Address: Cromwell Rd, Knightsbridge, London SW7 2RL
In South Kensington, David Bowie Is has broken every record - since 2013, this has been the most highly-attended exhibition in the history of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Its success has brought it on tour, involving 11 museums throughout the world - from London to New York, it has used 500 objects to tell of the life, music and the extravagant and visionary talent of the White Duke. Seeing its draw, the museum on Cromwell Road saw no need to change, thus maintaining one of the most extraordinary collections dedicated to Bowie ever assembled. Today, it can also be admired online, with its album covers, objects and rare photos, capable of launching us right into the creative processes of one of the most influential artists of the last Century. From the pioneering works of art connected to the album Diamond Dogs to the iconic photos of Kevin Cummins and Terry O’Neil, from the scenery for the legendary Serious Moonlight Tour to the collaborations with artists and designers, Bowie’s multifaceted career is presented in its entirety. A spotlight is placed on the transversal nature of his influence - not just on music, but on art, design, theatre and contemporary culture as a whole. Explosive discoveries, a chameleon-like and ever-expansive personality allowed the musician and performer from London to reinvent himself for five decades, becoming, as declared by a survey by the BBC in 2019, “the greatest entertainer of the XX Century”.
Liu Ye and the Romantic Abandonment of the Portrait
From Jan van Eyck to Antonello da Messina, there are many classical references from which the new exhibition by the Chinese artist Liu Ye - who returns to London after 21 years - takes its cue.
This exhibition will be the first of its kind - a major survey of work by over 100 women artists working in the UK from 1970 to 1990. Through their creative practices, women’s liberation was forged against the backdrop of extreme social, economic and political change.
One of the most distinctive artists working today, El Anatsui is best-known for his cascading metallic sculptures constructed of thousands of recycled bottle-tops and copper wire.