Having trouble deciding on the best spots for photography in London?
Then check out the amazing events in the London and Watford area this month. These events are more geared towards photography and art.
Welcome to your bumper edition newsletter, packed with plenty of events to see and photograph. It’s also a leap year with one extra day to enjoy! Highlights this month include the exhibition by Yoko Ono at Tate Modern called “Music of the Mind” and London Fashion Week again, one of my favourite events to photograph. Plus, earlier in the month, it is the Chinese New Year, the year of the dragon.
Last Updated: 1st February
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Barbara Kruger: Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You at Serpentine Gallery – 1st to 17th March
Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You. at Serpentine South is Kruger’s first solo institutional show in London in over twenty years. It features a unique selection of installations alongside moving image works and multiple soundscapes.
Find out more here.
Destinations: The Holiday & Travel Show at Olympia London – 1st
Destinations: The Holiday & Travel Show is the UK’s largest and longest-running travel event with The Times and The Sunday Times. Showcasing the limitless diversity of sights, cultures, landscapes, wildlife, people and experiences the world has to offer, the 600 travel brands featured at Destinations will have your wanderlust go into overdrive.
Find out more here.
Entangled Pasts, 1768 – now at Royal Acadamy of Arts – 3rd to 28th April
J.M.W. Turner and Ellen Gallagher. Joshua Reynolds and Yinka Shonibare. John Singleton Copley and Hew Locke. Past and present collide in one powerful exhibition. Over 100 major contemporary and historical works as part of a conversation about art and its role in shaping narratives of empire, enslavement, resistance, abolition and colonialism – and how it may help set a course for the future.
Find out more here.
Clown Service 2024 at All Saints Church – 4th
Since 1946, clowns have gathered for this service to remember the father of clowning, Joseph Grimaldi. The service takes place at All Saints, Haggerston. Clowns gather on the first Sunday in February at a time of the year when mental health tends to be at its lowest to provide a place for connection and laughter for all. Press Passes are £10.
Find out more here.
Orchid Festival at Kew Gardens – 3rd to 3rd March
The annual orchid festival at Kew Gardens celebrates vibrant flora to brighten the winter months. This year, it’s the turn of Madagascar with its stunning natural beauty and incredible biodiversity – become enchanted by a land of striking contrast, from spiny forests to succulent woodlands and a menagerie of the most unique wildlife on Earth.
Find out more here.
When Forms Come Alive at Hayward Gallery – 7th to 6 May 2024
Spanning over 60 years of contemporary sculpture, this exhibition highlights ways in which artists draw on familiar experiences of movement, flux and organic growth. Inspired by sources ranging from a dancer’s gesture to the breaking of a wave, from a flow of molten metal to the interlacing of a spider’s web, the artworks in When Forms Come Alive conjure fluid and shifting realms of experience.
Find out more here.
Imagine Children’s Festival at Southbank – 7th to 17th
Imagine Children’s Festival takes place over 11 days during the February half-term, with brilliant theatre, comedy, music, literature, poetry, dance and flat-out family fun designed for children aged 0 – 11. It’s all about inspiring creativity, celebrating the individuality of every child, championing diversity and sparking imaginations.
Find out more here.
Photowalk at the Light Festival at Battersea Power Station – 9th
Battersea Power Station’s annual Light Festival returns. A free light art trail for all to enjoy, explore seven light art installations from British and international artists, a number of which are making their UK or London debut. Shining bright inside and outside the Power Station, many installations will offer more than just a visual experience, enhanced with soundscapes and interactive elements that respond to movement.
Find out more here.
Chinese New Year in London – 11th
London will take to the streets to celebrate Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year. As part of the carnival, you can expect lively parades, spectacular performances, beautiful displays, immersive family activities and all of your favourite Chinatown London restaurants serving festive specials and traditional celebratory dishes.
Find out more here.
Charitable Extravaganza Runway Fashion Show at St Alban’s Cathedral – 11th
A free extravagant fashion show under the doves in partnership with Cancer Research UK and Oaklands College. Wear your best hat, secure a seat in the front row and get ready to spend a memorable afternoon at this charitable event.
Find out more here.
Burtynsky: Extraction / Abstraction at Saatchi Gallery – 14th to 6 May
This exhibition marks the largest exhibition ever mounted in the 40+ year career of world-renowned photographic artist, Edward Burtynsky, who has dedicated his practice to bearing witness to the impact of human industry on the planet. Curated by Marc Mayer, former Director of the National Gallery of Canada and Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, the exhibition will feature 94 of Burtynsky’s large-format photographs as well as 13 high-resolution murals, and an augmented reality (AR) experience.
Find out more here.
Photowalk at the Light Festival at Battersea Power Station – 9th
Battersea Power Station’s annual Light Festival returns. A free light art trail for all to enjoy, explore seven light art installations from British and international artists, a number of which are making their UK or London debut. Shining bright inside and outside the Power Station, many installations will offer more than just a visual experience, enhanced with soundscapes and interactive elements that respond to movement.
Find out more here.
Colour Walk Meetup at Spitalfields Market – 15th
It is an informal gathering of colourful, creative souls who meet, dressed in their finest, to walk, talk and strut their stuff. Excellent for photography.
Find out more here.
Yoko Ono: ‘Music of the Mind’ at Tate Britain – 15th to 1st September
Delve into the powerful, participatory work of artist and activist Yoko Ono. Yoko Ono is a trailblazer of early conceptual and participatory art, film and performance, a celebrated musician, and a formidable campaigner for world peace. Developing her practice in the United States, Japan and the UK, ideas are central to her art, often expressed in poetic, humorous, profound and radical ways.
