South Bank London

10 exhibitions to see in South Bank in August


14 th August 2024

From contemporary installation to inter-war painting, stop-motion artistry and sculptural poetry, there is a rich array of art to enjoy in South Bank this summer. Here's a look at ten exhibitions showing across South Bank that you don't want to miss!

Tavares Strachan: There is Light Somewhere

The first mid-career survey of the Bahamian contemporary artist Tavares Strachan, is packed with remarkable and inventive installations. The vast array of works, ranging from collages, neon pieces, bronze busts and ceramics to monumental totems, statues and even a giant boat floating on the gallery roof, celebrate the unsung explorers, inventors, pioneers and cultural luminaries whose names have laid missing from the history books due to the colour of their skin.

WHEN & WHERE: Hayward Gallery until 1 Sep. Book your tickets here.

Gardening Bohemia: Bloomsbury Women Outdoors

Centering on Vita Sackville West, Virginia Woolf, Vanessa Bell, and Lady Ottoline Morrell, this exhibition tells the story of the women of the Bloomsbury group, and friends through their gardens. Paintings, photographs, paintings, textiles, books, and correspondence (many never seen in public before) explore the interweaving lives and shared garden sanctuaries of these four remarkable women and the green spaces they surrounded themselves with.

WHEN & WHERE: Garden Museum until 29 Sep. Book your tickets here.

LAIKA: Frame By Frame

Presented as part of the BFI’s two-month stop-motion animation film season, this free exhibition showcases the incredible art and science behind the acclaimed films from the LAIKA studio. Celebrating the studio's unparalleled dedication to detail, there are more than 700 pieces used by the studio on show. The extraordinary attention to detail involved in intricately crafting LAIKA’s films is on full display illustrated through costumes, props, storyboards, puppets, models, maquettes and exquisite sets.

WHEN & WHERE: BFI Southbank until 1 Oct. Entrance is Free!

Naomi Rincón Gallardo: Sonnet of Vermin

Hosted in the HENI Project space next to the Hayward Gallery, this multimedia exhibition by Mexican artist Naomi Rincón Gallardo takes aim at the lingering impact of colonial violence on Mexico through the storytelling of Mesoamerican myths. Weaving together pre-colonial folklore, DIY aesthetics, music, dance and humour, her vividly bright video works create surreal narratives that criticise the prevalence of violence and exploitation in the region.

WHEN & WHERE: HENI Project Space at Hayward Gallery until 1 Sep. Entrance is Free!

Ian Berry: The Secret Garden

The grand main hall entrance of the Garden Museum (once part of a medieval church) has been taken over this summer by artist Ian Berry’s wondrous installation The Secret Garden. Crafted entirely from recycled denim, this magical garden is filled with roses, cacti, wisteria, dangling vines and even a fish pond.

WHEN & WHERE: Garden Museum until 8 Sep. Entrance is Free!

Metamorphic

Inspired by the natural processes behind the formation of metamorphic rocks, the latest exhibition at County Hall’s ceramics gallery explores how five contemporary ceramic artists have manipulated geological and industrial materials in their work. Using clay, rocks, minerals, bricks, waste building materials and even waste ore pulled from North Sea drilling pipes, the works address the intricate relationship between geology and ceramics and a wider context of climate change and social upheaval.

WHEN & WHERE: County Hall Pottery (entrance via Belvedere Road), until 1 Sep. Entrance is Free!

Making Poetry: Astra Papachristodoulou

Explore poetry off the page in Astra Papachristodoulou’s debut solo exhibition at the National Poetry Library, where poems exist as sculptures, objects and textiles. Making Poetry presents works across a wide range of materials and techniques, including beeswax letter transferring, protest banner poetry, embroidery and textiles, bio-resin sculptures and poetry games.

WHEN & WHERE: National Poetry Library at Southbank Centre (5th floor) until 5 Jan. Entrance is Free!

Nature’s Imprint: A Journey Through Time and Art

For this exhibition at the Bankside hotel’s White Box space, Contemporary Collective and DegreeArt Gallery have joined forces to bring together an array of works by artists that explore the relationships between nature, sustainability, and artistic expression, reflecting on how artists engage with the environment and advocate for sustainable practices through their art.

WHEN & WHERE: White Box at Bankside hotel until 24 Nov. Entrance is Free!

Coin Street Stories

This year the Coin Street community celebrates its 40th anniversary. To make the occasion gallery@oxo presents this unique exhibition that tells the stories of the people of Coin Street in their own words. Reflecting the essence of this inspirational area of South Bank that is powered by social enterprise, Coin Street residents and activists share their stories of how their neighbourhood has grown and become a successful model of people-powered cooperative housing.

WHEN & WHERE: gallery@oxo at OXO Tower from 20-26 Aug. Entrance is Free!

Her Booke: Early Modern Women and Their Books

This summer the Lambeth Palace Library, home of the Church of England’s vast historical archive, present two exhibitions themed around women and their place in the church. One exhibition looks at the journey to equality in the ministry, while the Her Booke exhibit presents books and manuscripts belonging to prominent women from medieval times.

WHEN & WHERE: Lambeth Palace Library until Nov. Entrance is Free!

Pagination

You might also like...

Top Free Things to do in South Bank

You don't need to spend a fortune to enjoy a great day out sightseeing in South Bank.

South Bank for book lovers

From specialist bookshops and second-hand market stalls to the country's biggest stage for literary events, South Bank is heaven...

What to do on a rainy day in South Bank

Drizzly weather putting a dampener on your South Bank sightseeing plans? Fear not! There's so much to enjoy indoors.

The Sidings at Waterloo Station summer piano competition

Have a talent for playing piano? Or know somebody that does? Get down to The Sidings this summer and...

50% off kids tickets at South Bank's top attractions

This summer holidays snap up an amazing 50% off kids tickets to South Bank's biggest family attractions.

Bubbly and buns at Lasdun’s new summer pop-up

Just in time for the height of summer, the National Theatre's acclaimed Lasdun restaurant has launched a pop-up summer terrace.

Hayward Gallery

World-renowned contemporary art gallery known for its adventurous large-scale exhibitions.

Southbank Centre

Welcome to one of the world's leading centres for the performing arts!

gallery@oxo

A small riverside gallery at the iconic Oxo Tower.

The Garden Museum

South Bank's best-kept secret explores and celebrates the history of British gardens.

National Poetry Library

Based at Southbank Centre, this is the largest public collection of modern poetry in the world.

Lambeth Palace Library

A treasure trove of astonishing ancient manuscripts dating back to medieval times.

BFI Southbank

This world-renowned film centre with four first-class screens is a film lover's paradise.

Art Yard Bar & Kitchen

Art-centric all-day restaurant with an emphasis on creativity.

We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices.