Art In London: April 2014

By Silvia Baretta Last edited 120 months ago
Art In London: April 2014

We look ahead for the best London art openings in March, organised by category and opening date. We hope you find it handy for planning ahead. Useful? Missing something? Pile of crap? Please let us know and we'll tweak the format in future instalments. This time we have added the new sections 'London-y' and 'Must See'.

Architecture & Design

1 April - Danson House presents Things We Do in Bed, an exhibition celebrating the historic and contemporary art of quilting and focusing on bed activities: Birth, Sleep, Sex, Illness and Death. The exhibition is free with entrance to Danson House. £7/£5, until 31 October

2 April - Somerset House hosts the exhibition Boro: Threads of Life about the the Japanese textile tradition of boro, the collective name for items such as clothing and bed covers made by the poor rural population from whatever material came to hand. Free, until 26 April

4 April - Restate takes place at NEO Bankside, investigating the notion of identity by pointing at the difference between inhabited places and anonymous empty spaces and by exploring the relationship between art and environment through architecture. Free, until 17 April

25 April - Tom Pike's Incidents and Accidents exhibition at Foundry Gallery in Chelsea displays for the first time the architect's artworks. Being mainly a designer, Pike debuts in the art world with some collages and colourful pieces. Free, until 17 May

Ad campaign for the Tribute to Frida Kahlo collection, Women's prêt-à-porter spring/summer 1998; illustration by Fred Langlais and art direction by Jean Paul Gaultier. Part of the exhibition Jean Paul Gaultier: Be My guest. Details below.

Drawing

7 April - Moroccan Fine Art hosts the exhibition I believe I can touch the sky featuring colourful artworks by one of the world’s leading Graffiti artists, CEET. The exhibition will be presented at the Barbara Stanley Gallery, just for a week. Free, until 13 April

11 April - Connected to the main exhibition about French fashion's 'Enfant Terrible' at Barbican, Jean Paul Gaultier: Be My Guest is the satellite exhibition that displays the couturier’s design work for the first time. The exhibition takes place at the Fashion Space Gallery and features artworks from the early 1980s to now. Free, until 31 May

Fairs

24 April - The enchanting Embankment Galleries inside the Somerset House are the location of Pick Me Up, a contemporary print and graphic art fair for bargain-hunters. The fair includes a rich program of related events, initiatives and workshops. £8-£17.50, until 5 May

24 April - Prints from the affordable to the big names like Hirst and Kusama are on sale at the London Original Print Fair, an occasion for seeing and purchasing remarkable artworks. The fair takes place at the Royal Academy. £12/£8, prebook, until 27 April

24 April - The Other Art Fair takes place at the Ambika P3 in Marylebone and it aims to be more than just an art fair where people can buy artworks from more than 100 exhibiting artists. The programme of events includes talks, workshops and cocktails. £6, prebook, until 27 April

London-y

2 April - Thompson's Galleries celebrates its 20th anniversary with an exhibition dedicated to painter Robert Kelsey, in which you'll find colourful and relaxing paintings of London and the River Thames as well as Venice panoramas, beaches and countryside. Free, until 20 April

3 April - London’s Growing Up! displays the growth of tall buildings in London, as the capital's population increases and investors pour money into London real estate. The exhibition shows NLA's (New London Architecture's) Insight Study into tall buildings around town. Read Londonist review. Free, until 12 June

4 April - Spoil and Fill tells the story of one particularly building in the city: 80 Bishopsgate, which was destroyed by an IRA bomb in 1993, rebuilt, and subsequently demolished in 2011. This is the first solo exhibition by artist Amanda Loomes at Studio 1.1 London. Free, until 27 April

10 April - A photographic exhibition about London's most famous landmarks, with a difference. Julija Svetlova tries to narrate London in a different way in her exhibition London Exposed, at Kaizo Salon in Shoreditch. Free, until 10 May

16 April - The Upper Gallery at the ICA hosts a selection of paintings by London-based poet and painter David Robilliard in the first UK institutional exhibition for over 20 years. £1, until 15 June

Henri Matisse, The Snail,1953. © Succession H. Matisse / DACS 2014. Henry Matisse: The Cut-Outs is on at Tate Modern. See details below

Must See

2 April - The forward-looking and contemporary Saatchi Gallery brings us its pick of the best South American and African art with the exhibition Pangaea. Read Londonist review. Free, until 31 August

