Top London Art Exhibitions to Visit in 2025
It should come as no surprise to anyone that London would host some standout exhibitions in 2025. But even with the city’s thriving art scene, this year seemed exceptional. It wasn’t just eye-catching shows. Museums made conscious attempts to move out of their comfort zones by giving marquee status to those who are often overlooked or marginalized: Indigenous artists, queer pioneers, trailblazing women — the list goes on.
In addition to high-profile exhibitions featuring Kerry James Marshall, Jenny Saville, Leigh Bowery, and other important and inimitable figures, institutions went out on a limb with surprising pairings (Vincent van Gogh and Anselm Kiefer at the Royal Academy of Arts) and under-appreciated talents such as Edward Burra and Joseph Wright of Derby. Particularly notable was Tate Modern’s survey of Australian Aboriginal artist Emily Kam Kngwarray, organized by two First Nations curators. Our London-based contributors were there for it, bringing their knowledge and unique perspectives.
There’s still much work to be done in making museums more inclusive and aware of narratives and creators left out of standard Western canons, but it feels like London’s art world is on the right track. Below are our critics’ picks for the best shows of the year. —Natalie Haddad, reviews editor
Henri Michaux: The Mescaline Drawings
Courtauld Institute, February 12–June 4
Curated by Ketty Gottardo
Henri Michaux, that Belgian neo-Surrealist who so loathed the bright lights of publicity, was as much a poet as an artist of great graphic intricacy. This exhibition centered the works that emerged as a result of his experimentation with mescaline — how the drug dilated his dreams, causing them to warp, flow, and waver. It is an extended poem and a record of a unique part of his graphic work. —Michael Glover
Leigh Bowery!
Tate Modern, February 27–August 31
Curated by Fiontán Moran, Jessica Baxter, Nicola Rainbird, and Margery King
Leigh Bowery … the name alone left me both confused and intrigued when I was a teenager reading magazines like I-D and The Face. Who was this performer who covered his face and transformed his body into a sculpture with his spectacular outfits? Tate Modern’s retrospective of the late artist’s life and work was informative, straightforward in its language and history (as Olivia McEwan notes in her review, linked below), and an extravaganza of colors and textures, attitude and style. I flew across the ocean to see it. —Natalie Haddad, reviews editor
Do Ho Suh: Walk the House
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