The best new exhibitions in London this month: September 2022

EXHIBITIONS OPENING THIS MONTH

William Kentridge, Royal Academy

The RA's major solo show this autumn goes to celebrated South African artist William Kentridge. Forty years of his etchings, drawings, collages, sculptures and tapestries are transforming the main gallery spaces in the run up to Christmas, in what is the largest UK exhibition of the artist's work.

The Art of Movement, Van Cleef & Arpels. Design Museum

Mere months after the luxury French jewellery company staged a series of dance shows with the Royal Opera House, Tate Modern and Sadler's Wells, Van Cleef & Arpels gets a standalone show at the Design Museum, where the brand's fascination with movement is being explored through hundreds of its foremost bejewelled creations.

Hallyu! The Korean Wave, V&A

From BTS to Squid Game, Korean influence is now a global phenomenon. It's also the object of an exciting retrospective at the V&A. Hallyu! The Korean Wave will showcase the colourful and dynamic popular culture of South Korea, exploring the makings of the Korean Wave and its global impact on the creative industries of cinema, drama, music, fandom, beauty and fashion.

Lucian Freud: New Perspectives, National Gallery

‘What do I ask of a painting?’ Lucian Freud once said. ‘I ask it to astonish, disturb, seduce, convince.’ Freud, who died in 2011, was a master of the modern portrait and a connoisseur of the portrait tradition. To mark 100 years since the artist’s birth, the National Gallery is staging a major survey of his works, drawing from collections around the world.

Maria Bartuszová, Tate Modern

Slovakian born sculptor Maria Bartuszová (1936-1996) may not be a household name, but her works are in some of Europe's most notable public collections, including the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Slovak National Gallery. Tate Modern is launching an exhibition exploring her experimental techniques and her fascination with the tactile nature of plaster.

ONGOING EXHIBITIONS THAT WE LOVE

Munch’s genius beyond the Scream ★★★★★

The Courtauld Gallery is displaying 18 masterpieces from the KODE Bergen Art Museum, which follows the Norwegian artist’s rise to fame in less than 30 years.

Cornelia Parker, Tate Britain review ★★★★★

Cornelia Parker's immersive sculptures is beautiful and playful but also a reminder of the destructive power of our inventions.

Weird Sensations Feels Good: The World of ASMR at Design Museum ★★★★★

Time for some euphoria and deep calm as Design Museum’s interactive exhibition introduces us to the world of ASMR.

Walter Sickert exhibition, Tate Britain, review ★★★★★

Tate Britain's major exhibition on Walter Sickert sheds light on this provocative and influential artist of London life.

The Age, l'Età by Emma Talbot and The London Open at Whitechapel Gallery

Emma Talbot, the winner of the Max Mara Art Prize for women, has created two 11-metre long silk frescoes that delve into contemporary issues of climate change and the chauvinistic representation of ageing women in society amongst others.

The exhibition will be shown in parallel to The London Open 2022. For this, the Whitechapel Gallery has selected 46 artists who are influencing the London art scene today.

Portals by Space Popular at John Soane's museum

The John Soane’s Museum has a special place in any Londoner’s heart. Built during the Regency period, it is a place that transports into other times.

A new exhibition by Design practice Space Popular will take it a step further by creating a virtual reality experience that will take us into a futurist world.

Healing, Eternally Yours, Somerset House

From kintsugi to upcycling, Healing, Eternally Yours will look at the ancient and contemporary art of repair and its benefits, whether artistic or ecological. It will also look at how the act of mending can help us heal.

Serpentine Pavilion, 2022, by Theaster Gates ★★★★★

Chicago-based artist Theaster Gates, who recently had a major exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery creates a space inspired by ‘the performative and meditative qualities of a small chapel’. The architectural practice Adjaye Associates who designed the National Cathedral of Ghana is also involved in the conception.

Made of wood, the Pavillon will have a spiritual dimension, with an operating bronze bell coming from a Catholic Church that once stood on Chicago’s South Side. The bell will ring to signal the start of an event, gathering or contemplation.

Africa Fashion, V&A ★★★★★

‘Cloth is to African what monuments are to Westerners’, Ghanean sculptor El Anatsui once said.

In the past 50 years, the African cultural renaissance has led to the emergence of vibrant creators, drawing inspiration from their history and culture and bringing their own perspective to the fashion world.

Masterfully curated by senior V&A curator Christine Checinska, this exhibition brings a much-needed fresh and diverse perspective on African fashion which spans centuries.

A feast for the eyes and a long-overdue hymn to African fashion.

In the Black Fantastic, needed and memorable ★★★★★

Elaborate vibrant costumes made from bags, sequins and artificial flowers by Nick Cave make a powerful impact on visitors to Hayward Gallery’s In the Black Fantastic exhibition – a contemporary art exhibition of works by artists of the African diaspora who draw from science fiction and myth.