5 April - Why is Italian fashion widely recognised as a symbol of quality and style? Find answers at the V&A with The Glamour of Italian Fashion, which explores the development of the Italian fashion industry from the end of the Second World War to the present day. Read Londonist review. £12/£10, prebook, until 27 July

9 April - An extravagant, colourful and eclectic exhibition about a worldwide acclaimed French fashion designer. The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From Sidewalk to the Catwalk will animate Barbican Art Centre, including a satellite exhibition and a rich program of events. Read Londonist review. £14.50/£12.50, until 25 August  

11 April - The Photographers' Gallery hosts the work of the four artists shortlisted for the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize 2014. They are Alberto García-Alix, Jochen Lempert, Richard Mosse and Lorna Simpson. The winner will be announced during a special ceremony at the gallery on 12 May. Read Londonist review. Read Londonist review about Richard Mosse exhibition at the Vynil Factory. Free, until 22 April

17 April - Enter the timeless and inspiring world of Matisse, one of the most influential painters of all time. Henry Matisse: The Cut-Outs is on display at Tate Modern: some of Matisse’s greatest works were cut-outs, and this exhibition will re-visit this aspect of his portfolio. A vast program of talks, workshops and museum lates is connected. Read Londonist review. £18/£16, until 7 September

Painting

1 April - The Haberdashery coffee shop hosts the solo exhibition of painter Beverly Isaacs. Her paintings portraits life scenes and people she met during her life experience in Mexico: her brush is bold, colourful and expressive. Expect drawings and assemblage as well. Free, until 25 May

2 April - Get drawn into a dazzling explosion of light, see Nina Murdoch's exhibition Enlightenment at Marlborough Fine Art. free, until 27 April

4 April - Austrian painter Robert Muntean brings his personal-structured and colourful paintings to Rosenfeld Porcini gallery, focal point of his solo exhibition The Hardcore of Beauty. Free, until 31 May

4 April - Graffiti Life Gallery celebrates the most famous and popular Superheroes with a collective exhibition. You're invited to dress up as a superhero if you wish to take part in the launch night. Free, until 27 April

9 April - David Storey launches his solo painting exhibition Heart and Soul at the Thomas and Paul gallery. A display of paintings of memories and haunted dreams, characterised by childhood-related features. Free, until 17 May

10 April - Ayyam Gallery London presents Seduction, Iranian artist Afshin Pirhashemi’s first UK solo exhibition. A collection of black and white and mysterious portraits of women. Free, until 24 May

10 April - TJ Boulting gallery hosts a group show exploring the role of the unconscious and the psychological in the work of five contemporary painters. The Untitled (Unconscious) exhibition displays works from: Rachel Howard, Boo Saville, George Ziffo, Gorka Mohamed and Kikko Giannuzzi. Free, until 24 May

10 April - The Flowers Gallery in Cork Street presents Kevin Sinnott solo exhibition. He presents paintings about familiar themes, which the artist reinvents and revisits at the same time. Free, until 17 May

10 April - Henry Sotheran Print Gallery presents a display of 20th Century Japanese Prints, which features a range of works as traditional woodblock prints of botanicals and landscapes, original watercolour scrolls, Studio Ghibli storyboards and hand-drawn anime (manga) cels. All artworks will be on sale. Free, until 1 May

11 April - Lose yourself and your thoughts by staring at Richard Owen's colourful, spaceless and abstract paintings at The Art Cabin Gallery in Southfields. Free, until 30 April

17 April - The Contemporary Art Society hosts paintings from three pioneer female painters: Phoebe Unwin, Clare Woods and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye. There will be an art talk with the painters on 15 May, the event is free but pre booking is essential. Free, until 15 June

25 April - Julian Schnabel is ready to surprise with the exhibition Every Angel Has A Dark Side at The Dairy Art Centre. As both a film director and a painter, expect diversity throughout this exhibition. Free, until 27 July

28 April - Tate Britain presents the free display Bodies of Nature, all about mythical creatures in paintings. Free, until 19 October

30 April - Discover the invention of perspective in Italian Renaissance painting at the National Gallery, in the Building The Picture exhibition. Free, until 21 September

30 April - Patrick Gibbs solo exhibition is on display at the Mall Galleries. Expect inspirational everyday-life scenes, inspired by his recent travels to Asia, Africa and Cuba. Free, until 31 May

30 April -  Miranda Benzies, Harry Tompkins, Louise Evans & Enzo Marra come together at the Leyden Gallery to explore the theme of Ancient and Modern using the common medium of painting. Free, until 10 May

Berndnaut Smilde, Nimbus Visual, 2013, digital C-type print on aluminium, ed. of 6 + 2ap. Berndnaut Smilde: Antipode exhibition is at the Ronchini Gallery until 14 June. Details below.

