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6 exhibitions to see this summer
In need of an art pit stop during the heat? Take a look at our recommendations.
BECAUSE IT'S HOT | Jun 23, 2026
As the summer heat intensifies, exhibitions offer a great opportunity to escape the scorching sun while exploring the rich and varied art London has to offer. London is a year-round hotspot for exciting exhibitions – from industry heavyweights to promising newcomers, there’s something for everyone. To help you out, we’ve rounded up some of our most-anticipated favourites. Here’s six of our must-see exhibitions this summer:
By Rory Fainaru Cover image by Mao Ishikawa
Japanese Women Photographers at The Photographers’ Gallery
27 groundbreaking artists will be spotlit in the Photographer Gallery’s milestone exhibition on Japanese photography by women. Spanning 200+ photographs, videos, installations and prints, the exhibition will highlight female lens-veterans, as well as those who are lesser known. (24 Jun - 27 Sep)
Image by Nagashima Yurie, from Full-figured, yet not full term (2001)
Zayd Menk at Ginny on Frederick
Zayd Menk’s Scar Tissue exhibition at Farringdon’s Ginny on Frederick is among this season’s most intriguing, with sparse details available to the general public. Menk’s work analyses the force of technology within our lives, working between the mediums of sculpture, installation, and more. By all accounts, it’s set to be a major art moment. (26 Jun - 7 Aug)
Rome-Tehran: Parallel Avantgardes at Ab-Anbar
Exploring the artistic exchanges between Italy and Iran between the 1950s and 1970s, this exhibition rejects Eurocentric notions of modernity, instead analysing the interconnections of artistic language between the two nations. Including five Iranian modernist veterans and their contemporaneous Italian counterparts, the exhibition is a must-see. But act quickly! It’s only on until the 12th of July. (4 Jun - 12 July)
Behjat Sadr in front of the Colloseum Courtesy of Behjat Sadr Estate
Image by Martin Parr from The Last Resort (1983 - 1985)
Splash: Sea, Beach and Pool at Atlas Gallery
What’s refreshing, reviving and wet all over? Water! With works from their repertoire of artists, the exhibition chronicles water as a historic artistic motif. Exploring water through photography, geometry, fashion, leisure and more – it’s well suited for the heatwave. Catch it at Marylebone’s Atlas Gallery. (10 Jun - 30 Aug)
M.C. Escher at Somerset House
Dutch optical illusion aficionado Maurits Cornelius Escher did something impossible – he made maths a subject you’d want to learn more about. Described as a world where “maths and art mix together”, the retrospective co-produced by Arthemisia and Fever marks the first time the artist’s work has been showcased in London – and it’s proving to be a major success. Top tip: avoid this one on the weekends! (5 Jun - 6 Sep)
Photo by Stephen Chung
Project a Black Planet The Art and Culture of Panafrica, Installation View, 11 Jun - 6 Sep 2026 © Thomas Adank, Barbican Art Gallery
Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica at the Barbican
Examining the colossal impact Pan-Africanism has brought to art and culture from 1920 onwards, Project a Black Planet is being described as the first of its kind. Showcasing work from artists like Marlene Dumas and Claudette Johnson, this transcontinental exhibition is the centrepiece to the Barbican’s Project a Black Planet season, with a myriad of other events such as film screenings and concerts taking place in the coming weeks. (11 Jun - 6 Sep)