We’re Looking Forward To These Summer Exhibitions In London

Get your culture kicks in – these summer exhibitions and installations in London are perfect for aesthetes.

Summer Exhibitions & Installations In London To Book Now

Editors’ Top Pick: Princess Diana – Accredited Access 

Ellie Smith gets access all areas to the Princess Diana image archive.

We’ve all seen countless images of Princess Diana – but do we know the stories behind them? A new exhibition will offer fresh insight into one of the world’s most famous royals, offering a behind-the-lens look at a selection of images taken by her official photographers, Anwar Hussein and his two sons Samir and Zak. 

Opening this May at St Katharine Docks in London, Princess Diana – Accredited Access will showcase 75 photographs taken by the Hussein family over the course of Diana’s lifetime, alongside first-hand accounts of the stories behind them. The Husseins had special access to the Princess and her family, spending over four decades working alongside them, meaning they were able to capture numerous significant moments – both public and private.

Photographs on display will include Diana sitting alone outside the Taj Mahal, the ‘revenge dress’ that she wore to a dinner in 1994, and the handshake she shared with a HIV patient – an instrumental moment in ending the stigma surrounding the virus.

The exhibition is arriving in London following successful runs in the US, Canada and Australia. ‘I am honoured and humbled to have been given the opportunity to photograph Princess Diana so extensively and to have had the pleasure of having many friendly and insightful conversations with her,’ said Anwar. ‘I am delighted that the images captured, as well as those of my sons, are coming home to London to recognise and memorialise such a remarkable woman and her sons.’ 25 May to 2 September, princessdianaexhibit.com

Living Room by Nick Waplington at Hamiltons Gallery

Nick Waplington’s Living Room is an intimate series of photos taken of family, friends and neighbours on the Broxtowe housing estate in Nottingham. Timeless documentary images taken with deliberate care to avoid a voyeuristic gaze and an absolute must-see. Until 25 May, hamiltonsgallery.com

The National Gallery’s Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers

X11405, Vincent Van Gogh, Self-Portrait, 1889, Oil on canvas, 57.8 × 44.5 cm, National Gallery of Art, Washington, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. John Hay Whitney, 1998.74.5, Image Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Drink in Van Gogh’s private collections – some never seen in public before – as well as the most important and loved pieces created by the artist. Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers is the first major show of its kind in over a decade and promises to be the summer’s hot ticket. Expect to find yourself saying ‘Van Gosh’. From 14 September, nationalgallery.org.uk

Alexandra Spyratos’s Solo Show At The Catharine Miller Gallery

Kenyan-born artist Alexandra Spyratos brings her solo show to west London’s Catharine Miller gallery. Exhibiting art inspired by the rich wildlife of Africa, you’d be forgiven for confusing Chelsea with a sub-saharan safari. From 25 May, alexandraspyratos.com

The RA’s In The Eye Of The Storm 

Image provided courtesy of the Royal Academy

Featuring groundbreaking modernist art from Ukraine, In The Eye of the Storm explores the works made in the early 20th century of the Balkan state in the wake of collapsing empires, wars and total state upheaval. 29 June to 13 October, royalacademy.org.uk

Chelsea In Bloom Installations

Well-heeled folk treading the King’s Road will be sharing the pavement with larger-than-life floral installations, as Chelsea in Bloom returns in all its vibrant glory. ‘Floral Feasts’ is the theme this year – watch you don’t become lunch for one Very Hungry Caterpillar – we hear he’s hardly ever satiated. 20-26 May, chelseainbloom.co.uk