Photography

1 April - Lost in the City is the first solo exhibition by French street artist YZ, who compares and captures fascinating spots of both Paris and Hong Kong. The exhibition is hosted at the French Art Studio. Free, until 27 April

2 April - Lucas Foglia: Frontcountry is on at Michael Hoppen Contemporary. The photographic exhibition displays shots of the US western states,  taken over seven years. Read Londonist review. Free, until 10 May

3 April - The Heroic Apparition is a collective of works by Liu Bolin, the internet sensation artist who blends in seamlessly with his background, taking place at the Scream Gallery. Read Londonist review. Free, until 10 May

3 April - The Cult Mountain artists emporium in Bethnal Green presents Way out West, featuring the new works of photographer Jonathan Crawford. Free, until 17 April

4 April - Brunei Gallery, which is part of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), presents Living Shrines: Uyghur Manifestations of Faith, Saints and Islam in Western China. The exhibition features photographs and videos from artist Lisa Ross who focuses on the Uyghur religious tradition with its desert shrines to Sufi saints and Muslim pilgrimage sites. Free, until 21 June

4 April - Acido Dorado: Mona Khun photographic works are on display at the Flowers Gallery in Dalston, where naked human bodies mix with the nature. On the same day, the gallery launches another photographic exhibition by artist Esther Teichmann: Fractal Stars, Salt Water and Tears. Both are free, until 10 May

4 April - A collection of vintage black & white prints and shots is on display at the Daniel Blau Gallery in Shoreditch, by Robert Capa, the 20th century’s most celebrated war photographer. Free, until 10 May

4 April - The Stour Space Gallery presents Dinosaraus, the debut solo exhibition from Swedish photographer Sara Löfwander. An exhibition of naked self-portraits mixed with pieces of scanned nature, to remind people about the beauty of the natural world. Free, until 28 April

4 April - Street Life: Roy's people at Curious Duke gallery is a mixture of surreal miniature sculptures posed and photographed to bring a smile to your face. And maybe make you think about resizing your life. Read Londonist review. Free, until 26 April

7 April - The National Theatre launches the exhibition Both Sides Now: Moments in American Music, which celebrates the 1960s singer-songwriters living in Laurel Canyon-LA and the new wave bands in downtown 1970′s New York, trying to capture the changing spirit of that time. Free, until 14 June

7 April - Feel like taking a short break to Paris, heat to Beetles+Huxley gallery for the black & white photographic exhibition Paris in the Springtime. You'll find picturesque shots from the most famous Paris-based photographers. Free, until 3 May

7 April - The Tabernacle in Notting Hill hosts Pop Star Died His Hair, by photographer Ed Browse. His photographs show details otherwise missed, through a range of digital exposures, saturated imagery and corrupted viewpoints, to always tell a (abstract) story. Free, until 13 April

11 April - Berndnaut Smilde, the creator of indoor clouds, returns with a solo show at the Ronchini Gallery: Antipode. Read Londonist review. Free, until 14 June

11 April - Intimate portrait photographs are on show at the Anthony Reynolds gallery, part of the exhibition Double Visions, which displays works by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. Free, until 17 May

23 April - The Swanscombe Project is a photographic and documentary project conducted by a group of 16 professional photographers, whose aim is to raise interest in the disappearance of industrial heritage. The project focuses on the post-industrial landscape of Swanscombe Marsh and is on display at Goldsmiths College. Free, until 4 May

30 April - Ben Brown Fine Arts presents Slumber Song, the first solo exhibition in the UK of contemporary Chinese photographer Chen Wei. His still life photography focuses on the realities of a rapidly developing China. Free, until 5 June

Sculpture

1 April - London's Metropolitan Hotel displays on its lobby... Easter eggs! The works, commissioned to famous artists and designers, will be sold on an auction at the end of the display period. The auction is taking place in the Met Bar on 30 April and all proceeds will go to Noah’s Ark Children's Hospice. Free, until 30 April

1 April - Enjoy the colourful, chaotic and comic-inspired compositions by Joyce Pensato at the Lisson Gallery. Read Londonist review. Free, until 10 May

3 April - The high ceilings of Tate Britain's Duveen Galleries host the playful and giant-sized sculptures by Phyllida Barlow. Read Londonist review. Free, until 10 October

