AGENDA

GAGOSIAN GROSVENOR HILL Until 18 September

Abstract expressionist Helen Frankenthaler – pictured here in her New York studio – played a pivotal role in postwar American painting, enjoying a six-decade career from the 1950s until her death in 2011. Imagining Landscapes brings together 13 of her seminal paintings, all of which reference landscape and are remarkable in their variety of colour and line. gagosian.com

By HARRIET COOPE R

Jan Matejko, The Astronomer Copernicus. Conversations with God , 1873. Photo by Grzegorz Zygier Jan Matejko

A rare opportunity to see the Polish masterpiece Astronomer Copernicus, which is on loan from one of Europe’s oldest universities, Jagiellonian University in Kraków. The enormous painting is by the 19th century artist Jan Matejko – widely regarded as the national painter of Poland – and depicts fellow countryman, mathematician and astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, known for his theory, published in 1543, that the sun is the centre of the solar system. nationalgallery.org.uk

ROYAL OPERA HOUSE 15 September – 7 October

Mozart’s The Magic Flute – a fantastical tale that weaves together romance and comedy, darkness and light – has been captivating audiences since 1791. Director David McVicar’s spectacular take on the timeless classic is no different, returning for its tenth revival at the Royal Opera House. As the main stage comes alive with dancing animals, flying machines and starry skies, expect to be enchanted and enraptured in equal measure. roh.org.uk

THE PHOTOGRAPHERS GALLERY Until 1 February 2022

The Photographers’ Gallery is marking its 50th anniversary with a four-part exhibition – curated by academic and broadcaster David Brittain – exploring both key moments in the Gallery’s history and the landscape of photography. The first installment Photojournalism: a worthy art for a new gallery, which runs until 8 August, celebrates the inaugural years, with the three subsequent displays looking at commercial photography, artistic developments, and the links between technological and aesthetic innovation. thephotographersgallery.org.uk

Norman Hartnell for Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother © Historic Royal Palaces Susi Korihana thëri swimming , Catrimani, 1972-1974. Infrared �ilm

KENSINGTON PALACE Until 2 January 2022

A riveting exploration into the relationship between fashion designer and royal client, offering a peek into the illustrious world of ateliers and how they helped shape the public image of the British monarchy. Stars of the show include Diana, Princess of Wales’s wedding dress and an 18th centurystyle gown designed by Oliver Messel for Princess Margaret, which are displayed alongside unseen photographs, fabric swatches and original sketches by Sir Norman Hartnell and Bellville Sassoon. hrp.org.uk

Davi Kopenawa at the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris, 2020

BARBICAN ART GALLERY Until 29 August Since the 1970s, Sao Paulo-based photographer and activist Claudia Andujar has tirelessly defended the rights and documented the lives of the Yanomami, one of Brazil’s largest indigineous peoples. This exhibition, which brings together over 200 of Andajur’s photographs as well as drawings by Yanomami, not only highlights her commitment to both art and activism, but also serves as a very timely reminder of the climate emergency that aff ects the Amazon rainforest and its inhabitants. barbican.org.uk

Fashion sketch of Diana, Princess of Wales’s caring dress by David Sasson. Dress designed by Bellville Sassoon, 1988. © Historic Royal Palaces – Bellville Sassoon

18th-century style gown worn by Princess Margaret. Royal Collection Trust © 2nd Earl of Snowdon and Lady Sarah Chatto Aracá, Amazonas / Surucucus, From the Marked series, Roraima State, Brazil, 1983

Clockwise from top left: Royal bust, about 439-57 © The Sarikhani Collection; Sirak Melkonian, Veiled Veiled Woman, 1957. © Victoria 1957. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Horoscope of Iskandar Sultan, 1411 © Wellcome Collection; Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Untitled, Untitled, 1974 © Estate of Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian; Shirin Aliabadi, Miss Hybrid Miss Hybrid #3, 2008. Photograph © Estate of Shirin Aliabadi.

VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM Until 12 September

It’s been 90 years since the UK last saw an exhibition exploring Iranian art, design and culture from 3000 BC to the present day. This long overdue show delves into the V&A’s extensive archive, alongside major loans, to explore an ancient civilisation and its journey across the millenia into the 21st century. Visitors are transported to an Iranian city, where they’ll be able to view ancient artefacts through to modern and contemporary pieces. vam.ac.uk

TATE MODERN Until 17 October

One of the most innovative of the 20th century avant-garde movement, Sophie Taeuber-Arp was forever challenging boundaries. The interdisciplinary Swiss artist was an accomplished painter, architect, teacher, writer and designer, and this exhibition – the first to trace Taeuber-Arp’s career trajectory – collates more than 200 pieces to help us truly understand what a trailblazer she was. tate.org.uk

Mechanical tree prototype for direct capture of carbon dioxide from the air, designed and built by Klaus Lackner’s team at the Centre for Negative Carbon Emissions, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA, 2017 © Science Museum Group

SCIENCE MUSEUM Until 4 September 2022

In the run-up to the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in November, this exhibition takes visitors on a thought-provoking journey to look at the cutting-edge technologies and nature-based solutions developed by scientists in the race to remove excess carbon dioxide from the earth’s atmosphere, whether that be preserving ancient woodlands or installing systems that prevent CO2 from leaving power stations and factories in the first place. sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk

ROYAL ACADEMY Until 19 September

Working between Nairobi and London, Kenyan-born artist Michael Armitage’s dreamlike works – which he paints on Lubugo barkcloth made in Uganda – explore East African politics, culture and society, both past and present. This show brings together 15 of his large-scale paintings, displayed alongside 31 further works by six contemporary artists, chosen by Armitage not just for their impact on his own work but for their role in shaping figurative painting in Kenya. royalacademy.org.uk

Clockwise from top left: Michael Armitage, The Paradise Edict , 2019; Sane Wadu, My life , 1980-1990; Meek Gichugu, Untitled (Brother Wise Hooking Wisdom & Freedom) , c.1992; The Chicken Thief, 2019; Elimo Njau, Dream Landscape , 1968; Asaph Ng’ethe Macua, When the Men Took Power From Women, Undated

Dodge 2021 Birds Eye Scene © Yinka Ilori

SOMERSET HOUSE Until 22 August

Somerset House’s 18th century courtyard has been transformed into a joyful spectacle of colour, sound and energy by the artist and designer Yinka Ilori. Ride the rainbow-hued dodgems, where every thump and bump triggers explosive new material from Mercury Prize shortlisted musician Anna Meredith and Baftawinning sound artist Nick Ryan. An open-air immersive art installation by Ilori and a food pop-up helmed by chef Jimmy Garcia complete the kaleidoscopic, futuristic fun. somersethouse.org.uk

Ayo Akingbade, Fire in My Belly, 2021

WHITECHAPEL GALLERY Until 15 August The artist and filmmaker Ayo Akingbade presents A Glittering City, two films which delve into the ideas of place and belonging, public space and gentrification. Akingbade’s documentary Fire In My Belly (2021) marks the culmination of a six-month collaboration with Whitechapel Gallery's youth collective Duchamp & Sons, and deep dives into the issue of ‘community’. While Dear Babylon (2019) is a film essay that follows art students as they investigate the future of social housing. whitechapelgallery.org

Ayo Akingbade, Dear Babylon, 2019

From left to right: Gerhard Richter 15.11.2017; Gerhard Richter 24. Juli 2020; Gerhard Richter 22. Juli 2020

HAYWARD GALLERY 9 September – 12 December

Although German contemporary artist Gerhard Richter is best known for his realistic and abstract paintings, over the course of his six-decade career his oeuvre has included other mediums, not least his drawings. This show brings together more than 60 works on paper from 1999 onwards, including a new series created at the end of last year and the beginning of 2021, as well as rarely-seen works created using coloured inks. southbankcentre.co.uk

1754, Dulwich Picture Gallery; Nicolas Poussin, The Return of the Holy Family from Egypt , c.1628-38, Dulwich Picture Gallery; Willem van de Velde the younger, A Brisk Breeze , c.1665, Dulwich Picture Gallery

DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY Until 22 August

This latest display from the Gallery delves into the nature of migration from the 17th century to the present day, by looking at the contemporary relevance of paintings by artists including Poussin, Canaletto, Pynacker and van de Velde. The exhibition has been co-curated by a group of Community Curators, who have tapped into their own personal stories and experiences of migration, spanning eight countries including Yemen, Sri Lanka, Italy, Pakistan and Ireland. dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk

SOMERSET HOUSE Until 19 September Anyone who knows their kickflip from their goofyfoot (and indeed those who don’t) will enjoy this dynamic exhibition which celebrates the country’s skateboarding scene. Divided into three themes – the city as a playground, skateboard culture and skate communities – the show brings together film, art, fashion, design and photography, all of which help us understand the subculture’s ethos and its enduring credibility. somersethouse.org.uk