The best exhibitions in London this summer, from Barbie to Vincent van Gogh

Our long, glorious summer sprawls out ahead of us. And what the city is lacking in sunshine, it’s making up for with dozens of fantastic, illuminating art exhibitions.

Here is our pick of the shows to see.

Open now

These excellent exhibitions, which continue to run throughout the summer, should not be missed.

Michelangelo: The Last Decades

Michelangelo’s two-metre-high preparatory drawing, Epifania, is his only complete surviving pre-fresco sketch. Now, it’s finally on show after years of conservation as part of this extraordinary exhibition, which features over 100 of his drawings. The Standard has described the astonishing collection, focusing on work the master made in the last three decades of his life, as some of “the most beautiful things you will ever see”.

The British Museum, to July 28

Judy Chicago: Revelations

Celebrated American artist, environmentalist and author Judy Chicago, 84, returns to London with her largest-ever solo presentation in the city. The show, which focuses on her drawings and asks questions about birth, creation, masculinity and power, offers a radical retelling of history: “Her advocacy throughout the years for women’s history and expression serves as a poignant reminder of the ongoing need for equality, societal transformation, and an equitable world,” said the Standard.

Serpentine North Gallery, to September 1

Enzo Mari

Maverick Italian industrial designer Enzo Mari (1932-2020) made over 2,000 works across his six-decade career, including furniture, conceptual installations, functional homewares and children’s toys. A Marxist, the modernist artist argued for the democratisation of design. Here the Design Museum explores his legacy with a retrospective of hundreds of his projects.

Design Museum, to September 8

Tropical Modernism: Architecture and Independence

Delve into Tropical Modernism, an architectural style developed in West Africa in the Forties, and later adopted by architects in India and Ghana, in this fascinating collection of paintings, photos, film and models.

V&A Museum, to September 22

Now You See Us: Women Artists in Britain 1520 – 1920

This extraordinary exhibition brings together the work of 110 professional women artists in Britain who have been forgotten by art history. A massive undertaking, and a statement of intent from Tate Britain, the Standard described the show as “strikingly powerful”.

Tate Britain, to 13 October

Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection

We’re lucky not only that Elton John and David Furnish are passionate about the work of some of history’s greatest photographers, but that they have now decided to share their incredible collection with the public. Consisting of fashion photography to photojournalism and everything in between, the series is “deeply rewarding,” said the Standard. “From greatest hits to hidden gems, it does what great shows do – effortlessly broadens the viewer’s horizons, and still leaves them wanting more.”

V&A Museum, to January 5, 2025

Zanele Muholi

Acclaimed photographer and visual activist Zanele Muholi celebrates the lives of South Africa’s Black LGBTQI+ communities, depicting scenes of beauty and intimacy next to images that allude to traumatic events, next to portraits of the artist themself. “By turns delightful and devastating, it is one of the greatest exercises in self-portraiture of this, or any, age,” said the Standard.

Tate Modern, to January 26, 2025

Opening soon

Tavares Strachan: There Is Light Somewhere

Bahamian-born conceptual artist Tavares Strachan is fascinated by the world. He has written his own encyclopedia, titled The Encyclopedia of Invisibility, worked with SpaceX, and was the first person from the Bahamas to reach the North Pole. Here, in sculptural installations, collages, neon works, bronze, and ceramic sculptures Strachan continues his exploration of cultural connections – infusing his work with his infectious curiosity.

Hayward Gallery, June 18 to September 1

Summer Exhibition

It’s always great fun to head to the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition where over 1,200 delightful works of art from both celebrated artists and members of the public are displayed side by side. This year’s show has been coordinated by award-winning British abstract sculptor Ann Christopher.

Royal Academy, June 18 to August 18

Yoshida: Three Generations of Japanese Printmaking

A rare opportunity to see the works of three generations of the Yoshida family – a Japanese artistic dynasty – together in the UK, this exhibition explores Japanese printmaking across two centuries.

Dulwich Picture Gallery, June 19 to November 3

Six Lives: The Stories of Henry VIII’s Queens

This illuminating exhibition will look at the way Henry VIII’s wives, Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Katherine Parr, have been represented in art throughout history. The six women have remained a constant source of inspiration to artists over the centuries, as shown here in paintings, drawings, photography and film.

National Portrait Gallery, June 20 to September 8

Francis Alÿs: Ricochets

Interdisciplinary Belgian artist Francis Alÿs, still perhaps best known for pushing an ice block through Mexico City in 1997, presents a new immersive exhibition celebrating play – and we can’t wait. Since 1999 Alÿs has been documenting children across the globe having fun. Here, in a series of multi-screen film installations, his first major UK show since 2010, he presents his joyful recordings.

Barbican, June 27 to September 1

Anthony McCall: Solid Light

British-born New York-based artist Anthony McCall creates innovative installations of light which challenge our assumptions about sculptural work. Here, see one of his spell-binding three-dimensional forms, where light is beamed through thin mist, and shapes appear and fade in the darkness.

Tate Britain, June 27 to April 27, 2025

In the Eye of the Storm: Modernism in Ukraine, 1900-1930s

This collection of groundbreaking modernist art was born out of change, as empires collapsed, the country suffered from a devastating famine, the continent went to war and Soviet Ukraine fought for independence. The result is a series of bold and experimental works which pushed back against the misery.

Royal Academy, June 29 to October 13

Barbie: The Exhibition

Barbie fever took over the world last summer thanks to Greta Gerwig’s billion-dollar blockbuster, which asked questions about feminism, motherhood and the patriarchy via the iconic plastic doll. Now in this major exhibition, the Design Museum will explore Barbie’s design evolution, from the blonde-haired original, to its more modern iterations.

Design Museum, July 5 to February 23, 2025

Herbert Smith Freehills Portrait Award 2024

This prestigious contemporary portrait painting prize always attracts fascinating and brilliant submissions. Here, see some of this year’s best entries.

National Portrait Gallery, July 11 to October 27

Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers

Sure, the summer holidays will be over and we can reliably predict that London will be under a grey cloud once again, but this thrilling exhibition is too exciting to miss off the list. Van Gogh’s most famous paintings – Starry Night over the Rhône (1888, Musée d’Orsay), The Yellow House (1888, Van Gogh Museum), Sunflowers (1888) and Van Gogh's Chair (1889), to name a few – are being brought together from around the world.

The National Gallery, September 14 to January 19, 2025