While we can’t quite believe we’re entering the final few months of the year, the sheer volume of good UK art exhibitions in October is certainly easing our woes as we move into autumn.
This month, we welcome the arrival of ground-breaking art exhibitions covering everything from portraiture to neon art and textile art. If you’re seeking some culture this October, look no further than Enter Gallery’s monthly round-up of UK art exhibitions. Here are our top recommendations…
Mike Kelley: Ghost and Spirit - Tate Modern
2nd October 2024 – 9th March 2025
Mike Kelley, Ahh…Youth! 1991. © Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts. All Rights Reserved / VAGA at ARS, NY
Kicking off the month in style, we have the first major UK exhibition of American artist, Mike Kelley – Ghost and Spirit. Head to the Tate Modern to step into the elaborate and provocative imaginary world of an artist renowned for his experimental style. This art exhibition spans Kelley’s entire career, from the late 70s to 2012, and features a diverse body of work that incorporates drawing, collage, performance, found objects and video.
A highlight of the exhibition is the ‘craft’ sculptures of textiles and unsettling plush toys that kickstarted Kelley’s career. Across his oeuvre, Kelley took inspiration from philosophy, literature and underground culture to explore how the roles we play in society are entangled with historical fact.
The Imaginary Institution of India: Art 1975 – 1998 – Barbican
5th October 2024 – 5th January 2025
C.K Rajan, Mild Terrors-II, 1991-1996. Courtesy of the artist and Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi
In October, the Barbican presents a landmark group exhibition featuring the work of over 30 Indian artists. The Imaginary Institution of India explores the country’s evolving cultural-political landscape over a period of 23 years, dating from Former Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi’s declaration of a state of emergency in 1975 to the Pokhran nuclear tests in 1998.
Via a range of media, the exhibition captures the essence of life in India during this turbulent period of rapid urbanisation, economic collapse and social upheaval. Artworks created in direct response to the unrest are featured alongside more intimate pieces that explore how life continued in the face of such challenges.
Featuring many works that have never been exhibited in the UK before, this exploration of love, desire, family, religion, caste, community and protest, is not to be missed.
Tracey Emin: I Followed You To The End, - White Cube Bermondsey
On now until 10th November 2024
Image courtesy of White Cube Bermondsey
You have just over a month left to catch Tracey Emin’s latest solo show at White Cube Bermondsey. Emin’s presentation of new paintings and sculptures is inspired by her recent brush with death via life-threatening bowel cancer. The exhibition takes the observer on a powerful and personal emotional journey through love and loss, mortality and rebirth.
The thoughtful exhibition is a showcase of the painted works that have enthralled Emin in recent years. Using a palette of deep red, black, blues and ivory, Emin’s impulsive works communicate the volatility and emotion of contemplating her own mortality and permanent changes to her body.
Francis Bacon Portraits - National Portrait Gallery
10th October 2024 – 19th January 2025
Study for a Self-Portrait, 1979 by Francis Bacon © The Estate of Francis Bacon
This is one we’ve been waiting for all year – Francis Bacon’s Portraits! The National Portrait Gallery is exploring Bacon’s portrait artworks from the 1950s onwards, showcasing how the legendary artist challenged traditional definitions of the genre.
Artworks have been gathered from private and public collections around the world for this remarkable glimpse into Bacon’s life and exquisite talent. Visitors will experience everything from Bacon’s large-scale paintings of his lost lovers, to his early works responding to portraiture by historic artists. The show will of course also feature Bacon’s self-portraits and his famous depictions of Lucian Freud, Isabel Rawsthorne and lovers Peter Lacy and George Dyer.
Chila Kumari Singh Burman – Compton Verney, Warwickshire
26th October - 26th January 2025
Head to Compton Verney to discover Spectacular Diversions – a new exhibition chronicling the artistic evolution of leading contemporary artist, Chila Kumari Singh Burman MBE. This solo exhibition combines new and recent neon sculptures with prints, collages and films from earlier in the artist’s career.
With an impressive career spanning 40-years, this exhibition explores Burman’s Punjabi heritage, feminism and her working-class upbringing in Liverpool.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year – Brighton Museum and Art Gallery
On now until 16th March 2025
The Wildlife Photographer of the Year is one of the most significant exhibitions on any photographer’s calendar, and now you can see the show in all its glory in Brighton.
This incredible exhibit, now in its 59th year, is curated by London’s Natural History Museum. Visitors will enjoy over 100 extraordinary photographs taken around the world by professionals and amateurs alike, alongside personal stories of how these magical moments were captured.
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