An installation called ‘Finale’, designed by set designer Chiara Stephenson with animation by Studio Moross, offering visitors a performance of Amy’s song ‘Tears Dry On Their Own’. Photography by Ed Reeve

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The Best UK Exhibitions of 2022

By Charlie Colville

2 years ago

Mark your calendars – it's going to be a big year

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The UK expects to enter its very own Renaissance this year – and who can blame it, with all the exciting new exhibitions we have to look forward to. These are some of the biggest exhibitions of 2022, and they are not to be missed. We’ll be adding to the line-up regularly, so make sure to check in throughout the year.

The C&TH Art Hub

The Biggest Exhibitions of 2022

Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirror Rooms

Tate Modern

There’s still time to book a visit to Tate Modern’s wildly popular exhibitions of Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirror Rooms. While currently booked solid until March 2022, you can squeeze in a visit to this immersive experience throughout spring and summer. The exhibition will feature two spectacular installations: Infinity Mirrored Room – Filled With The Brilliance of Life and Chandelier of Grief.

When: Until 11 June 2023

Image: Infinity Mirrored Room – Filled With The Brilliance of Life, Yayoi Kusama.

Tchai KimYoungjin Hanbok Collection, 2015. Image courtesy of ygkplus, BAE YOON YOUNG

Hallyu! The Korean Wave

The V&A

The rising popularity of South Korean culture in mainstream media – otherwise known as ‘Hallyu’, or the Korean Wave – will get its very own exhibition this year at the V&A. Supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Republic of Korea, Hallyu! tracks the global phenomenon from its early beginnings in the late 1990s and rise to worldwide acclaim in the 2010s with K-Pop acts like Psy, BTS and Blackpink to recent successes within cinema, drama, beauty and fashion.

When: 24 September 2022 – 25 June 2023

Image: Tchai KimYoungjin Hanbok Collection, 2015. Courtesy of ygkplus, BAE YOON YOUNG

Klimt: The Immersive Experience

Location not yet disclosed

Following the rocketing popularity of immersive exhibitions, Klimt: The Immersive Experience allows visitors to get up close and personal with Austrian modernist Gustav Klimt like never before. Featuring a 360-digital art show with floor-to-ceiling projections and virtual reality components, Klimt is the brainchild of Exhibition Hub, the group behind the popular Van Gogh immersive exhibition.

When: From July 2022

Image: Courtesy of Klimt: The Immersive Experience

Harry Styles, V&A, Fashioning Masculinities

Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear

The V&A

From the grandeur of the European courts and idealism of neoclassical design to the creative triumphs of modern style, Fashioning Masculinities is the first V&A exhibition to celebrate the power, artistry and diversity of masculine attire and appearance. The show will take a close look at how designers, tailors and artists – plus their clients and sitters – have constructed masculinity. Visitors will be able to explore a range of looks and artworks across three curated galleries, with highlights including outfits by Donatella Versace and Alexander McQueen, as well as photographs by David Hockney.

When: 19 March 2022 – 6 November 2022

Image: Gucci Pre-Fall 2019 Men’s Tailoring Campaign; Creative Director: Alessandro Michele; Art Director: Christopher Simmonds; Photographer & Director: Harmony Korine; Courtesy of Gucci

Read our review here

Watercolour from The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck by Beatrix Potter, 1908, England. Courtesy of National Trust and Frederick Warne & Co. Photo © National Trust Robert Thrift

Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature

The V&A

In a major partnership with the National Trust, the V&A is bringing to life the vivid imagination of beloved children’s author Beatrix Potter. Showcasing original watercolours, drawings and manuscripts by Potter – as well as personal artefacts – Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature will explore the many inspirations that made some of British literature’s favourite characters so prominent. From Jemima Puddle-Duck to Peter Rabbit, visitors can revisit Potter’s legacy in this nostalgic exhibition.

