London is known for a number of things, and sometimes your location can heavily influence what you choose to do. For instance, those staying in Shaftesbury Suites London Marble Arch may be drawn to a stroll around Hyde Park or a shopping mosey up Oxford Street, while those at Park Grand Kensington Hotel may be drawn towards Exhibition Road and the number of wonderful museums on it. If you fall into the latter category, this is for you: a definitive guide to the best exhibitions taking place in London this April.
Serpentine Gallery: Cao Fei: Blueprints
A mere totter into Hyde Park from Grand Royale London Hyde Park after a hearty breakfast at the hotel restaurant to keep you fuelled for your day of adventure, and you find yourself at this Royal Park’s most pristine art gallery. This April, you can catch the Cao Fei: Blueprints exhibition, which runs all the way through the month of April from 4 March 2020 to 17 May 2020. Admission is free, giving you no excuse not to enjoy the works of this wonderful multimedia artist from Beijing, Cao Fei. Video, digital media, photography and objects combine to give you a peak into this artist’s understanding of the world we live in.
Address: Serpentine Gallery, Kensington Gardens, London W2 3XA
National Gallery: Titian: Love, Desire, Death
Those making the most of Central London Hotel Deals may be inclined to head to a more centrally located museum, such as Trafalgar Square’s National Gallery. From 16 March 2020 until 14 June 2020, thus throughout the month of April, you can enjoy Titian: Love, Desire, Death – and trust us when we assure you that Titian, the iconic Italian painter during the Renaissance, and his interpretation of classical myths of love, temptation, and punishment are absolutely astonishing. It is a free event for members, so if a membership is something you have been considering, this ought to act as suitable motivation to go ahead and do it. Alternatively, tickets cost £10 on weekdays and £12 at the weekends – though it is £2 less on both accounts if you book online. Get on it, then!
Address: Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross, London WC2N 5DN
V&A Museum: Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk
If you thought you would get through a list of exhibition recommendations without a suggestion of one taking place at South Kensington’s V&A Museum, you must be a bit sheltered from the exhibition world – it is a pillar of museum-experience. Opening 29 February 2020 and continuing through April until midway through June, Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk is on, bringing to life the cultural depth and dynamism of the kimono, an ever-evolving pillar of fashion not only in Japan but internationally… not only in the 1600’s, but also the modern day. This is a sweeping, all-encompassing and mesmerizingly enriching event set to keep people flocking to the V&A until well into the summer.
Address: Cromwell Rd, Knightsbridge, London SW7 2RL
The Natural History Museum: The Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Another smash-hit of Exhibition Road and the trio-of-museums that fill said road (though not 100% geographically, but in theory) is the Science Museum and The Natural History Museum, the latter of which has a cracker of an event lined up during the month of April – on top of all the already wonderful, permanent exhibitions, that is. The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition is an annual landmark of The Natural History Museum, and is on until 31 May, meaning April is a prime month to be visiting before everyone who realises what a success it is tries to cram it into the last month. See nature at its most beautiful and most intense: see some of the world’s most talented photographers’ work gathered in just one room.
Address: Cromwell Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 5BD
The British Museum: Tantra: Enlightenment to Revolution
Unlike a number of the exhibitions included in this list whose exhibitions run the whole way through April, this is a particularly April-friendly option as it only opens its doors nearing the end of the month. This means if you are visiting London after having been over the months previously and visiting other exhibitions, this is 100% new material for you. Understand and explore with greatly researched insight the religious, cultural and political landscape of India, including the Indian fight for independence and the rise of 1960s counterculture. All in all, a riveting look into Britain’s history in relation to the rest of the world and its colonies.
Address: Great Russell St, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 3DG
Design Museum: Electronic: From Kraftwerk to The Chemical Brothers
Though starting on 1 April, Electronic: From Kraftwerk to The Chemical Brothers is no April Fool’s prank but rather one of the most buzzing, hotly anticipated exhibitions in the city. It is all about appreciating sound, and the way in which electronic music has helped shape the world we live in today. There is an option to view the exhibition in late-night Friday and Saturday sessions, so you really get the whole ambience and experience.
Address: 224-238 Kensington High St, Kensington, London W8 6AG
So, museum-musings are in full swing this April – be sure to get your tickets and get there early to make the absolute most of it. The best part about these exhibitions is that although most of them have a costed ticket price, they are set within museums that have a wealth of other free exhibitions to explore and items to view once you finish. In other words, this is by no means a one-time-use ticket and you would have to have a lot of will-power not to explore the rest of the lovely museums in which they are situated once you have finished touring these April ones.
