The exhibitions you must see this October
October is going to be a big month for exhibition openings — here are ten you won't want to miss.
October is here and we love the cosiness of this season. The leaves are turning golden, the air is getting crisper, and the world starts to slow down a little bit. It is also a great time to visit museums and galleries as lots of incredible exhibitions open at this time of year. We've highlighted ten that you won't want to miss.
Looking for somewhere to take the kids? Or perhaps you fancy engaging in some childhood nostalgia? Check out Young V&A's inaugural exhibition, Japan: Myths to Manga, exploring the country's rich culture and technologies which have been informed by its landscape and folklore.
Contemporary art lover? Immerse yourself in a dreamy seaside-inspired installation devised by Mark Leckey at Turner Contemporary, featuring some of the most innovative musicians and artists working today.
And don't forget to pack your National Art Pass, getting you free or reduced-price entry and special discounts at lots of these venues.
Discover the best exhibitions to visit this October with a National Art Pass
Sarah Lucas: Happy Gas
Meditate on what it means to be human in this blockbuster exhibition examining the life and work of Sarah Lucas and find out why the artist is so drawn to tits, tights and tabs.
David Hockney: Love Life
Marvel at the power of observation and artistic finesse in one of the most popular artists of our time, David Hockney. Discover his rarely-seen early drawings, revealing both the intimate and ordinary aspects of life.
Japan: Myths to Manga
In Young V&A inaugural exhibition, travel through Japanese history on an exciting and atmospheric trip to explore how Japan's landscape and mythologies have influenced its culture, technology and design.
Philip Guston
Witness one of the 20th century’s most iconic painters capturing a world in turmoil by bridging the personal and the political. In the first major retrospective in the UK in over 20 years, discover how Philip Guston documented the seismic social and political changes taking place around him.
In The Offing
Immerse yourself in this contemporary art exhibition, devised by Mark Leckey, featuring a selection of artists and musicians. Inspired by the nearby amusement park Dreamland, it will combine film, sound and light to create an mesmerising environment to explore themes of the horizon, the seaside, the past and the future.
Turner Prize 2023
Discover the incredible work of the nominees of this year's Turner Prize, one of the biggest contemporary art prizes in the world. This year's cohort are Jesse Darling, Ghislaine Leung, Rory Pilgrim and Barbara Walker.
Ridykeulous (Nicole Eisenman & A.L. Steiner, with Sam Roeck): Ridykes’ Cavern of Fine Inverted Wines and Deviant Videos
Experience a bold and spirited exhibition of over 30 queer and feminist artists at Nottingham Contemporary. Curated by Nicole Eisenman & A.L. Steiner, with Sam Roeck AKA Ridykeulous, the exhibition critiques the art world and heteropatriarchal culture at large through humour, subversion, and queer fabulosity.
Artes Mundi 10
In this year's 20-year anniversary edition of the Artes Mundi prize, seven international artists are exhibited at museums and galleries across Wales, including National Museum Cardiff, Mostyn, Glynn Vivian Art Gallery and Chapter.
Hollow Earth: Art, Caves and the Subterranean Imaginary
Venture deep underground in this major exhibition, exploring the image and idea of the cave. Major works by renowned artists such as Sir Joseph Wright of Derby, René Magritte and Henry Moore are displayed alongside contemporary artists and special commissions to examine our changing perception of subterranean spaces.
Dutch Flowers
Ten floral masterpieces from the National Gallery, including works by Bosschaert, Ruysch, and van Huysum, go on display in this exhibition dedicated to the Dutch obsession with capturing flowers in still lifes during the 17th and 18th centuries.
The more you see, the more we do.
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