When: 12 February 2022 – 8 January 2023

Image: Watercolour from The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck by Beatrix Potter, 1908, England. Courtesy of National Trust and Frederick Warne & Co. Photo © National Trust / Robert Thrift

Vincent van Gogh (1853 - 1890), Self-Portrait with Grey Felt Hat, September - October 1887, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation)

The Morgan Stanley Exhibition: Van Gogh Self-Portraits

The Courtauld Gallery

Returning to London’s art scene after a three-year-long revamp, the Courtauld Institute plans to hit the ground running in 2022 with the first ever exhibition devoted to Vincent van Gogh’s self-portraits across his entire career. Many of the artworks on show were last together in the artist’s studio, and kept apart in subsequent years across various displays all over the world – until now. Visitors will have the chance to see the artist as he saw himself through brushstrokes, with the exhibition showcasing the infamous Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear alongside masterpieces from major international collections.

When: 3 February – 8 May 2022

Image: Vincent van Gogh (1853 – 1890), Self-Portrait with Grey Felt Hat, September – October 1887, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation)

5 Reasons To Visit ‘Van Gogh. Self-Portraits’ at the Courtauld Gallery

Study for Bullfight No. 1, 1969. Oil on canvas, 198 x 147.5 cm. Private Collection. Photo: Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd.

Francis Bacon: Man and Beast

The Royal Academy

Fancy taking a walk on the wild side? Visitors can do this quite literally at the Royal Academy’s upcoming exhibition Francis Bacon: Man and Beast, which explores the artist’s unerring fascination with animals – in particular his observations of animals in the wild during trips to South Africa. With emphasis placed on the amalgamation of body, shape and distortion, the exhibition intends to map out Bacon’s studies and his ability to capture figures when they are ‘barely recognisable as either human or beast’.

When: 29 January — 17 April 2022

Image: Study for Bullfight No. 1, 1969. Oil on canvas, 198 x 147.5 cm. Private Collection. Photo: Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd.

James Birch on the New Francis Bacon Exhibition

Titanic: The Exhibition

Dock X London

Step into a life-sized recreation of the infamous passenger liner in this new immersive show. With an emphasis on the people who witnessed the tragic event, Titanic: The Exhibition features handwritten letters, first-hand testimonies and personal artefacts. Visitors can explore the different levels of the ship, from first-class suites to third-class cabins. An audio guide will narrate the experience, with contributions from historians alongside Titanic expert Claes-Göran Wetterholm.

When: From December 2021

Image: Courtesy of Titanic: The Exhibition

The Alexander Palace Egg, Chief Workmaster Henrik Wigström (1862-1923), Fabergé. St Petersburg, 1908 Nephrite, gold, silver, diamonds, rubies Given by Emperor Nicholas II to his wife Empress Alexandra Feodorovna for Easter 1908

Fabergé in London, Romance to Revolution

The V&A

Fabergé in London, Romance to Revolution uses over 200 objects to reflect on the legacy of the jewellery firm, taking a deep dive into its history and how exactly it became synonymous with Russian craftsmanship, elegance and opulence. As the first Fabergé exhibition in the UK since 1994, it also places particular emphasis on the little-known Fabergé London branch, which became a fashionable hotspot for Edwardian high society.

When: Until 8 May 2022

Image: The Alexander Palace Egg, Chief Workmaster Henrik Wigström (1862-1923), Fabergé. St Petersburg, 1908 Nephrite, gold, silver, diamonds, rubies Given by Emperor Nicholas II to his wife Empress Alexandra Feodorovna for Easter 1908

Read our review here

Amy: Beyond the Stage

The Design Museum

In this deep dive into the life and legacy of one of Britain’s greatest musicians, visitors can venture behind the scenes of Amy Winehouse’s career through recordings, notebooks, stage outfits, handwritten lyrics and personal items never before exhibited together for the public. Organised in collaboration with The Estate of Amy Winehouse, Amy: Beyond the Stage hopes to give insight into the icon that the world lost too soon.

