie, a critique of fast fashion, a reference to childbirth and a nod to Turbine Hall’s industrial past all rolled into one. It’s dramatic, grabs hold of you and doesn’t want to let you go – exactly how a turbine hall installation should be. Until 16th March, free.
Charlotte Johnson-Wahl: What if Felt Like @ Bethlem Museum of the Mind
Through her pieces, she explores her deep-seated phobias surrounding food and hygiene, as well as the ineffective treatments she endured during her eight-month stay at Maudsley Hospital. Her work features empty canteens, self-portraits depicting insects crawling on her body, and paintings of her husband and children – including one Boris Johnson. Until 29th March, free.
Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s London @ Fashion and Textile Museum
This exhibition centres around the legendary nightclub Taboo, opened by designer and performance artist Leigh Bowery in 1985. It’s a fun show with strikingly posed mannequins wearing eye-catching outfits and it’s the perfect accompaniment to the Leigh Bowery exhibition that just opened at Tate Modern. Until 9th March, ticketed.
Mingzhang Sun: After Summer, Half @ Orleans House Gallery
Movement and performance are a large part of the artist’s work and that’s evident in the abstracted figures and landscapes in his paintings. I was most drawn to his works where a canvas is stretched, contorted and bound to a frame so it feels like it could be caged or trying to break free – there’s a fantastic energy to them. Until 30th March, free.
Helios by Luke Jerram @ The Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval College
We’ve had the Earth, the Moon and Mars – now here comes the sun. It’s the first time seeing his replica of the sun and it’s mesmerising as patterns of sunspots and the movement of gases dance across its surface. A new Luke Jerram work is always a joy to experience. Until 25th March, ticketed.
All photos copyright respective venues and artists. Tate Turbine Hall photo © Tate (Lucy Green).
