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As we head into autumn, London's cultural scene perks back into life with blockbuster exhibitions from Van Gogh to the Turner Prize. Here's our guide to the top exhibitions to catch this September.
Art & Poetry: Van Gogh at The National Gallery
Self-portraits, Sunflowers, The Starry Night over the Rhone. Vincent van Gogh is one of the greatest painters of all-time and we have an exhibition of his works seemingly every other year in London — we are truly spoiled. This time it's a look at how the artist was inspired by poets, writers and artists — and his time in Arles and Saint-Rémy in Provence as a decisive period in his career.
Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers at The National Gallery. 14 September - 19 January, £24.
Femme fatale: Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum at Barbican
Dioramas tell the story of a 'femme fatale' film noir character living in an imagined colonial outpost. We find out what happens when our main character deviates from the norm and doesn't follow the rules dictated to her by society. Using drawing, painting and installation, the artist channels her experience of living across Africa, Southeast Asia, and North America in this intriguingly immersive exhibition.
Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum: It Will End in Tears at Barbican, Curve Gallery. 18 September - 5 January, free.
Culture clash: Lap-See Lam at Studio Voltaire
Western takes on Eastern cultures are often based on stereotypes and assumptions, and that's evident in the kitsch designs of Chinese restaurants. Taking inspiration from a three-storey floating Chinese restaurant in the shape of a dragon that was later turned into a haunted funhouse, Lap-See Lam has produced a film about this structure, its history and the wider mis-translation of cultural heritage.
Lap-See Lam: Floating Sea Palace at Studio Voltaire. 18 September - 15 December, free.
Art in a park: Frieze Sculpture at Regent’s Park
Every year the Frieze London and Frieze Masters art fairs set up shop in big marquees in Regent's Park. The added bonus is the free sculpture park that comes with it — and this year that includes a colourful totem of giant pills, a swirling sculpture and ceramic body parts. In all, 22 international artists hailing from five continents create a show that'll make families, picnickers and joggers stop, stare, and — as always — give their no holds barred opinions.
Frieze Sculpture 2024 at Regent’s Park. 18 September - 27 October, free.
Working hard: Hard Graft at Wellcome Collection
What is it like to do physical work that's unsafe or damaging to your health? Wellcome Collection's exhibition makes connections between undervalued labour, the people who do it and the spaces where it happens — bringing into focus the people whose health, work and rights remain hidden on the margins of society. Featuring more than 100 objects, with artworks from across the world, Hard Graft highlights the histories of resistance and the power of collective action by workers in response to their working conditions – from organised protest to spiritual and medicinal healing practices.
Hard Graft: Work, Health and Rights at Wellcome Collection. 19 September - 27 April, free.
All the colours: Michael Craig-Martin at Royal Academy of Arts
Michael Craig-Martin recreates everyday items and historical masterpieces in his signature graphic colourful style. This exhibition takes a wider look at his career, bringing together over 120 important works spanning from the 1960s through to the present day, including sculpture, installation, painting and drawing — as well as newly conceived works for the occasion.
Michael Craig-Martin at Royal Academy of Arts. 21 September - 10 December, £22-£24.50.
Four eyes on the prize: Turner Prize at Tate Britain
The prize everyone loves to have an opinion on is back in London this year, and it's one of the strongest shortlists to date. Pio Abad explores the impacts of colonialism, Claudette Johnson draws over-sized Black figures, and Jasleen Kaur and Delaine le Bas hone their Glaswegian Sikh and Roma heritages respectively, to create immersive environments.
Turner Prize 2024 at Tate Britain. 25 September - 16 February, £14.
To infinity and beyond: Yayoi Kusama at Victoria Miro
The queen of polka dots and infinity rooms is back with yet another exhibition at Victoria Miro gallery. This one includes a new infinity room, fresh sculptures on the terrace and a newly minted series of paintings that are minutely detailed, with characteristically bold accents of colour, referencing both the microscopic and macroscopic universes.
Yayoi Kusama: Every Day I Pray for Love at Victoria Miro. 25 September - 2 November, free.