When: Until 10 April 2022

Image: An installation called ‘Finale’, designed by set designer Chiara Stephenson with animation by Studio Moross, offering visitors a performance of Amy’s song ‘Tears Dry On Their Own’. Photography by Ed Reeve

Read our review here

Soul Shakedown Studio (c) Adrian Boot

Bob Marley One Love Experience

Saatchi Gallery

Make sure to catch the global debut of the Bob Marley One Love Experience at the Saatchi Gallery this February. Visitors can anticipate a display of unseen Marley photographs and memorabilia as well as giant art installations and a multi-sensory immersive experience. Get to know the musical icon on a deeper level, delving beyond his musical career to personal joys, family life, hobbies and the legacy he left for contemporary creatives.

When: 2 February – 18 April 2022

Image: Soul Shakedown Studio (c) Adrian Boot, courtesy of Fifty-Six Hope Road Music, LTD.

Beauty and the Beast, 1991, Peter J. Hall, Concept art, watercolour, marker, and graphite on paper © Disney

Inspiring Walt Disney: The Animation of French Decorative Art

The Wallace Collection

A huge collaboration between the Wallace Collection and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art will see Disney magic hit London like never before this spring. Drawing parallels between the creative French pioneers of the 18th century and the talented artists of Walt Disney Animation Studios, Inspiring Walt Disney: The Animation of French Decorative Art will highlight the process of breathing life into the inanimate. Alongside famed works of art like Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s The Swing, visitors will also be able to take a look behind the scenes of the Disney’s Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast – where ornamentalism, craftsmanship and creativity shine.

When: 6 April – 16 October 2022

Myōchin school of armourers, Armour, 1537–1850, Presented to Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh by the Emperor Meiji in 1869.

Japan: Courts and Culture

Buckingham Palace

Not a stranger to beautiful art collections spanning the globe, Buckingham Palace is the place to go this spring if you want to travel East without leaving London. Japan: Courts and Culture explores the diplomatic, artistic and cultural exchanges between Britain and Japan, with over 350 years’ worth of objects.

When: 8 April 2022 – 12 March 2023

Image: Myōchin school of armourers, Armour, 1537–1850, Presented to Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh by the Emperor Meiji in 1869.

Read our review here

Mexican Geniuses: A Frida and Diego Immersive Experience

Dock X London

Immersive experiences are set to be all the rage in 2022. This spring, make sure to keep your ear to the ground for news on one of London’s most hotly anticipated exhibitions of the year: Mexican Geniuses: A Frida and Diego Immersive Experience. The show will bring to life the work of Mexico’s most famed painters, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, in an explosion of colour and brushstrokes across giant screens. A VR experience will also be available, transporting visitors to the Mexican streets that inspired many of Frida and Diego’s paintings. Tickets are available to book now, so get going before they’re gone.

When: From 28 May 2022

Image courtesy of Fever

Image: LM Cloud and Shadow near Cipières Alpes Maritimes, Leon Morrocco

Leon Morrocco: Long Road Home

Royal Scottish Academy

Artist Leon Morrocco was born in Edinburgh, but he hasn’t lived in Scotland since the ‘70s. This summer, a new exhibition at the Royal Scottish Academy will chart his ‘long road home’ to the Scottish capital, showcasing a range of works from his 65-year career. It will include some very early drawings alongside groupings of Morrocco’s portraiture, still lifes and landscapes, plus two self-portraits and a collection of large paintings inspired by the cultures of Mexico and Australia.

30 July – 28 August 2022, royalscottishacademy.org

Image: LM Cloud and Shadow near Cipières Alpes Maritimes, Leon Morrocco

Feature image: Amy: Beyond the Stage – An installation called ‘Finale’, designed by set designer Chiara Stephenson with animation by Studio Moross, offering visitors a performance of Amy’s song ‘Tears Dry On Their Own’. Photography by Ed Reeve.

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The Biggest Exhibitions of 2022

Tate Modern

The V&A

Location not yet disclosed

The V&A

The V&A

The Courtauld Gallery

The Royal Academy

Dock X London

The V&A

The Design Museum

Saatchi Gallery

The Wallace Collection

Buckingham Palace

Dock X London

Leon Morrocco: Long Road Home

Royal Scottish Academy

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