Things to do in London this month is sponsored by Art of London.
October marks peak art season in London. The art fairs are in town, along with lashings of blockbuster exhibitions. Allow us to steer you towards the top exhibitions to catch this month.
1. Food, glorious fakes: Looks Delicious at Japan House
Shokuhin sanpuru is the concept of placing unexpectedly realistic food replicas in the windows of restaurants across Japan. Here's a chance to see them up close as art objects, admiring the uncanny detail in models representing cuisine in all 47 of Japan's prefectures. It's so tasty, it'll make you want to grab a pair of chopsticks and dig in — but this one's a feast for the eyes only.
Looks Delicious! Exploring Japan’s food replica culture at Japan House London. 2 October - 16 February, free.
2. London's evolution: Frank Auerbach at Offer Waterman
Thick gloopy paintings of London appear in rich earthy tones through to vibrant yellows. Frank Auerbach's heavily layered painting style has captured our city across his seven-decade career — an evolution from post-war recovery to a flourishing 21st century metropolis. Showcasing key locations like Oxford Street and Hampstead Heath, this exhibition also highlights how Auerbach's style has evolved with the city.
Frank Auerbach: Portraits of London at Offer Waterman & Francis Outred, 17 St George Street, W1S 1FJ. 4 October - 7 December, free.
3. 80's Fashion: Fashion Renegades at Fashion and Textile Museum
Showcasing over 30 designers' radical garments and accessories, the exhibition delves into 1980s London's underground fashion scene. With recreated markets and nightclub Taboo's legendary dance floor, Outlaws highlights the creativity, gender-bending styles, and DIY ethos of working-class designers. The exhibit also traces Taboo's lasting impact on global fashion and contemporary designers.
Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of the 80s at Fashion and Textile Museum. 4 October - 9 March, £12.65.
4. Indian Art: The Imaginary Institution of India at Barbican
1975-1998 was a period of cultural and political transformation in India, including the 1975 declaration of a state of emergency by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the nuclear tests in 1998. Featuring nearly 150 works from 30 artists, this exhibition spans painting, sculpture, photography and film, highlighting themes of violence, urbanisation, gender, and indigenous practices while tracing Indian art's evolution from figurative painting to installation and video art.
The Imaginary Institution of India: Art 1975–1998 at Barbican Art Gallery. 5 October - 5 January, £20 - pay what you can options will be available.
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Three nights of art and culture across the West End
Autumn has descended on London. But this is no time for drawing the curtains and hunkering down. Instead, make the most of the arty extravaganza that is Art After Dark. Running from Thursday 10-Saturday 12 October, central London glows with late gallery openings, awe-inspiring al fresco artwork, and more.
Some things to tempt you out:
🍷 Explore a slew of independent galleries on the Art of London Gallery HOP!, and get that 'private view' feel without the need for an invitation. Galleries include Stern Pissarro Gallery, Cristea Roberts Gallery and Skarstedt Gallery (10 Oct)
💡A stunning new free al fresco public art installation in Leicester Square Gardens by Chila Kumari Singh Burman MBE, famous for her vibrant neon light displays (10-12 Oct)
🍽️ Tasty dining offers in a number of West End restaurants (10-12 Oct)
🧑🎨 Late night access to some of the world's biggest and best galleries, including the National Portrait Gallery, Royal Academy of Arts and the National Gallery (11 Oct)
Embrace London's radiant art scene with Art After Dark, from Thursday 10-Saturday 12 October 2024. Best of all, it's totally free. Check out the full line-up.
5. Light bulb moments: Haegue Yang at Hayward Gallery
Haegue Yang takes everyday objects like drying racks, light bulbs, nylon pom-poms and hand-knitted yarn to create sensory large-scale installations. These works touch on ideas such as cross-cultural pollination, folk traditions, and personal and political histories.
Haegue Yang: Leap Year at Hayward Gallery. 9 October - 5 January, £19.
6. Deep anguish: Francis Bacon at National Portrait Gallery
Showcasing over 50 paintings, here's a chance to explore Bacon's evolution in portraiture from the late 1940s onwards, featuring self-portraits, and depictions of lovers and friends. He drew inspiration from Velazquez and Van Gogh and painted fellow artist Lucien Freud. Though Bacon's style undoubtedly changes over time, it always remains deliciously unsettling.
Francis Bacon: Human Presence at National Portrait Gallery. 10 October - 19 January, £23.
7. Fantastic beasts: Wildlife Photographer of the Year at Natural History Museum
From savage deaths to cuteness overload, the annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition takes us through the full range of animalistic emotions. Creatures you've never heard of, and shots that are so impressive they have us wondering how the photographer pulled it off, await at the Natural History Museum in one of our favourite annual photography exhibitions.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year at Natural History Museum. 11 October - 10 March, £18.
