The Upcoming
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Cinema
      • Movie reviews
      • Film festivals
    • Food & Drinks
      • News & Features
      • Restaurant & bar reviews
      • Interviews & Recipes
    • Literature
    • Music
      • Live music
    • Theatre
    • Shows & On demand
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
  • What’s On
    • Art exhibitions
    • Theatre shows
  • Tickets
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Interviews
  • Competitions
  • Special events
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

CultureArt

London art for free

London art for free
27 July 2014
Amy McLelland
Amy McLelland
Avatar
Amy McLelland
27 July 2014

In the rush of the city, finding out what’s new and free can become a constant pursuit, especially when it comes to art. Exhibitions are ever changing, and with the sheer number of galleries and museums across the city, deciding where to go can seem like a daunting task. So, we did it for you – here follows five shows you should definitely check out this summer, and they’re all completely free!

1. Marina Abramović: 512 Hours at the Serpentine Gallery
11th June until 25th August, London W2 3XA

1. Marina AbramovicMarina Abramović is famed for interacting with her audience, and her latest show is no different: in 512 Hours you get the chance to become part of the piece. Abramović is present at this exhibit from 10am until 6pm for six days a week, instructing the people in the room with her what to do and how to act, and the blanket ban on taking in bags and technology gives these interactions a deeply intimate feel. The artist’s fame and the free entry to the show can make for some lengthy queues, but fans of interactive art will definitely want to give the Serpentine a visit this summer, if only for a chance to have a quick meeting with Abramović herself.

Read our review of 512 Hours here.

2. Colin O’Brien: London Life at the Hackney Museum
24th June until 6th September, London E8 1GQ

2. Colin O'BrienA compelling series traversing the history of London, O’Brien’s collection of photographs span seven decades and are a fascinating glimpse into days long gone. This exhibition tracks the differences in the city and its people through the progression of time. The black and white images give a real sense of history and the snippets of modern day London landmarks before they were called modern is really thought-provoking: in another 70 years, what will be considered historic that we see as new?

3. BP Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery
26th June until 21st September, London WC2H 0HE

The quality of this annual show makes it popular with both the locals and the tourists, and the standard this year is no different. The open-entry competition gives the art an honest and relatable quality that seems rare for a big establishment such as the National Portrait Gallery. More often than not, the portraits included are of everyday people (with the occasional famous face creeping in), and the personal relationships you can see on show really resonate with the viewer. The BP Portrait Award is an exhibit that art novices and experts alike will enjoy.

Read our review of the BP Portrait Award here.

4. Gilbert & George: SCAPEGOATING PICTURES for Londonat the White Cube Gallery
18th July until 28th September, London SE1 3TQ

4. Gilbert & GeorgeThe famed Gilbert & George have been making art for almost 50 years, and this new exhibition has the same wry feel to it as many times before, this time turning the focus onto London itself and the complicated, multi-faceted nature of the city. Tackling a wide expanse of social issues, this show sees Gilbert & George themselves as figures in scenes ranging from humorous tableaux to much more serious matters. The image of the “laughing gas” canister you can often find littering streets these days is repeated over and over, the shape echoing those of bombs; this exhibition draws some parallels between everyday life and wider issues, and will especially hit home for those who live in or are familiar with London and its scenery.

5. Martin Parr: Signs of the Times at Beetles + Huxley
16th July until 30th August, London
, W1B 4DE

5. Martin ParrAs an early version of reality television, the 90s saw a documentary on the BBC featuring members of the British public involved in Signs of the Times, a programme examining the decorative tastes of people inside their homes. Martin Parr was part of the group who produced the program, and his intensely realistic and often subtly amusing photographs he took during that period are being exhibited at a solo show for the first time. Each photograph has its own title and quotes from the subjects of the show themselves. As quick snapshots of various lives and households all brought together for this show, this exhibition is a bright and nostalgic look into the past.

Amy McLelland

Related Itemsfree artfree eventsfree exhibitionslondonlondon artlondon for free

More in Art

Ten artistic depictions of the Christmas story through the ages

James White
Read More

Five gifts for art lovers this Christmas

Emma-Jane Betts
Read More

Five alternative art exhibitions for Christmas 2020

Catherine Sedgwick
Read More

Sensing the Unseen: Step into Gossaert’s Adoration at the National Gallery

★★★★★
Anna Souter
Read More

Ben Uri Gallery and Museum: The evolution of a force for good

James White
Read More

Tracey Emin/Edvard Munch: The Loneliness of the Soul at the Royal Academy

★★★★★
Anna Souter
Read More

Magnetic North: Voices from the Indigenous Arctic at the British Museum

★★★★★
Samuel Nicholls
Read More

Lynette Yiadom-Boakye: Fly in League with the Night at Tate Britain

★★★★★
Jessica Wall
Read More

Rob and Nick Carter on Connaught Village’s public neon installations: “Accessibility of art is crucial during a pandemic”

Lilly Subbotin
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap
  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Outside the Wire
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • Undercover at Morpheus Show Online
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • A Livestream with David Bedella at Crazy Coqs Online
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Blithe Spirit
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • Pearl Charles – Magic Mirror
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • WandaVision: Marvel’s charming sitcom proves an astounding success
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • Sleaford Mods – Spare Ribs
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • The Queen’s Gambit: A chess story that’s not about the moves but the motives
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • Away
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • Imperial Blue
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • WandaVision: Marvel’s charming sitcom proves an astounding success
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • The Queen’s Gambit: A chess story that’s not about the moves but the motives
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • Undercover at Morpheus Show Online
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Ten short literary collections to get you back into reading
    Literature
  • Mayor
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

Josh Record – Pillars | Album review
Honeyblood – Honeyblood | Album review