What’s On at Somerset House?

Here’s what to book and look forward to over the coming months, with our guide to what’s on at Somerset House. These are the exhibitions and events to add to your diary.

Somerset House: What’s On?

Beano: The Art of Breaking the Rules

Roger the Dodger, Original artwork from 1961. Artwork by Frank McDiarmid. Courtesy of Beano.

Ready to awaken your inner child? Beano has always championed one simple rule: that rules should be broken. The chaotic energy of the comic magazine has thrived for over 80 years – and shows no signs of stopping any time soon. In Beano: The Art of Breaking the Rules, visitors get just what they expect: a joyous debunking of regulations in favour of unruliness and fun. Entry is £16, until 6 March 2022. Read our review of the exhibition here.

Gallery 31: Temporary Compositions

Installation views of Gallery 31: Temporary Compositions

The gallery’s space dedicated to platforming work by Somerset House Studios’ resident artists, Gallery 31, is back with a full line-up this year. The first show, which carries over from 2021, explores the ‘temporary synchronicity between people, bodies, sounds and signals’. Temporary Compositions was curated by Stella Sideli, and features multidisciplinary works from Abbas Zahedi, Phoebe Davies, Joe Namy and Sonya Dyer. Free entry, until 20 March 2022.

Gallery 31: Piece of Mind

Grand Motel Dubai, Luxo 54 – Suíte Arco-íris. Courtesy of Grand Motel Dubai

The second exhibition taking place in Gallery 31 this year is Piece of Mind, which will explore the impact of the changing functions of our intimate domestic spaces – which have undoubtedly evolved since the beginning of the pandemic. As places of work, social and leisure activities, the domestic space becomes the stage for a number of artists to examine everyday life and its recent transformations. Visitors can expect to see works from the likes of Ocean Loren Balcombe Topping, YA 雅 + Casandra Burrell, Farrah Riley Gray, Tyreis Holder, Koyejo Oloko and Anna Sebastian. Free entry, 1 April – 17 July 2022.

Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition

Edward Burtynsky ‘Phosphor Tailings Pond #4, Near Lakeland, Florida, USA, 2012’ © Edward Burtynsky, 2021 Sony World Photography Awards

The internationally acclaimed Sony World Photography Awards will be showing at Somerset House again this year – marking its 15th stint – in a celebration of the diversity of contemporary photography. Photographers from over 200 countries and territories will be showcased through the exhibition, with a selection of winning and shortlisted images from all competitions taking centre stage. A special curation of photographs by the Awards’ 2022 Outstanding Contribution to Photography recipient, Edward Burtynsky, will also be on show. Entry is £15 per person, 13 April – 2 May 2022.

Photo London 2022

Photo London 2021 Installation View (c) Shirin Neshat

Somerset House will be hosting the seventh edition of Photo London, one of the world’s leading photography fairs showcasing ‘the very best of the past, present and future of photography’. The fair is a true celebration of the art medium, with both new and established galleries from all over the world taking part. As well as a physical offering, the fair will be available to browse digitally through Artsy. Tickets from £29, 11 – 15 May 2022.

Eternally Yours

Angela Maddock. Holding A Work in Progress, 2017. Photo by Matthew Otten. Courtesy of Angela Maddock.

Over the summer, Somerset House will be presenting an exhibition dedicated to acts of repair, care and healing. Titled Eternally Yours, the exhibition will highlight artforms that specialise in upcycling and repurposing old items, from historical examples of Kintsugi and Boro to modern acts of repair with installations like the Beasley Brothers’ Repair Shop. The early line-up also includes work from Celia Pym, Angela Maddock, Studio Propolis, Ellen Sampson and Peter Marigold. Free entry, 16 June – 18 September 2022

Featured image: Getty Images

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