Creativity on every corner adds an inspiring boost to your London visit
South Kensington
If you only had a day in London, South Kensington would be the one destination to get your cultural fix. The trinity of the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum makes this neighbourhood the perfect single stop. And each of these museums offers a superbly curated look at the subjects of natural history, science, and the decorative arts respectively. The Victoria and Albert Museum in particular has become synonymous with housing a rich historical permanent collection alongside cutting-edge large-scale shows such as Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty.
East End cool
If you are keen to explore the more burgeoning art world, London’s East End – primarily the neighbouring areas of Bethnal Green, Shoreditch and Hoxton – is an artistic hub where more experimental shows and exhibitions take place. Bookended by the Hoxton outpost of the contemporary Victoria Miro Gallery and the playful and multi-generational Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood, a cross-cultural world of art and design can be navigated in one extensive exploration of the area. Not to be missed is the Geffrye Museum, where a slice of everyday life is explored through painstaking recreations of typical British living rooms through the ages. Or if you are a fan of street art, graffiti tours are a popular and insightful way to spend a few hours. Or step back in time to the modern era via a trip to the Barbican Centre. Not so much the theme of the exhibitions but the heavily-stamped brutalist look of this cultural centre harks back to a retro style.
Southbank’s cultural hub
London’s Southbank is not just the perfect place for a delightful riverside stroll, it's also a cultural stretch of unique and varying degrees. Start at the former-sugar-factory-turned-world-class-museum the Tate Modern, with a turbine hall gallery so vast, it became the impressive home to astonishing installation works like The Weather Project and Anish Kapoor’s Marsyas. Head west to experience the charm of the OXO Tower – an artisan craft hub meets gallery space – then on to the boundary-pushing prowess of the Hayward Gallery, known for feeding Londoners with the surreal splendour of Yayoi Kusama and insightful depths of Antony Gormley.
You’ll also find the National Theatre, British Film Institute and Southbank Centre, where theatre, music and pop-up exhibitions and experiences – both indoor and outdoor – continue to line the River Thames and make the area a cultural wonderland. Theatre buffs should take a chance and pop into the National Theatre’s Lyttleton Lounge, where exhibitions are staged in line with the current theatrical productions at the theatre. And for those fans of British film and television, the British Film Institute Archives allow access to a state of the art system where hours of the best of British film and television can be viewed for free.
Every kind of gallery
Galleries in London tend to be spread across the vast city and styles are generally reflective of their surroundings. If you’re looking for any and every kind of art gallery, London is the place, but bear in mind that art galleries in London vary so much and can be so specific that you are best to thoroughly research your preferred style before heading out. Or at the very least, be mindful of the surrounding neighbourhoods – Shoreditch and Hoxton are primarily peppered with galleries of a more underground, street-influenced nature, while the galleries of the King’s Road in Chelsea are a string of spaces that cater to a more refined palette.
Whatever your tastes, London serves art up by the plateful. Feast on the variety and flavours that only the uniqueness of this capital city can deliver.
Every kind of gallery
Galleries in London tend to be spread across the vast city and styles are generally reflective of their surroundings. If you’re looking for any and every kind of art gallery, London is the place, but bear in mind that art galleries in London vary so much and can be so specific that you are best to thoroughly research your preferred style before heading out. Or at the very least, be mindful of the surrounding neighbourhoods – Shoreditch and Hoxton are primarily peppered with galleries of a more underground, street-influenced nature, while the galleries of the King’s Road in Chelsea are a string of spaces that cater to a more refined palette.
Whatever your tastes, London serves art up by the plateful. Feast on the variety and flavours that only the uniqueness of this capital city can deliver.
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