From icons of postwar art to sharp-eyed takes on the present, FAD’s most-read stories offer a snapshot of what has captured attention this season. At number one is Tabish’s Top 5 exhibitions to see this Spring.
The rest of the top ten moves fluidly between art, music, fashion, and design: from the exuberant worlds of Niki de Saint Phalle and Yayoi Kusama, to the lasting influence of Andy Warhol and Pablo Picasso. Contemporary provocations arrive via Damien Hirst, Arthur Jafa, Mark Leckey, and Marina Abramovic, while music and fashion cut through with Mick Jones and Demna at Balenciaga. Holding its own at number three is a distinctly British invention, the Cool Can — proof that ingenuity can stand shoulder to shoulder with cultural heavyweights.
1 The Top 5 Art Exhibitions to see in London this Spring *
Tabish Khan, the @LondonArtCritic, picks his top 5 art exhibitions to see in London this Spring (2025).
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2 Niki de Saint Phalle & Yayoi Kusama together for London Exhibition.
Opening in April Opera Gallery presented ‘Inner Child,’ a two-artist exhibition with paintings and sculptures by Niki de Saint Phalle (1930–2002) and Yayoi Kusama (b. 1929). The exhibition featured 41 artworks comprised of 7 paintings and 34 sculptures. MORE
3 Cool Can – The World’s First True Self-Chilling Beverage Can.
For decades, the world’s biggest drink brands—Coca-Cola, Carlsberg, Heineken—have invested millions trying to achieve the impossible: a self-cooling can. They all failed. But announced in March this year James Vyse a former mixologist turned entrepreneur, cracked the code—not in a corporate lab, but from his bedroom! MORE
4 LAST CHANCE: Mick Jones’ (The Clash) Rock & Roll Public Library.
The personal collection and archive of Mick Jones, RRPL is a large, material archive of 20th century pop culture, collected over a lifetime on March 1st the first issue of its periodic magazine was launched which coincided with the opening of RRPL at Farsight Gallery. MORE
5 New exhibition to present a unique window into the life & work of Andy Warhol.
Opened in June at Newlands House Gallery Andy Warhol: My True Story explored of one of the 20th century’s most influential artists Andy Warhol. Curated by Jean Wainwright the exhibition offered a different view to other Warhol exhibitions, it offered a ‘behind the scenes’ perspective. MORE
6 Damien Hirst new art works The Dreams
In March HENI presented The Dreams by Damien Hirst a new series that featured 40 original works on canvas and 8 limited edition prints based on the paintings. Merging two of Hirst’s most iconic motifs delicate butterflies and the dynamic colours of his Spin Paintings—these works highlight the tension between natural beauty and mechanised artistic creation. MORE
7 Arthur Jafa & Mark Leckey, Together in Hardcore Love, at a Croydon shopping centre.
In June Conditions in Croydon presented the free exhibition HARDCORE / LOVE. For the first time, Arthur Jafa’s Love is the Message, The Message is Death (2016) was shown alongside Mark Leckey’s Fiorucci Made Me Hardcore (1999) – widely considered as two of the most important moving-image artworks of the past thirty years. The exhibition was held within a former electronics shop in the Whitgift Shopping Centre in Croydon. MORE
8 Marina Abramovic to Release New NFT Project: Marina Abramovic Element
In March Marina Abramovic announced Marina Abramovic Element (MAE), a groundbreaking new digital art project. Comprised of 3 separate NFT drops with games and collectible items, Marina Abramovic Element immersed participants in the acclaimed artist’s practice through interactive elements and unique artworks, the inaugural NFT drop happened in mid-May 2025. MORE
9 Picasso: Tête-à-tête to be final exhibition at Gagosian Madison Avenue.
Photo: Sandra Pointet Courtesy Gagosian
Picasso: Tête-à-tête opened on April 18th and was the final exhibition ever to be held at Gagosian’s flagship 980 Madison Avenue gallery closing on July 3rd. MORE
10 Balenciaga by Demna exhibition opens in Paris.
In March it was announced Demna would be leaving Balenciaga in July, in June Demna curated Balenciaga by Demna which encapsulated his decade at the House from 2015 to 2025. Staged inside Kering’s Laennec headquarters, a historic 17th-century landmark in Paris’s 7th arrondissement the exhibition closed on July 9th. Also in July Demna became the Artistic Director for Gucci. MORE
* We could have easily filled the rankings with multiple Top 5 posts, but for variety we’ve included only the most popular.
