Exhibitions in London: From Frida Kahlo to Michael Jackson, the best art and museum shows to see this summer

The weather is glorious, but London’s galleries have plenty to offer this summer to tempt you back inside.

Whether you’re an art aficionado or simply curious, there’s something to satisfy all tastes. From feminist icons to pop legends, this year’s summer blockbuster season is bound to get you booking your tickets.

Here’s our guide to what not to miss this summer.

Frida Kahlo: Making Her Self Up

The capital will be gripped by Frida fever this summer, with this blockbuster exhibition at the V&A finally opening next month. The exhibition, which will explore how the artist and feminist icon constructed her identity, has been one of the most anticipated of the year and for good reason: it’s the first time her belongings have been exhibited outside of Mexico.

June 16 - November 4, Victoria & Albert Museum; vam.ac.uk

RA Summer Exhibition

The Royal Academy celebrates its 250th birthday this year, and it’s doing so in style. Last week, the gallery unveiled a £56 million transformation that has given it oodles more space for art, and next month the annual Summer Exhibition returns, this time curated by Grayson Perry. Not only is the show a great chance to see what’s happening in the world of contemporary art right now, but all sales of the works on show go towards funding the RA’s art schools. It’s a much-loved art world tradition, and an accompanying exhibition entitled The Great Spectacle will tell the story of Summer Exhibitions gone by since it began in 1769.

June 12 - August 19, Royal Academy; royalacademy.org.uk

Aftermath: Art in the Wake of World War One

War… what is it good for? Absolutely nothing, as we all know - but this exhibition sets out to show how the impact it had on the world of art. It’s one of the ways Tate Britain is marking 100 years since the end of World War One, and it will feature work from Winifred Knights to Pablo Picasso created during one of the most turbulent times in recent history.

June 5 - September 23, Tate Britain; tate.org.uk

Michael Jackson: On The Wall

The Man in the Mirror becomes the man in the canvas, with a major National Portrait Gallery exhibition dedicated to pop icon Michael Jackson in the year that would have been his 60th birthday. The gallery’s director Dr Nicholas Cullinan will curate the show, which will feature work of over 40 artists, some created especially for the show.

June 28 - October 21, National Portrait Gallery; npg.org.uk

Dorothea Lange / Vanessa Winship

The Barbican’s Another Kind of Life exhibition showed photography’s unique power as a medium for storytelling and political change - and this brilliant double bill looks set to do the same. American documentary photographer Dorothea Lange , who took some of the most iconic images of the Great Depression, is paired with contemporary photographer Vanessa Winship. It’s all part of the Art of Change season, which highlights how artists can help create change in the world/

June 22 - September 2, Barbican Centre; barbican.org.uk

Thomas Cole: From Eden to Empire

It’s not often you hear that a man from Bolton went on to become the greatest American landscape artist of his generation, but 19th century artist Thomas Cole did. A new exhibition at the National Gallery will show his rarely seen works alongside Turner, Constable and other artists that inspired him.

June 11 - October 7, National Gallery; nationalgallery.org.uk

BP Portrait Award

The BP Portrait Award is one of the most sought-after prizes in the art world, and it also produces breathtaking exhibitions. Now in its 39th year, it’s your chance to see portraits that make your eyes pop as you wonder ‘how is that not a photograph?’

June 14 - September 23, National Portrait Gallery; npg.org.u

The London Open

How does it feel to live in a global city now? Let a group of 22 artists try and convey that for you. The Whitechapel’s triennial open submission exhibition features everything from painting to sculpture. One to recommend to your landlord?

June 8 - August 26, Whitechapel Gallery; whitechapelgallery.org

The Art of Campari

The Estorick Collection will be raising a glass to Campari with a new exhibition that celebrates the design and branding of the classic Italian aperitivo. Advertising, packaging and campaign designs will be on show alongside bottles, glasses and crates.

July 4 - September 16, Estorick Collection; estorickcollection.com

Lee Bul

London gets its first major survey of the work of acclaimed artist Lee Bul, thanks to the recently reopened Hayward Gallery. Expect large-scale immersive installations that draw on science fiction whilst exploring intimacy, gender and technology.

May 30 - August 19, Hayward Gallery; southbankcentre.co.uk

Howard Hodgkin: Last Paintings

Howard Hodgkin died last year at the age of 84, having made a profound impact on the world of British contemporary art. Gagosian hold the lofty honour of presenting an exhibition of his final paintings, some of which have never been seen before.

June 1 - July 28, Gagosian; gagosian.com

Tomma Abts

German artist Tomma Abts won the Turner Prize in 2006, but this Serpentine show will be her first solo exhibition in a UK public institution. Her oil paintings have a Bridget Riley-esque hypnotic quality - the perfect show for breaking up a summertime stroll through Kensington Gardens.

June 7 - September 9, Serpentine Gallery; serpentinegalleries.or

Richard Wallace: The Collector

Art lovers, rejoice - another new space is opening at one of the capital’s favourite gallery spaces. The Wallace Collection will open a £1.2 million new exhibition space with a show that celebrates the work of the museum’s founder Sir Richard Wallace. He died in 1890, but not before amassing a major collection that made a huge contribution to the culture of the country.

June 20 - Jan 6, 2019, The Wallace Collection; wallacecollection.or

Julie Becker: I Must create a Master Piece to pay the Rent​

Interdisciplinary artist Julie Becker died in 2016 aged just 44; the ICA will hold the first major survey of her work. Taking in the places where we live through to the stories we tell in late-capitalism, her work takes the form of installations, sculptures, drawings, photographs and videos.

June 8 - August 12, ICA; ica.art