Jean-Michel Basquiat’s first major British show, 180 The Strand’s Everything at Once and the V&A’s new gallery – by all accounts, 2017 was a stand-out year for art in London. For our final trend of the year, we’re looking ahead. From major anniversaries to new galleries and revolutionary centres, prepare for the 2018 inspiration onslaught.
Next month, Lazinc’s new flagship Sackville gallery in Mayfair launches with a multidisciplinary solo exhibition by French artist JR, whose striking series of outdoor sculptures you’ll recognise from the Olympic Games in Rio. GIANTS – Body of Work will focus on a series of studies around the sculptures, allowing visitors to see the artist’s process and techniques from start to finish.
The Royal Academy’s 250th year is no mean feat: their Summer Exhibition is now the world’s longest running annual display of contemporary art, and one of the largest. 2018 will be a landmark year, with a newly transformed RA opening its doors on 19th May. Expect more exhibitions, free displays of art and architecture for the first time, and a new cultural campus uniting Burlington House and Burlington Gardens – get ready for a party.
And by autumn, the V&A will have unveiled the first phase of its new state-of-the-art Photography Centre. Designed by David Kohn Architects (his practice have covered A Room for London, Hackney Wick’s The White Building and the ICA’s refurbishments), the V&A now holds the world’s largest collection of art on photography, and the new resource centre will set about sharing it, revolutionising the way the medium is presented at the museum.
Expect to be inspired!
Photo: Royal Academy
