On the peaks of the Andes or in the scorching desert heat, from as early as 2500 b.C., the populations of Perù gave life to blossoming civilisations, until the arrival of Europeans in the XVI Century. In occasion of the bicentennial of Peruvian independence, the British Museum celebrates the South American’s millennial culture with a grand exhibition. From the first indigenous people to the refined Incas, discover how the civilisations of the past developed in symbiosis with some of the most inhospitable environs of the planet, shaping remarkable living landscapes. The weather, agriculture, economy and systems of government are just some of the spheres in which Perù has expressed the uniqueness of its culture. This exhibition at the London museum offers a detailed analysis in an itinerary that moves from history to religion, highlighting the cultural conquests that, one by one, transformed the lives of the local population. Helping narrate are archeological finds chosen from the collection of the British Museum or brought in from Perù for the occasion. On display, ceramics, textiles, ritual accessories, jewellery and objects hewn from precious metals, but also photos and videos from iconic sites like Nazca and Machu Picchu, still-vivid witnesses to the splendour of Andean culture.
Caravaggio's famous painting arrives in the UK for the first time at the Wallace Collection in London, in dialogue with ancient sculptures from the Giustiniani collection. This exhibition intertwines sensuality and power, light and matter, rediscovering the challenge between painting and sculpture in 17th-century Rome.
At the Royal Academy, A Story of South Asian Art explores Mrinalini Mukherjee’s work and her creative circle, including her mentors and colleagues. Through her textile sculptures and site-specific connections, the exhibition redefines contemporary sculpture with roots in South Asian Modernism.
The exhibition retraces the encounter between the Hawaiian Kingdom and Great Britain through journeys, symbols, and memories. Feather cloaks, sacred sculptures, and contemporary works come together to restore the voice of a people who crossed both the Pacific and history.
Wayne Thiebaud: The Sweet Melancholy of Everyday Life
The Courtauld Gallery presents the first major UK exhibition of Wayne Thiebaud. Through paintings and prints from the 1960s, ice creams, cakes and pinball machines become an epic yet melancholic portrait of American consumer culture.