A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words: London Exhibitions
As the weather outside becomes a bit more unbearable, I’ve begun to seek out more indoor London activities. Once winters comes full force, it’s almost too easy to snuggle up at home and observe the chill from a heated distance. Yet the wintertime can be refreshing, providing an opportunity to enjoy the cultural, historical, and arty sides of London that I tend to avoid in the summer – the museums, indoor exhibitions, plays and musicals that I dismiss in favour of walks through Regents Park and along the Southbank when the sun’s shining.
In honour of these cultural and historical gems that I too often take for granted and visit too little, here are a few musuems and other venues in London that I think shouldn’t be missed.
And they all just so happen to be featuring photographic exhibitions. A worthy shout, considering today’s deal.
Victoria and Albert Museum (The V&A)
Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL
Located in the museumland that is South Kensington, the V&A is one of my favorite places in London, housing collections of art, design and fashion. The museum hosts a number of exhibitions, many free, in addition to its permanent collections, with at least one exhibition often attuned to photography lovers. In fact, just yesterday the museum debuted A History of Camera-less Photography, tracing the history of the very first photographs from the 1850s that were created without the use of a camera. The V&A boasts one of the largest and most important photographic archives worldwide, with over 500,000 photographic images from classic to contemporary photographers, covering a range of processes and techniques. Of those, about 40 of the V&As most outstanding photographs are displayed annually.
The Book Club
100 – 106 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4RH
Located in Hoxton and Shoreditch, the Bookclub blends cocktails, art, and dancing with pool, storytelling and newspapers – a smorgasbord of culture, creativity and events. So, basically all the things I love most. To top it off, they hold monthly exhibitions. The most recent, The Black and White Collection by Andy Willsher celebrates 20 years of capturing contemporary music culture. I haven’t gotten around to checking it out just yet, but plan to before the exhibition closes on 31 December. Let me know if there is anything I shouldn’t miss!
National Portrait Gallery
St Martin’s Place, London WC2H 0HE
A discussion on the best photography in London cannot be had without mentioning this famous space. The National Portrait Gallery was founded in 1856 with the aim of promoting an appreciation and understanding of the men and women making an impact on British history and culture, as well as the increased understanding and appreciation of portraiture. Currently, the museum is featuring the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize exhibition until 20 February. This display (£2 admission) is said to showcase the best of contemporary photographic talent across a range of themes, styles and approaches.
Museum of London
London Wall, London EC2Y 5HN
As one of the world’s largest urban history museums, residents of London shouldn’t miss a visit here. The mission of the space is to inspire a passion for London through historical and contemporary culture as well as archeology. One of the latest free exhibitions, London Futures, showcases the full impact of global warming and rising sea levels on Londoners – and the lengths that could potentially be needed to survive. The rather doomsday approach, available to view until 6 March, apparently includes images such as Buckingham Palace surrounded by shanty towns and the Gherkin occupied by eco-refugees. The exhibition has been on since October, as part of the Mayor’s Story of London Festival, and is number 1 on my list of cold weather weekend outings.
Interested in more? I often rely on Spoonfed to find out the cultural happenings in London.
How do you discover photography and other arts/cultural events around the city?
Photography by tonyhall and hikarilisa.
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