The Top 9 Exhibitions To Look Forward To In July

Tabish Khan
By Tabish Khan Last edited 99 months ago

Last Updated 04 July 2016

The Top 9 Exhibitions To Look Forward To In July

Every month we look ahead to major London openings and select the must-see exhibitions. Here are our picks for July.

Nicolas Cage in Captain Corelli's Mandolin. One of a plethora of war films that will serve as inspiration for the latest Imperial War Museum exhibition. Copyright Universal

Real to Reel at A Century of War Movies, Imperial War Museum (1 July 2016-8 January 2017)
Saving Private Ryan, Casablanca, Apocalypse Now, The Dam Busters, Full Metal Jacket. Ask anyone to reel off a list of  war films and it comes easy. War and cinema have a long history and this is explored in this exhibition through props, sets and scripts. A museum and film blockbuster rolled into one. £10

David Hockney: 82 portraits and 1 still life, Royal Academy of Arts (2 July-2 October)
Hockney wowed us with his landscapes at his last Royal Academy show, but he's seriously disappointed us with these portraits. Still, you should go and make up your own mind. £10

Georgia O'Keeffe, Tate Modern (6 July-30 October)
After the fantastic opening of their extension, we now get an exhibition dedicated to the most expensive female artist. This will be a full retrospective including *that* famously expensive painting. Prepare for detailed flowers with a large dose of erotic interpretation. £17.20

Ragnar Kjartansson in The Visitors - our favourite art work from 2015.

Daydreaming with Stanley Kubrick, Somerset House (6 July-24 August)
Kubrick was a master filmmaker and in this exhibition, contemporary artists take on his iconic scenes to create artworks inspired by them. Expect nostalgia and surreal works in equal measure. £12.50

Raqib Shaw, White Cube Bermondsey (13 July-11 September)
The last show we saw of Shaw's work was nearly five years ago and yet it's still vivid in our memories. The natural world turned into a nightmarish dystopia was spectacular. That was in the White Cube's Mayfair space, and we are very excited to see what he can do in the larger Bermondsey gallery. Free.

Ragnar Kjartansson, Barbican Art Gallery (14 July-4 September)
The Visitors was our favourite work of 2015, we stood mesmerised for its entire hour long run time. That was our first experience of this unique performance art so we can't wait to see a full exhibition of his work. Fans of Kjartansson will also want to catch his performance also at Barbican. £12.


Colour and Vision, Natural History Museum (15 July-6 November)
The pigments that animals display and the sense of sight have evolved hand in hand. This interactive exhibition promises to show the many aspects to this relationship, with a family friendly exhibition. £10.80

Fire! Fire!, Museum of London (23 July-17 April 2017)
No second guesses for what this exhibition is about. To acknowledge the 35oth anniversary of the Great Fire of London, the Museum of London will do its best to recreate the time and atmosphere before, during and after the infamous conflagration. £8.

Power Up, Science Museum (22 July -7 August)
A chance to experience the best of console gaming from the last 40 years — yes please. Fun for the whole family, this trip down nostalgia lane is perfectly timed with the summer holidays. Let's see if the games of yesteryear can still hold the attention of children today. £8 adults, children £6.50.

Also try...

Masterpiece London, The Royal Hospital (30 June-6 July)
A fair that covers art, antiques and design. But not any old things — this is the very top end of luxury. It's full of wonderful things we'll never be able to afford, but it never hurts to have a look around. For a similar vibe that is slightly more affordable (though not by much) check out the Art and Antiques Fair at Olympia. £28.

Art Night @ various Central London locations (2 July, 6pm onwards)
A one night only feast of art across Westminster including great locations like Admiralty Arch and the disused Jubilee line platform at Charing Cross. Drink some coffee — it goes on till 2am.