Historical trade: Silk Roads at the British Museum & British Library
The Silk Roads facilitated economic, cultural, political and religious interactions between East and West — and in September two separate exhibitions on the topic come to two major London institutions. The British Museum sets out how the Silk Roads were made up of overlapping networks linking communities across Asia, Africa and Europe; the exhibition unravels how the journeys of people, objects and ideas that formed the Silk Roads shaped cultures and histories. The British Library has a tighter focus on the oasis of Dunhuang, at the edge of the Gobi Desert, shining a light on the personal stories of those who lived, travelled through, worked, and worshipped there more than 1,000 years ago.
Silk Roads at The British Museum. 26 September - 23 February, £17.
A Silk Road Oasis: Life in Ancient Dunhuang at The British Library. 27 September - 23 February, £8.
Show me the Monets: Monet and London at The Courtauld
Yes, Claude Monet painted beautiful gardens and water lilies, but he also used London as his muse. During his three visits to the capital between 1899 and 1901, he painted Charing Cross Bridge, Waterloo Bridge, and the Houses of Parliament. He originally planned to show them in London but that fell through, and now the Courtauld Gallery will realise Monet's unfulfilled ambition of exhibiting this distinct group of works in London, just 300 metres from the Savoy Hotel where many of them were painted.
Monet and London. Views of the Thames at The Courtauld. 27 September - 19 January, £16.
Psychological warfare: War and the Mind at IWM London
The psychological element of any conflict can be just as powerful as the physical. How do countries foster a sense of 'us' against 'them'? How are exhausted civilian populations convinced to endure? And how devastating can the mental stress of warfare be? This exhibition looks at all these aspects and how they have been integrated into war efforts, both from UK and foreign perspectives.
War and the Mind at IWM London. 27 September - 27 April, free.
Shorter run and smaller events
In this section we step away from the major exhibitions and focus on smaller ones, some of which run over a shorter timescale too.
With a great mix of painters, photographers, sculptors and more the ArtGemini Prize* brings together the works of 36 emerging and mid-career artists at London Lighthouse Gallery (5-15 September, free). While many graduate shows took place over the summer, there's still a chance to see the works of the MA graduates at City & Guilds London Art School* (10-14 September, free), which always impresses with its exhibitions.
In September, London also gets a dose of design as the annual London Design Festival returns with installations, talks and events across the city (14-22 September, mostly free), including Light in Motion where 12 independent designers, artists and engineers showcase collectible design objects, wall based lighting artworks and installations at The Art House in east London (13-22 September, free).
If art fairs are for you, then the best of British will be at Saatchi Gallery for the British Art Fair (26-29 September, £22), works ranging from David Hockney and Bridget Riley through to young artists making a name for themselves. Over at Oxo Bargehouse Roy's Art Fair makes a return (27-29 September, free) with lots of affordable emerging artists under one roof, you can buy direct from the artist.
Exhibitions outside London
Two shows outside the capital we're excited for:
Tiger, burning bright: Chila Kumari Singh Burman at the Holburne Museum, Bath
Featuring vibrant neon sculptures that draw from popular media, history, and her Punjabi Hindu heritage, this Chila Kumari Singh Burman exhibition features the Glowing Canopies on the museum's facade, highlighting the relationship between trees and bees, and My Tiger Janu in the Ballroom, a phosphorescent tiger sculpture symbolising strength and cultural roots. We always welcome work by an artist who blew us away with her Tate Britain Christmas makeover.
Chila Kumari Singh Burman: Neon Dreams at the Holburne Museum, Bath. 16 September - 12 January, £11.
Trees inside: Anya Gallacio at Turner Contemporary, Margate
Spanning three decades of Anya Gallacio's career, this show features previous works and new site-specific pieces exploring the relationship between art and the environment. Using ephemeral and unorthodox materials like chalk, apples, and trees, it highlights Kent's natural heritage and the need for sustainability.
Anya Gallacio: Preserve at Turner Contemporary, Margate. 28 September - 12 January, free.
* The author of this article is a judge on the ArtGemini prize and a trustee of City & Guilds London Art School.
