It's the world's leading museum of art, design and performance, so it's no wonder you want to find out what's on at the V&A in 2024.
The exhibitions at the V&A museum in South Kensington are always blockbuster, and the institution offers some of the most eclectic range of subjects under one roof in the whole of London.
While this year sees a somewhat slimmed-down exhibition programme compared to recent times — only three big ticketed shows open each year now — there’s still a varied choice of topics, from architecture to photography. And this year sees quite a lot of celebrity sparkle thrown in too.
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So here's what's on right at the V&A South Kensington right now.
— now open until 5 January 2025
Not only is this the V&A’s largest temporary exhibition of photography ever held to date, it also has some superstar sparkle thrown in, as all of the works on show belong to Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish.
There’s 300 rare prints from a mammoth 140 photographers on show, and they are all on loan from the couple’s private collection. It brings together an unrivalled selection of the world’s leading photographers to tell the story of photography in the modern era.
Works by icons of the medium including Robert Mapplethorpe, Cindy Sherman, William Eggleston, Diane Arbus, Sally Mann, Zanele Muholi, Ai Weiwei, Carrie Mae Weems and many, many more will be seen, as well as portraits of other stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Miles Davis, and Chet Baker.
It plays out across eight thematic sections at the London museum, including 'fashion', 'reportage', 'celebrity', 'the male body', and 'American photography'.
It's already proving popular with visitors, despite the exhibition reviews from critics being mixed.
— now open until 6 April 2025
This big Naomi Campbell exhibition examines the whole 40 year career of the world’s most famous supermodel, starting from the very beginning when she was scouted in Covent Garden aged just 15.
The museum says that this display of Campbell’s story is “revelatory” and “[celebrates] her career.” The hotly-anticipated fashion exhibition has been created in collaboration with Campbell herself and it provides a whole host of show-stopping clothes.
One highlight is the pair of staggeringly high Vivienne Westwood platform shoes worn by Campbell in 1993 when she suffered a tumble on the catwalk, a moment that went on to be one of fashion's biggest bloopers. Other highlights include a dramatic 1989 Thierry Mugler car-inspired corset, Campbell’s silver bugle-beaded gown from Sarah Burton’s very final Alexander McQueen catwalk show at Paris Fashion week in 2023
In total visitors get over 100 ‘looks’ that Campbell has modeled over four decades, including designs by Alexander McQueen, Azzedine Alaïa, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Gianni and Donatella Versace, Jean Paul Gaultier, John Galliano, Karl Lagerfeld, Kenneth Ize, Valentino, Virgil Abloh, Vivienne Westwood, Yves Saint Laurent and many others.
The Great Mughals: Art, Architecture and Opulence
— Opens 9 November 2024
The monumental artistic achievements of the ‘Golden Age’ of the Mughal court are spotlighted in this landmark exhibition.
The exhibition celebrates the extraordinary creative output and internationalist culture of Mughal Hindustan during the age of its greatest emperors, from around 1560 until 1660. It shines a light on one of the wealthiest courts in the world, it tells the story of an immense early modern empire that is largely untold within the UK.
Across three sections, the show spans the reigns of Emperors Akbar (r.1556-1605) Jahangir (r.1605-1627) and Shah Jahan (r.1628-1658), with a particular focus on the craftsmanship, arts and creative outputs of the courts.
Over 200 objects are on display, including rarely shown paintings, illustrated manuscripts, brilliantly coloured carpets, and delicate textiles, as well as architectural pieces and vessels made of mother of pearl, rock crystal and jade, and precious metals. The Great Mughals shows both famous and little-seen objects from the V&A's own collection, as well as loans from museums across the world.
Highlights for visitors to look forward to include four rare folios from the colourfully illustrated volumes of the Hamza Nama, or 'Book of Hamza', commissioned by Akbar in 1570, on loan from the Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna, and the ‘Ames Carpet’ (c. 1590–1600), a woven carpet from the imperial workshops, on loan from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and on display in the UK for the first time.