Out and About: Art to See in 2023

There’s plenty to look forward to in 2023 and we can’t wait to get ‘Out and About’. We’d like to share with you some highly anticipated art exhibitions which are set to open in the UK. Join us as we explore 10 exhibitions that we won’t be missing this year! Be sure to book your tickets early.

David Hockney ‘Bigger and Closer’, Lightroom Kings Cross, London
25th January – 23rd April 

The Lightroom is a new four storey exhibition space made for immersive art. Here Hockney will exhibit his life’s work broken up into six chapters with a voiceover from Hockney himself and an original score composed by Nico Muly. His paintings are thrown onto huge screens immersing the audience in his colourful worlds like never seen before. For more information, click here.

Alice Neel ‘Hot Off the Griddle’, Barbican, London
16th February – 21st May

New York artist Alice Neel painted honest and unpretentious portraits of people from the 1930s depression until her death in 1984. This exhibition brings together all the people Neel met along the way. For more information, click here. 

Peter Doig, Courtauld Gallery, London
10th February – 29th May

Scottish artist Peter Doig returns to London after living in Trinidad for two decades. His paintings explore theatre, film, landscapes and the rich history of the Caribbean and Ontario where the artist grew up. It is the Courtauld’s first exhibition of a living artist. For more information, click here.

Herzog & de Meuron, Royal Academy of Arts, London
14th July – 15th October

This exhibition is as a retrospective of one of the most respected architectural practices in the industry. The show takes the audience through their practice, stage by stage exploring the models, samples and prototypes of a variety of completed and uncompleted projects. For more information, click here.

Marina Abramovic, Royal Academy of Arts, London
23rd September – 10th December

This is another exhibition that has suffered from countless delays. The iconic Marina Abromovic presents a retrospective of her work at the Royal Academy that is surely one not to miss. For more information, click here.

Paula Rego ‘Crivelli’s Garden’, National Gallery, London
20th July – 29th October

In 1990 the late, great Dame Paula Rego was commissioned to do a mural at the National Gallery. She was the first associate artist at the gallery and Carlo Crivelli’s ‘La Madonna Della Rondine’ inspired her mural. The exhibition explores Rego’s connection to the National Gallery, its staff and her friends and family that are depicted in the work. For more information, click here.

Philip Guston, Tate Modern, London
5th October – 25th February 2024

This highly controversial exhibition has been repeatedly postponed and delayed. Gunston’s paintings tackle some important and uncomfortable subjects that are worth exploring. It will be fantastic to finally see this exhibition come to fruition. For more information, click here.

Souls Grown Deep Like the Rivers: Black artists from the American South, Royal Academy of Arts, London
17th March – 18th June

This show in particular is one we are really looking forward to. It brings together artists working in the American South. Most of the artists are all self-taught, their practices combining techniques and craft traditions passed through generations. The artworks are often made from found objects. The pieces explore the joys and struggles of everyday life alongside harder hitting subjects such as systemic racism. It’s set to be a moving show. For more information, click here.

Yayoi Kusama, ‘You, Me and the Balloons’, Factory International, Manchester
30th June – 28th August

In Manchester Yayoi Kusama will open her largest ever immersive environment. The exhibition will celebrate three decades of her inflatable artworks. The psychedelic creations, many over 10m tall, include giant dolls, tendrilled landscapes and vast constellations of polka dot spheres. Factory International is a new dynamic space in Manchester opening this year and set to showcase some of the best dance, theatre, music and visual arts. Be sure to book your tickets early for this one! For more information, click here.

As you can see, we have so much to look forward to and can’t wait to get ‘Out and About’. Here’s to a year that’s full of art, exploration and discovery!

Tartan, V&A Dundee
Opens 1st April

The exhibition explores the history and global story of Tartan. It goes beyond the Scottish highlands and investigates how this woven pattern has influenced architecture, fashion, art, film and products around the world. For more information, click here.