We look ahead at the best London art openings in July, organised by category and opening date. We hope you find it handy for planning ahead. Useful? Missing something? Please let us know and we'll tweak the format in future instalments.
Must See
3 July: Somerset House's South Wing hosts Tattoo Art Today, a free exhibition presenting original artworks from 70 of the world’s most influential tattoo artists including Ed Hardy, Horiyoshi III, Paul Booth and Mister Cartoon. You might find some inspiration. Read Londonist review. Free, until 5 October
3 July: Find your e-creativity and free the geek inside you at the Digital Revolution exhibition at Barbican. Famous names present their creations: expect unique pieces from artists, film-makers, architects, designers, musicians and game developers. This interactive exhibition also displays artificial intelligence, wearable technologies and 3-D printing. Read Londonist review. £12.50/£10.50+bf, prebook, until 14 September
5 July: Take a journey to South America and explore its art at Radical Geometry, taking place at the Royal Academy of Arts. The exhibition covers a 50-year-long period of time (since the 1930s), exploring the art made across Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela. Read Londonist review. £11.50, prebook, until 28 September
10 July: The National Portrait Gallery dedicates an entire exhibition to Virginia Woolf, one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. See portraits and rare archival material like letters and diaries that explore her life and achievements. £7/£6.50, prebook, until 26 October
16 July: It's been around 25 years since we had a major retrospective dedicated to radical Russian artist Kazimir Malevich so Tate Modern has announced a ground-breaking new exhibition. A programme of talks and lectures will be connected to the exhibition. £14.50/£12.50, prebook, until 26 October
26 July: From Suffragette teapots to protest robots, Disobedient Objects at the V&A examines the powerful role of stuff within movements for social change. Learn about the role of art and design in protest movements from the 1970s until now. Free, until 1 February 2015
Architecture & Design
9 July: The Design Museum dedicates a solo exhibition to American architect Louis Kahn. Well-known for his spectacular buildings such as the City Tower designed for Philadelphia, this exhibition brings together architectural models, original drawings, travel sketches, photographs and films. £12.40/£9.30, until 12 October
11 July: How could ships of the 17th and 18th centuries orient themselves when they were in the open sea without sight of land? Explore the ideas that went into solving this epic puzzle at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich in the Ships, Clocks & Starts: The Quest for Longitude exhibition. Also connected is the Longitude Punk'd steampunk takeover at the Royal Observatory. £8.50 (for both exhibitions), until 4 January 2015
Drawing
2 July: The House of Illustration in King’s Cross launches Inside Stories, its new exhibition about worldwide illustrator Quentin Blake. On display some of his most characteristic and popular creations. £7/£5, prebook, until 2 November
11 July: Victoria Arney's mystical landscapes are on show at Bearspace in Deptford. Her artistic practice is heavily invested in the craft of traditional drawing methods, ranging from stencils, pencils and etchings through to painting. Free, until 26 July
Fairs
12 July: National Trust's Red House in Bexleyheath — the former house of Arts & Crafts' maestro William Morris — hosts a two-day-long Arts & Crafts Fair where local craftsmen exhibit handmade work under canvas throughout the garden. £2/£1, just turn up, just until 13 June
4 July: London Art Week includes Master Paintings Week and Master Drawings & Sculpture Week in its programme. Taking place in different venues across London, the fair features more than 75 exhibitions of art, ranging from antiquities to contemporary work, and over 100 free talks and tours. Free, see website for venues and events, until 11 July
4 July: Leytonstone Arts Trail is now in its seventh year with 100 artists taking part across Leytonstone, spilling out into other nearby parts of Waltham Forest. As well as exhibitions there’ll be a pop-up market – the Absofab Bazaar — children’s workshops, life drawing classes and a float parade. Key locations include: The Stone Space, Luna Lounge and Leytonstone Library. Locals are also encouraged to put their own art in their windows and gardens, until 13 July
London-y
19 July: Honouring the First World War Centenary, the Imperial War Museum reopens after a long refurbishment. The transformation is celebrated with the launch of the Truth and Memory exhibition focusing on British art during the First World War. Free, exhibition runs until 8 March 2015
Painting
