We look ahead to London art openings for March and select 10 must-see exhibitions.
Roman Signer: Slow Movement @ Barbican (4 March-31 May)
This site-specific installation has been designed for the Barbican Curve and will feature a kayak navigating the 90-metre long gallery as if moving through a canal. Accompanying the installation there will also be Signer video art. Free admission
Inventing Impressionism @ National Gallery (4 March-31 May)
Featuring 85 masterpieces from the popular artistic movement, this exhibition focuses on the figure of Paul Durand-Ruel, an entrepreneurial art dealer from Paris who discovered and supported the Impressionists since their difficult beginning. We suggest you check out the events programme related to the exhibition. Read Londonist review. £16/£14, online prebooking suggested
Fashion on the Ration @ Imperial War Museum (5 March-31 August)
This historical exhibition looks at how fashion survived and flourished during the Second World War in Britain. From clothes to wear in air raid shelters to jewellery made from aeroplane parts, find out how rationing changed the trends. Read Londonist review. £10/£7, online prebooking suggested
The Syngenta Photography Award 2015 @ Somerset House (11 March-10 April)
Aiming to reflect on global challenges, this year's Syngenta Award is dedicated to the theme of Scarcity-Waste. Alongside the six finalists, the exhibition also presents some of the most thought-provoking and powerful responses to the subject. Read Londonist review. Free admission
Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty @ V&A Museum (12 March-2 August)
This is one of the most eagerly awaited exhibitions of the year and the very first large retrospective on the fashion designer's work to be presented in Europe (£16/£15, online prebooking suggested). Alongside this blockbuster, Tate Britain dedicates a photographic exhibition to McQueen's 2009 Autumn/Winter collection Horn for Plenty: Nick Waplington/Alexander McQueen starts on 10 March (£14.40/£12.70, online prebooking suggested). Gallery at Foyles has also organised a display of unseen photographs from McQueen's seminal show Dante, starting on 20 March (free admission). Read Londonist review.
Joshua Reynolds @ Wallace Collection (12 March-7 June)
See this retrospective dedicated to one of the most influential painters in 18th century Britain. In his time, Reynolds helped the establishment of a renowned school of painting and conducted research both on painting techniques and uses of colour. The Wallace Collection is also organising plenty of free events connected to the exhibition. If you're inspired to see more Reynolds or hang out where he did, we've mapped that for you. Free admission
Magna Carta: Law, Liberty, Legacy @ British Library (13 March-1 September)
To mark the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, British Library launches a one-off exhibition which brings together unique historical documents. Two of the four original 1215 Magna Carta documents and Jefferson’s handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence will be on display. Discover the histories, revolutions and social struggles behind one of history's most famous documents. Read Londonist review. £12/£10, online prebooking suggested
Designs of the Year @ Design Museum (25 March-16 August)
The annual showcase of the most groundbreaking designs is back at the Design Museum. Categories displayed are: architecture, digital, fashion, product, graphics and transport. £11.80/£5.90, online prebooking suggested
Defining Beauty: The Body in Ancient Greece @ British Museum (26 March-5 July)
Over 120 objects and sculptures from world class collections will be showcased in this major exhibition. Greek models of beauty inspired many future generations of artists, still being used as artistic parameters today. £16.50, online prebooking suggested
Revelations @ Science Museum Media Space (20 March-13 September)
Discover the influence of early scientific photography on modern and contemporary art forms. This exhibition displays an original photographic print of X-Ray for the very first time and the earliest recorded images of the moon. £8/concessions available, online prebooking suggested
Find more about what's on in London, visit Londonist's Museum & Galleries and Art & Photography pages.