8. English icon: Constable and the Hay Wain at The National Gallery
Ask people to name a quintessentially English painting and John Constable's landscape painting The Hay Wain is likely to be the top hit. How did Constable come to be this symbol of the countryside, how did this painting become so popular, and how was it acquired by the National Gallery? These and more are answered, on this deep dive into a masterpiece.
Discover Constable and the Hay Wain at The National Gallery, Sunley Room. 17 October - 2 February, free.
9. Imperial artefacts: Hew Locke at The British Museum
Many objects in the British Museum are tied to Empire and Colonialism, and the museum has invited Hew Locke to curate a selection of these objects alongside his Carnivalesque figures. Focusing on Britain’s historical interactions with Africa, India, and the Caribbean — all of which had a significant impact on Guyana where Locke grew up — the exhibition features over 150 objects with ties to an Imperial past.
Hew Locke: what have we here? at The British Museum. 17 October - 9 February, £12.
10. Queens and Scribes: Medieval Women at The British Library
The British Library delves into the dynamic lives of European women from 1100-1500, unveiling challenges and triumphs through original documents and artefacts, and illuminating women's impact across private, public, and spiritual domains. It explores their diverse roles in trades, professions, politics, and spirituality — offering insights into their artistic, literary, and musical contributions, as well as the nuanced facets of their personal lives, beauty rituals and healthcare.
Medieval Women at The British Library. 25 October 2024-2 March 2025, £17.
11. Gothic masterpieces: Tim Burton at Design Museum
Beetlejuice, Batman, Edwards Scissorhands and The Nightmare before Christmas: just a handful of the spectacular films that Tim Burton has created. Now, it's time to get immersed in his creative psyche through his archives. There are sketchbooks, sculptural installations, storyboards, paintings and photos, in an exhibit that captures a singular imagination that's been fizzing with ideas from Burton's childhood to the present day. The show's been on the road for a decade but this — its final stop — will be the first (and last) time for Londoners to dive into this rabbit-hole.
The World of Tim Burton at Design Museum. 25 October 2024-21 April 2025, £19.69.
Short-run events and art fairs
London becomes over-run with art fairs in October, the grandaddy of them all being Frieze London in Regent's Park (9-13 October, £46) for the latest in contemporary art with over 160 galleries from more than 40 countries. At the other end of the park and almost as large is Frieze Masters (9-13 October, £46, combined ticket £90) which ranges from antiques to post-war artists. There's also Frieze Sculpture (free, until 27 October) — we've already been along to take some snaps.
More bite-sized specialist fairs include 1:54's Contemporary African Art Fair at Somerset House (10-13 October, £29); The Other Art Fair at Truman Brewery (10-13 October, £19.69) which lets you deal directly with artists without going through galleries (there are bargains to be found); LAPADA at Berkeley Square (22-27 October, £25) for those more interested in a mixture of art, design and antiques; and PAD, one for the design aficionados — also in Berkeley Square (10-13 October, £30).
StART 2024 moves to a new venue in King's Cross (7-13 October, £24) and mixes things up with both international galleries and artists present. The Women in Art Fair at Mall Galleries (9-12 October, £15) returns for a second year, solely showcasing work by women-identifying artists. And the Affordable Art Fair is in Battersea (16-20 October, £14) for those looking to spruce up their home with new works.
This year's BFI London Film Festival isn't just for film buffs; the expanded programme (11-27 October) will include immersive art installation and extended reality experiences across five venues including Oxo Bargehouse and BFI Southbank.
Or head to the blinging interiors of Fitzrovia Chapel for a moving photography exhibition by Paula Rae Gibson — a tribute to her late husband, an exhibition of portraits of emotion (1-6 October, free). Otherwise, get your strategic hat on with game board designers, Purling, whose The Art of the Game exhibition features stunning chess, chequers and other sets that they have designed by working with artists. It's on at 67 York Street (7-13 October, free) and the Sicilian defence has never looked this good.
Exhibitions outside London
Barbara Walker was our highlight of last year's Turner Prize due to her powerful works about issues of class, race, power and belonging. Growing up in Birmingham as a Black woman has shaped her art and every time, it leaves a lasting impression — how Black faces are marginalised in Western art history, the horrific treatment of the Windrush generation, her son being stopped and searched by the police. This is Walker's first major survey exhibition and it's about time.
Barbara Walker: Being Here at The Whitworth, Manchester. 4 October -26 January, free.
Using colourful textiles Saroj Patel weaves together a story of migration, belonging and community — taking us on a journey from a small village in India to a new life in the UK. Swathes of colour, light and sound consume the galleries, with new artworks inspired by her mixed cultural heritage that are both eye-catching and important in reflecting the story of her life and art.
Journey of the Blue Sun: Saroj Patel at Old Fire Station, Oxford. 28 September - 16 November, free.