30 June: Piccadilly's Society of Antiquaries London presents an exhibition featuring paintings from its extensive archive. The artworks displayed include portraits of 18th century antiquaries and rare 15th and 16th centuries portraits of medieval and Tudor monarchs. There will also be regular short gallery talks for visitors (Tue and Thu, 2pm-2.30pm). Free, just turn up, until 1 August
1 July: A special collection of works by the 18th-century Dutch artist Jan van Huysum is on display at Dulwich Picture Gallery. The artist is famous for his highly detailed and colourful bouquets and the exhibition includes some of his finest masterpieces. £5/£4, prebook, until 28 September
4 July: Award-winning Australian artist Ben Quilty displays his soulful portraits at the Saatchi Gallery, including paintings from his acclaimed Rorschach series. Free, until 3 August
13 July: The Islington-based Estorick Collection explores the life and work of Gerardo Dottori, one of the most influential practitioners in the Italian Futurism movement. He is famous for his forward-looking aerial paintings. £5/£3, just turn up, until 7 September
Photography
3 July: Explore the world of punk at the Olympus Rockarchive Image Space Gallery in Bishopsgate. I Got You in My Camera: Punk 1976-1979 explores the iconic London-born music movement and is curated by author and punk aficionado Jon Savage. On Thursday 3 July, there is a private view and Q&A session with the curator and other special guests (Free, prebook by mail, 7.30pm). Free, until 27 July
9 July: To mark the 2014 UK-Russia year of culture, the Richard Saltoun Gallery in Fitzrovia presents The Visual Revolution. On display, artworks by Russian Avant-Garde Photography's exponents Alexander Rodchenko & Vkhutemas Workshop. Free, until 29 August
15 July: The ICA celebrates the 100th birthday of photographer Tove Jansson with a dedicated exhibition that focuses on the artist's life in her private island off Finland. On display are unseen photographs and material relating to her life and work. £1, until 24 August
16 July: Martin Parr is famous for his cheeky photos capturing scenes of everyday life. Beetles+Huxley gallery presents Signs of the Times, which contains modern and vintage prints. Free, until 30 August
31 July: Alongside the popular Film4 Summer Screen, Somerset House will host an exhibition of Summer Screen Prints with prints made by Dalston-based studios Print Club London. See a series of contemporary screen-printed film posters, all on sale. Free, until 25 August
25 July: The Photographers' Gallery hosts FreshFaced+WildEyed 2014, displaying the best photographs and visual artworks by talented graduates from across the UK. Free, until 13 July
Video, Performance & Mixed Media
1 July: State of the Art Cinema is an interactive exhibition that showcases posters and images from about 75 movies to be released in the UK from now until early 2015. The exhibition takes place in two different venues: 1-12 July at Marylebone's A&D Gallery and 29 July-23 August at The Strand Gallery close to Embankment. Free, until 23 August
2 July: Free Space Gallery in Kentish Town promotes health and well-being via art. The latest exhibition is about homeless artists who have re-created their ideal universe through art. See how they interpret their own identities and world view. Free, until 20 July
3 July: Griffin Gallery in Shepherd's Bush explores the concept of perfectionism during the creative art process. All the artists displayed share an interest in the material and technical. Free, until 30 August
3 July: Explore the relationship between family memories and art at Family Ties: Reframing Memories, presented by Birkbeck University. See how a group of six artists re-interpret facts and moments from their family albums. Free, until 25 July
4 July: Artist Edward Tomasson presents his first solo show The Present Tense at Chisenhale Gallery, where video art intertwines with storytelling. Free, until 24 August
4 July: The Florence Trust launches its Summer Exhibition, which showcases work from a varied group of artists, concluding their year-long residency at St. Saviour’s Church in Highbury & Islington. Free, until 13 July
9 July: Whitechapel Gallery in Aldgate explores the artistic work of Italian artist Giulio Paolini, who lives and works in Italy. Immerse yourself in elegant installations made from canvas, windows, fragments of statuary and checkerboards. Free, until 14 September
11 July: Bargehouse, part of the Oxo Tower complex, launches its three-day-long Tabula Rasa. This graduate show brings together a collection of recent works from students at Winchester School of Art, including live performances and interactive workshops. Free, just until 13 July
18 July: The following week, Bargehouse hosts another mixed graduate show called TURF, featuring 50 artists. This exhibition runs for just a few days and focuses on photography. Free, until 20 July
Find more about what's on in London, visit Londonist's Museum & Galleries & Art & Photography pages.
