London’s museums and galleries are great, sure. But there’s a whole country of great museums and galleries to explore, and there’s no better month to do it than August. London’s art spaces are either shut for the holidays and putting on boring group shows, but art is thriving outside of the capital.
There’s brilliant photography in Essex, hyper-colourful brilliance in Cornwall and playful sculptures in Leeds. Everything you could want, and you don’t have to get on the Central line for any of them.
Eight August art exhibitions around the UK
‘After The End of History: British Working Class Photography 1989-2024’ at Focal Point Gallery, Southend on Sea
The ubiquity, affordability and availability of the camera has made it an essential tool for countless contemporary artists. Here, Focal Point Gallery looks at how working class photographers use cameras to document the reality of everyday life in the UK.
Until Sep 14. More details here.
Beatriz Milhazes: ‘Maresias’ at Tate St Ives
Mixing Brazilian and European modernism with endless other esoteric influences, Milhazes became one of the leading voices in contemporary Brazilian art in the 1980s, and has never stood still since. This show at the Tate in Cornwall celebrates her super-bright, mega-colourful, part-printed approach to painting.
Until Sep 29. More details here.
Hany Armanious: ‘Stone Soup’ at Henry Moore Institute, Leeds
Egyptian-born Australian artist Armanious has brought ultra-playful sculptural shenanigans to Leeds, all toying with ideas of cultural shifts and how you can you understand the world through its materiality.
Until Nov 3. More details here.
Hamid Zenati at Nottingham Contemporary
In a gorgeous blend of North African modernism, Japanese textile design and the set designs of Sonia Delaunay, Algerian-German artist Hamid Zenati’s aesthetic was one filled with colour, inventiveness and experimentation. This show features work from throughout his sixty-year career.
Until Sep 8. More details here.
Ibrahim Mahama: ‘Songs about Roses’ at Fruitmarket, Edinburgh
The Ghanaian artist has had plenty of London shows (including recently shrouding the Barbican in a vast purple cloak) but this is his Scottish debut. The show features large drawings and materials collected from a railway built by the British to move goods around West Africa.
Until Oct 6. More details here.
Igshaan Adams: ‘Weerhoud’ at The Hepworth Wakefield
The fragile, cloud-like, candy floss shapes in South African artist Igshaan Adams’ show at the Hepworth may look tantalisingly touchable, but hands off: this is art about the impact of trauma and lived experiences on the human psyche. Beautiful, but damn serious.
Until Nov 3. More details here.
Jenny Holzer at Attenborough Art Centre, Leicester
The modern master of text-based art comes to Leicester, with this show featuring genre-defining works from throughout her career. The selection of prints, LEDs, benches and canvases here all uncompromisingly tackle the major issues of today, from war to sexism, systems of power and sexual violence.
Until Sep 29. More details here.
RIP Germain at Fact, Liverpool
Fresh from being celebrated as the future of London art by this very publication, RIP Germain’s Fact show is an extension of the ideas from his recent ICA exhibition. Here, Germain’s created a heady, immersive installation delving into ideas of gatekeeping and exclusionary structures.
Until Oct 13. More details here.
Does the idea of leaving London fill you with dread? Well here are the top ten exhibitions you can see without leaving the city.
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