In the bustling city of London, there is always something going on and it is easy to have serious FOMO (fear of missing out) about it. So, if you are trying to figure out what new year’s resolutions you can actually keep, why not try to soak up more of London’s immense and awe-inspiring exhibitions and cultural events? If you are already a history and art buff then we have collated a number of exhibitions that will be running in 2019 for you to peruse at your own leisure and if you are not, then we are about to introduce you to some truly beautiful exhibitions you might want to check out as a lunchtime quickie or during your chilled out Sunday afternoons.
Proclaimed as the first UK exhibition to explore the relationship between fashion and nature, this exhibition running at the Victorian marvel that is the V&A will be running until Sunday 27thJanuary 2019. The exhibition sees taxidermy and natural specimens stand alongside fabrics and clothes from the 1600’s until the present day- highlighting the inspiration of nature on the fashion world and the natural processes involved in their making. From the classic wool jumper to botanical embroidery, this exhibition is not only aesthetically pleasing but seeks to tackle the complex relationship between fashion and the natural world in a bid to create a more sustainable future within the industry.
As well as this innovative look at the world of fashion, the V&A hosts a vast array of human creativity to be explored and makes for an inspiring afternoon. Why not also visit their National Art Library- it’s free to join and there is an elaborate catalogue of art & design waiting to be perused.
Klimt / Schiele: Drawings from the Albertina Museum, Vienna
Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele shocked Europe with their modern style and depictions of society. Although Schiele was almost three decades Klimt’s junior, the two had a mutual appreciation and friendship. Both men received backlash for following their artistic visions and their provocative drawings brought sex and martyrdom together, revealing the intimacies and sensuality of human existence and experience. This rare exhibition on at the Royal Academy of Arts until the 3rd February 2019 brings together some of the 20thcenturies most important works on paper. This is a captivating and beautiful exhibition that follows the friendship between Klimt and Schiele- try not to miss it!
The Museum of London celebrates the centenary of the 1918 parliamentary act that gave some women the right to vote for the first time. The history of the suffragettes reveals the powerful and unconventional acts of these rebel women who campaigned tirelessly to change both social and political opinions about womanhood and what it means to be feminine. Their exhibition will be running until the 10th March 2019, alongside a packed calendar of workshops and discussions. The exhibition includes archive photographs and film of Suffragette protests and follows the experiences of those imprisoned, who endured hunger strikes and the effects of the Cat and Mouse Act upon their militant stance against misogyny and oppression. This exhibition gives a detailed overview of suffrage in the 19thcentury and you will go away wanting to follow the stories of these women who fought so hard to begin what we continue to strive towards today.
Swinging London: A Lifestyle Revolution
From the 8thof February until the 2ndof June 2019, the Fashion and Textile Museum will be transporting us through time (1952 to 1977 to be specific) to explore the transformative nature of fashion, textiles, homewares and furniture which includes pieces from avant-garde artists and the Chelsea Set- a group of young artists, designers, photographers such as the beloved Mary Quant and Terence Conran. This exhibition highlights the radical nature of youth and how it was able to change the status quo of urban fashion during the 1950s up to the present day. Get your PVC mini skirt ready to take a trip through the streets of London’s fashion history!