11 April - Camden Arts Centre hosts the out-of-the-ordinary sculptures of London-based artist Phillip Lai who uses familiar objects, arranged incongruously, altered or reproduced, and pushes them to the point of abstraction. Free, until 29 June

23 April - Discover the sculptures and the drawing by the 1992 Turner Prize-winning artist Grenville Davey at the Chelsea Space, with his exhibition Interalia 2014. Davey is currently a visiting professor at University of the Arts, London. Free, until 31 May

25 April - Eye in the sky by Jim Stoten is an exhibition that displays this artist's psychedelic art & sculpture at DreamBagsJaguarShoes Art Centre. Expect colourful, vivid and eccentric artworks. Free, until 20 July

Video, Performance & Mixed Media

1 April - The ICA presents Paperwork: A Brief History of Artists' Scrapbooks, which explores an old tradition that recently turned into a popular and crafty trend. See how famous artists used their scrapbooks to record their inspirations. £1, until 11May

4 April - A long-term artistic project about Art and War takes place at the Contemporary Art Society, featuring a series of different exhibition throughout the months that display different media artworks. Free, until 27 June

4 April - Finnish-duo IC-98 return to Beaconsfield gallery on a grand scale with new hand-drawn animations and video installation: Arkhipelagos. In 2015, IC-98 will represent Finland in the Venice Biennale. There's also an event connected to the exhibition taking place on Friday 25 April, from 6pm, more details on the website. Free, until 7 June.

5 April - The Globe Gallery presents Altered Space, displaying New York based artist Asuka Goto personal response to the gallery space. Expect perceptional and stimulative installations. Free, until 27 April

11 April - Camden Arts Centre hosts the exhibition of Canadian artist Moyra Davey, who works across photography, film and writing. Taking inspiration from literature, she describes everyday life's scenes in an evocative and inquisitive way. Free, until 29 June

11 April - Roman Halter: Life and Art Through Stained Glass is a retrospective of stained glass. The exhibition takes place at Ben Uri Gallery in St John's Wood. Free, until 8 June

11 April - In Place Of A Trophy is a collective exhibition of different European artists, on display at Beers Contemporary gallery. Featuring different ranges of urban materials used for artworks that try to communicate with their surrounding environment. Free, until 31 May

11 April - Seven Deadly Sins is a dark exhibition featuring several emerging artists, organised by The Unit gallery. The exhibition takes place at the new Seven Dials gallery, Covent Garden. Free, until 15 May

11 April - Lazarides Rathbone Gallery presents It's Taken Me All Of My Life To Find You, an exhibition displaying the work of mixed media artist Karim Zeriahen. Expect neon abstract portraits and light effects. Free, until 10 May

12 April - London Print Studio celebrates the work of artists associated with Circle Press and Arc Editions with a dedicated exhibition called Circle and Arc. Expect a mixture of artistic expressions. Free, until 14 June

16 April - An ICA solo exhibition by Tauba Auerbach, the multi-disciplined artist who works in sculpture, photography, painting, weaving and book design. £1, until 15 June

16 April - David Roberts Art Fundation hosts the exhibition and art project Study #6. Michael Simpson, which focuses on the artistic path of the living artist. The exhibition showcases various artworks like design pieces, paintings and videos. Free, until 24 May

16 April - How We Used To Live is the title of a movie and the exhibition taking place at The Social in Oxford Street. The exhibition displays still images taken from the film, the new Saint Etienne BFI London archive film. Free, until 10 May

17 April - Play What’s Not There at the the Raven Row gallery in Liverpool Street, brings together significant works from the 1960s to the present by different artists, including poetry. Free, until 22 June

17 April - The Subway Gallery in Edgware Road presents Midnight Samra, an exhibition focused on video, research and filming about the  women of Church Street community. An art exhibition that mixes with social themes. Free, until 26 April

18 April - The Whitechapel Gallery dedicates an exhibition to the visionary French filmmaker, photographer and artist Chris Marker. You will see films and photographs of a post-apocalyptic Paris. Free, until 22 June

24 April -  Griffin Gallery hosts Archaeologies, a group exhibition curated by The Contemporary London, featuring four artists who create alternative narratives of imagined landscapes and fantasy. Vasilis Avramidis, Reginald Aloysius, Jess Littlewood and Suzanne Moxhay will take you into a parallel world of imagination. Free, until 23 May

Find more about what's on in London, visit Londonist's Museum & Galleries & Art & Photography pages.

Last Updated 27 March 2014