Find out more here.
Refik Anadol : Echoes of the Earth: Living Archive at Serpentine North – 16th to 7th April
A pioneer in the aesthetics of machine intelligence, artist and technologist Refik Anadol is known for his innovative media works and large-scale public installations. Echoes of the Earth: Living Archive, Anadol’s first major institutional solo exhibition in the UK, envelops viewers in immersive environments that utilise years-long experimentation with visual data of coral reefs and rainforests and showcases the creative potential of AI.
Find out more here.
London Fashion Week – 16th till 20th
Celebrating the event’s 40th anniversary this year, featuring both menswear and womenswear designers, with highlights including BFC NEWGEN recipients, iconic British luxury brand Burberry, as well as 16Arlington, Ahluwalia, David Koma, Dilara Findikoglu, dunhill, Emilia Wickstead, ERDEM, Eudon Choi, Fashion East, JW Anderson, KNWLS, Marques’Almeida, Molly Goddard, Richard Quinn, Roksanda, Simone Rocha and many more.
Find out more here.
CHINESE NEW YEAR CULTURE SHOW 2024 at Watford Palace Theatre – 18th
An evening of stunning performances to celebrate Chinese culture and the Year of the Dragon. Our programme will feature a range of very special performances featuring charming Chinese dancing, songs and music with traditional instruments from Aubretia Dance Studio, Harrow Chinese School Dance Group, and more
Find out more here.
Photographic Nature Walk in Cassiobury Park to Whippendell Woods – 21st
Take a guided walk through Cassiobury to Whippendell Woods, led by Andrew Lalchan (local photographer); we will explore early signs of spring in the woods. We might get lucky with mist or even snow on the ground.
Find out more here.
Zheng Bo – Bamboo As Method – 22nd to 28th April
This site-specific and participatory installation creates a place for contemplation and serves as a reminder of the restorative qualities of nature within the urban landscape of Somerset House and central London. Zheng’s commission will be the newest addition to the annual Somerset House Courtyard Commission Series, which features international, contemporary artists who exemplify innovative thinking across sustainability and ecology.
Find out more here.
Sargent & Fashion exhibition at Tate Britain – 22nd to 7th July 2024
Celebrated for his striking portrait paintings, this exhibition sheds new light on John Singer Sargent’s acclaimed works. It explores how he worked like a stylist to craft the image of the sitters he painted, whom he often had close relationships with. Sargent used fashion as a powerful tool to express identity and personality. He regularly chose the outfits of his collaborators or manipulated their clothing.
Find out more here.
Watford to St Alban’s Charity Walk – 25th
Elected Mayor of Watford, Peter Taylor and Deputy Mayor, Cllr Aga Dychton, will be walking the Abbey Line Trail to raise money for Watford Women’s Centre. The 10-mile walk will start at 10am on 25 February, beginning at Watford Junction station and ending at St Albans Abbey station, and the community is invited to join in and show support for this important cause. The event welcomes participants of all ages, families, and groups to come together for a leisurely stroll in support of a noble cause.
Find out more here.
Birdwatching walk in Cassiobury Park – 29th
A morning walk in the wilder parts of Cassiobury Park, hoping to see herons, woodpeckers, redwing and fieldfare.
Find out more here.
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Last chance to see
Peace Dove Lates at St Alban’s Cathedral – till 13th February
Peace Doves is an art installation by Peter Walker Sculptor, in which 10000 paper doves will hang from the Cathedral tower. Everyone is welcome at St Alban’s Cathedral from Tuesday, 3 January, to Wednesday, 13 February—lots more events under the Peace Doves from Peace Dove Lates, Yoga, concerts and performances.
Find out more here.
REBEL: 30 Years of London Fashion, Design Museum – till 11th February 2024
Opening to coincide with London Fashion Week, this landmark exhibition will be one of the most wide-ranging surveys of contemporary fashion culture ever staged in the UK. It will offer an unprecedented look at how careers in fashion are forged and the multitude of opportunities London’s fashion scene offers young creatives.
Find out more here.
Holbein at Tudor Court, Buckingham Palace – till 14th April 2024
Hans Holbein was one of the most talented artists of the 16th century. From his arrival in England in search of work, he rose to royal favour, chosen to paint the portraits of Henry VIII, his family and leading figures, among them Anne Boleyn and Sir Thomas More. By his death, Holbein’s work was as admired by his contemporaries as it is today. His portraits inspired the next generation of artists in depicting Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I.
Find out more here.
Cute at Somerset House – till 14th April
A major new exhibition exploring the irresistible force of cuteness in contemporary culture. CUTE brings together contemporary artworks, including new artist commissions and cultural phenomena such as music, fashion, toys, video games and social media, in this brand-new show examining the world’s embrace of cute culture and how it has become such an influential measure of our times. It will seek to unravel cuteness’ emotive charge, revealing its extraordinary and complex power and potential.
Find out more here.
The Moonwalkers: A Journey With Tom Hanks – till 21st April
Tom Hanks narrates an epic experience that offers a unique new perspective on humankind’s past and future voyages to the moon.
Find out more here.
Shuvinai A Shoona: When I Draw, The Perimeter – till 26th April
Shuvinai Ashoona makes drawings which engage with the complexities of life, land and community in the Canadian Arctic, through fantastical motifs and modes of storytelling. The work interweaves scenes from everyday Arctic life with imagery associated with Inuit animism and shamanism. This is the first time Ashoona’s works will be shown in Europe since receiving a Special Mention by the awards jury at the 59th Venice Biennale in 2022.
Find out more here.
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