If you are looking for some inspiration and excitement in the new year, look no further than the art and architecture scene. 2024 promises to be a year full of amazing shows, exhibitions, and openings, that will showcase the best of creativity, innovation, and diversity. Whether you are interested in the classics or the contemporary, the local or the global, the intimate or the monumental, there is something for everyone. Here are some of the highlights that you don’t want to miss in 2024.
Yoko Ono: This Is Not Here Tate Modern, London, 1 February–17 March
The legendary artist, activist, and musician, Yoko Ono, will have a major retrospective at Tate Modern, that will span her six-decade career. The exhibition will feature more than 200 works, including paintings, sculptures, installations, films, performances, and interactive pieces. The exhibition will also explore Ono’s role as a pioneer of conceptual art, feminist art, and environmental art, as well as her influence on pop culture and social movements. Expect to see some of her iconic works, such as Cut Piece, Imagine Peace Tower, and Bed-In, as well as some of her cheeky and playful pieces, such as Fly, Apple, and Chess Set.
Goya: The Disasters of War Royal Academy of Arts, London, 15 March–8 June
The Spanish master, Francisco Goya, is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential artists of all time. His series of prints, The Disasters of War, is one of his most powerful and disturbing works, depicting the horrors and atrocities of the Napoleonic invasion of Spain and the subsequent civil war. The prints, which were never published in his lifetime, are a testament to his artistic genius, his political courage, and his humanitarian vision. The exhibition will present the complete series of 82 prints, along with some of his paintings and drawings, that will reveal his extraordinary skill and imagination.
Frank Auerbach: Early Portraits Courtauld Gallery, London, 9 February–27 May
The German-born British painter, Frank Auerbach, is one of the most celebrated and respected living artists in the world. His distinctive style of painting, characterized by thick layers of paint and expressive brushstrokes, creates a sense of depth and intensity that is unparalleled. The exhibition will focus on his early portraits, from the 1950s and 1960s, which he made of his friends, family, and lovers. The portraits, which he often reworked for months or years, are a reflection of his personal relationships, his emotional states, and his artistic vision.
Barbara Kruger: Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You Serpentine South, London, 1 February–17 March
The American artist, Barbara Kruger, is known for her bold and provocative works, that combine text and images to challenge the power structures and ideologies of society. Her works, which often use slogans such as “I Shop Therefore I Am” and “Your Body Is a Battleground”, question the notions of consumerism, gender, identity, and politics. The exhibition will present a comprehensive survey of her works, from the 1980s to the present, including posters, billboards, videos, installations, and digital media. The exhibition will also feature some of her new works, that will engage with the current issues and debates of our time.
Zineb Sedira: Dreams Have No Titles Whitechapel Gallery, London, 15 February–12 May
The London-based Franco-Algerian artist and filmmaker, Zineb Sedira, will transform the Whitechapel Gallery into a series of movie sets, that will recreate scenes from her life and her favourite films. The exhibition, which was a hit in the French Pavilion at the last Venice Biennale, will include a bar, a ballroom, and Sedira’s London home, which will all appear in a film that she will narrate and act in. The exhibition will explore the themes of memory, identity, and cinema, and the connections between the real and the imaginary, the present and the past.
Nicole Eisenman: What Happened Whitechapel Gallery, London, to 14 January
The American artist, Nicole Eisenman, will have her first UK solo exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery, that will showcase her diverse and eclectic works, that range from painting and sculpture to drawing and installation. Eisenman, who is known for her witty and irreverent style, draws inspiration from art history, pop culture, and personal experiences, to create works that are both humorous and poignant, and that address issues such as gender, sexuality, politics, and society. The exhibition will feature some of her most acclaimed works, such as The Triumph of Poverty, Coping, and Progress: Real and Imagined, as well as some of her new works, that will reflect on the current state of the world.
The National Gallery: 200 Years of Art and History National Gallery, London, 1 April–31 December
The National Gallery, one of the most visited and admired art museums in the world, will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2024, with a series of events, exhibitions, and activities, that will highlight its rich and remarkable history and collection. The museum, which was founded in 1824, houses more than 2,300 paintings, dating from the 13th to the 20th century, by some of the greatest artists of all time, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, and JMW Turner. The museum will also showcase some of its recent acquisitions, such as Artemisia Gentileschi’s Self Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria, and some of its upcoming projects, such as the renovation of its Sainsbury Wing.
The Royal Academy of Arts: 250 Years of Art and Ideas Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1 May–31 December
The Royal Academy of Arts, one of the oldest and most prestigious art institutions in the world, will also celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2024, with a series of events, exhibitions, and activities, that will showcase its illustrious and influential history and collection. The academy, which was founded in 1768, is an independent and self-governing body of artists and architects, who promote and support the practice and appreciation of art. The academy is also home to a magnificent collection of artworks, books, and archives, by some of the most renowned artists and architects of all time, such as Joshua Reynolds, John Constable, Thomas Gainsborough, and David Hockney. The academy will also present some of its new and upcoming works, such as the redevelopment of its Burlington Gardens building, and the expansion of its exhibition and education programmes.
Grand Egyptian Museum, Giza, Egypt
The Grand Egyptian Museum, one of the most anticipated and ambitious cultural projects in the world, will finally open its doors in 2024, after more than two decades of planning and construction. The museum, which is located near the Pyramids of Giza, will be the largest archaeological museum in the world, covering an area of 490,000 square meters, and housing more than 100,000 artifacts, dating from the prehistoric to the Roman periods. The museum will also display the complete collection of Tutankhamun, the boy king who ruled Egypt in the 14th century BC, and whose tomb was discovered in 1922, with more than 5,000 objects, many of which have never been seen before. The museum will also feature state-of-the-art facilities, such as conservation laboratories, educational spaces, and a conference center.
Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar
The Museum of Islamic Art, one of the most impressive and elegant museums in the world, will unveil its new extension in 2024, that will add more than 10,000 square meters of exhibition and public space, and enhance its visitor experience and services. The museum, which was designed by the renowned architect IM Pei, and opened in 2008, showcases the art and culture of the Islamic world, from the 7th to the 19th century, with more than 14,000 objects, ranging from ceramics and textiles to manuscripts and metalwork. The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions, lectures, workshops, and performances, that explore the diversity and richness of Islamic civilization. The museum’s extension, which was designed by the award-winning architect Jean Nouvel, will complement and contrast with Pei’s geometric and minimalist design, and will create a dialogue between the past and the present, the local and the global, and the art and the architecture.
