WHAT? Victoria Miro: 40 Years
WHERE? Victoria Miro, 16 Wharf Road, London N1 7RW
WHEN? Now until 1st August. Free to visit.
WHY GO? To celebrate art. Founded in 1985, with galleries in London and more recently in Venice, Victoria Miro, a hugely respected big player in the art world, and rightly so, is celebrating 40 years of showcasing groundbreaking artists, many of which are now famous household names. This eclectic exhibition of paintings and sculptures on show throughout Miro’s vast Islington gallery will delight, tempt and tantalise and endorse the founder’s ethos, ‘to dare, excel and elevate’.
Originally a furniture warehouse, the Islington waterside gallery opened in 2000 and provides one of London’s largest open gallery spaces available for everyone to wander freely, enjoy and discover the best contemporary art exhibitions in a friendly unstuffy atmosphere. With 43 artists currently on the Miro roster, 23 have created new pieces specifically for this anniversary celebration.
There are acclaimed names that have been with the gallery for years, like Grayson Perry and Paula Rego, along with names that have more recently been propelled into the limelight through Miro’s gallery shows, artists like Inka Essenhigh and Flora Yukhnovich. This curated mix of old and new reflects the dazzling diversity of contemporary artists today and the skill of a dedicated gallery team to bring them to appreciative art lovers.

IN THE KNOW Famed Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama has had 14 solo shows with the Miro gallery, the latest in 2024, premiered her new Infinity Mirror Room and garnered global fame. Kusama’s first exhibition with the gallery in 1998 cemented her long association and she is now a beloved fixture with her dazzling epic exhibitions.