By Marilena Kagkaraki,
Tate Modern Museum
It is London’s most recognised modern and contemporary art museum. It dates back to 1897, when it first opened its doors. The museum was firstly funded by Henry Tate in 1889 and hosted a small collection of British artworks. Nowadays, it is one of the biggest museums people visit in London, spread out to four sites. It is located beside Shakespeare’s Globe theater, opposite the famous St. Paul’s Cathedral and the millenium bridge and very close to the city of London. The access is very easy via the London underground from which ever place you are in London. It now hosts a very big international modern artwork collection and multiple exhibitions. The entrance is free except for some specific exhibitions, such as the upcoming one of Bruce Nauman, but even then, prices are generally affordable. So, do look into that information before your visit. Definitely a London cultural experience you do not want to miss out on.
Tate Britain Museum
Part of the Τate cultural centres mentioned above, Tate Britain offers a totally unique British art experience and with a free entrance. It is located near the Parliament of the United Kingdom and the underground station “Pimlico”. This museum offers the biggest collection of British art, that date from the 1500s until today. New exhibitions are always the case, such as the ones going on now called ”British art 1540-1930’’ and ’’British art 1930-now’’. They also host online events that you may like to keep an eye for, such as’’Late at Tate Britain’’.
The National Gallery
Founded in 1824, the National Gallery is a very famous art centre that people visit, when in London, so it had to be on this list. It is one of the main buildings that get your attention, in Trafalgar square, one of the main squares in central London. The gallery hosts all sorts of exhibitions and events, depending on the season and the work that the artists display. Right now, the main exhibitions are “Sin’’, “Titian’’, “Artemisia’’ and “Take One Picture’’. Depending on what everyone’s art style is, there are always exhibitions and events in the gallery going on for you to check out.
Royal Academy of Arts
The Academy dates back to 1768 and is located next to St. James park and close to the “Green Park” underground station, in Burlington House. The exhibitions, events and debates that take place there, are focused on the promotion and appreciation of visual arts. The main exhibitions now are “Winter exhibition 2020’’ and “Tracey Emin/Edvard Munch’’. This suggestion is for people, who want to have a unique experience with visual arts.
London is one of the places that offers experiences for all kinds of interests and passions. If you love art, it has a scene like no other and the above suggestions are only a part of what London has to offer in a mostly cost-free or inexpensive context. During these different and unprecedented times, here is a reminder -for everyone who cannot visit- that all of these art galleries and centres have online events that could be a getaway during the lockdown. On this note, soon enough, arts and the things we love will come back to our lives, but we should not miss out on art, even now. Seize the opportunities offered above and make the most of this time!
References
- Tate Modern and Britain: https://www.tate.org.uk
- The national gallery: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk
- Royal academy of Arts: https://www.royalacademy.org.uk
