Tabish Khan, the @LondonArtCritic, picks his top 5 museum exhibitions to see in London this Spring, Check out last week’s top 5 if you’re after more shows to visit.
The Great Mughals: Art, Architecture and Opulence at V&A
Want to see fantastic artefacts with excellent histories? Then this is London’s must-see exhibition. It showcases the golden age of the Mughal Empire during the reign of three of its emperors. It’s filled with stunning illustrations, jewelled armaments, beautiful calligraphy, and even the cup used for daily ablutions looks overly grand. It’s a look back at when the Mughal Empire was the envy of the world. Until 5th May, ticketed.
Noah Davis at Barbican Art Gallery
This exhibition is the talk of the town, and it’s clear to see why, as Noah Davis was a phenomenal painter who tragically died young. He brilliantly captures everyday Black life. It’s not just his achievements as a painter but also the fact that he and his wife set up the Underground Museum to bring top-quality museum works to a deprived neighbourhood. Until 11th May, ticketed.
Vital Signs: Another World is Possible at Science Gallery London
The health of the natural world can directly affect our health, as we see in this show of art and science. I was drawn to Gayle Chong Kwan’s River Guardians, which looks back at the history of the River Thames, its impact on London and the industries that used to exist around it. Once you’ve taken in the show, then sit inside a bark cloth tent by Birungi Kawooya and allow the deadened sound and soothing smell to relax you. Until 17th May, free.
Mickalene Thomas: All About Love & Linder: Danger Came Smiling at Hayward Gallery
Both artists work with photo collage and examine women’s roles and their bodies, making for a great pairing. Mickalene Thomas’ paintings mixed with photography and rhinestones are a joyful celebration of black female bodies, and downstairs Linder’s work looks at the sexual commodification of the female body within magazine culture, in works that are both playful and punchy. Until 5th May, ticketed.
The 80s: Photographing Britain at Tate Britain
This is an extensive and powerful photography exhibition that looks at racism, anti-Thatcher and nuclear missile protests, and the class divides within Britain, covering many of the biggest issues impacting Britain in the 1980s. There’s so much to take in, you almost have to choose which sections to spend time with on each visit, plus, for many visitors, it will be a reminder of the decade we lived through. Until 5th May, ticketed.
V&A image: copyright V&A. Noah Davis image: copyright Jemima Yong, Barbican Art Gallery. Science Gallery photo: George Torode Photography. Mickalene Thomas Photo: Mark Blower. The 80s Photo: copyright Tate (Jai Monaghan).
