Archives: Exhibitions

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Chelsea Arts Festival is a new festival, celebrating modern storytelling in London, and showcases Chelsea’s rich literary heritage, spotlighting its place in the capital’s vibrant cultural landscape. The programme is extensive, and will take place across Chelsea’s key artistic institutions: Saatchi Gallery, Cadogan Hall and Royal Court Theatre.

Partnering with Cadogan, the festival’s main programme will encompass all arts disciplines, from music, theatre, dance and film to podcasting, literature and the visual arts; and will feature both the brightest names and emerging talent from page, stage and screen. Elsewhere, Chelsea’s streets will come alive with free outdoor performances across King’s Road, Duke of York Square, Sloane Street and Sloane Square.

Friday 19^th September

12.45pm-1.45pm – A Creative Renaissance?: AI & the Future of Imagination with Tigris Li & Omar Karim

Join us for a thought-provoking exploration of creativity in the age of AI with two leading voices at the forefront of this revolutionary intersection – Suhair Khan and Omar Karim.

Suhair Khan is a technology entrepreneur and creative leader. She is the founder of open-ended , a platform and incubator for creative technologists working with artificial intelligence. Her work centers on impact-driven work at the intersection of design, culture and future-facing technology. In over a decade at Google and Google Arts & Culture, Suhair led initiatives which merged cutting-edge technologies with arts, design, culture, education and environmental sustainability.

Omar Karim is an AI Filmmaker and Creative Director with more than 14 years’ expertise spanning advertising and technology sectors, including positions at RGA, Meta, and Fallon London alongside other leading agencies and emerging businesses. Recognised for his pioneering storytelling methods, he has collaborated with premium brands including Nike, Beats By Dre, Burberry and Prada.

Don’t miss this essential conversation about the future of creativity in the age of AI, guided by two experts who understand both the promise and complexity of this technological revolution.

2.45pm-3.45pm – Forbes Family Group in Conversation with Sheila Nortley

Join us for a powerful and personal conversation with executive producer Sheila Nortley’s whose work includes acclaimed projects such as Netflix’s Stay Close and the BAFTA-nominated Supacell.  Hosted by Davina Forbes-Williamson, co-CEO of Forbes Family Group, this session will spotlight Nortley’s journey as a writer and producer. From the early spark of an idea to bringing stories to screen, Sheila will share her perspective on representation, navigating the UK industry, and the realities of creative collaboration across producers, writers, directors, cast and crew.

This promises to be an honest and inspiring discussion for anyone passionate about storytelling, inclusion, and the power of film and television to shift culture. 

4.30pm-5.30pm – Lucas Jones: Poet & Actor 

Poet and actor Lucas Jones comes to the Saatchi Gallery to perform a selection of poems accompanied by string arrangements, followed by an on-stage Q&A where audiences can engage directly with one of the most exciting voices in modern poetry.

Famous for his beautiful poetry readings on social media and viral poetry books Sorry I was Miles Away (2023) and The Camera Loves You, Baby (March 2025). He has organically built up his following on Instagram of nearly 500K followers with over 50 million social media views. 

6.15pm-7.30pm – BookBar Presents…

Join Chelsea’s newest independent bookshop, wine bar, events and social space BookBar, in conversation with some of this year’s most exciting authors for an evening at Saatchi Gallery. The full lineup of brilliant authors will be announced shortly.

Saturday 20^th September

10.30-11.30am – Calculating the Arts Dividend: Why Culture Matters with Darren Henley & Samira Ahmed

Join this compelling conversation about the transformative power of the arts, exploring Darren’s book ‘The Arts Dividend’ – an examination of how creativity shapes our society and economy. 

Darren Henley, Chief Executive of Arts Council England and influential cultural leader, brings decades of experience championing arts across education, broadcasting and policymaking, demonstrating how creative investment delivers profound returns for communities and individuals.

Also leading this discussion is distinguished broadcaster and journalist Samira Ahmed, whose incisive interviews and cultural programming have made her one of the most trusted voices on the arts. Known for her work on Radio 4’s Front Row and her fearless advocacy for creative freedom, Ahmed brings both journalistic rigour and passion to discussions about culture’s place in public life.

Together, they will unpack the evidence behind the Arts Dividend – revealing how investment in creativity enriches souls, but further drives innovation, builds stronger communities and delivers economic benefits.

12.15-1.15pm – Black Earth Rising with Ekow Eshun, interviewed by Katy Wickremesinghe

Join us for an illuminating session with Ekow Eshun, the acclaimed writer, curator and former broadcaster, as he discusses his groundbreaking new publication Black Earth Rising. In conversation with Katy Wickremesinghe, founder of The Wick, Eshun will explore the vital intersections between contemporary art, environmental justice, and colonial histories.

Black Earth Rising presents a powerful anthology of work by 100 leading artists of African diasporic, Latin American and Native American identity, featuring over 200 artworks that interrogate the complex relationships between race, climate crisis and colonialism. Through multiple mediums, these works address urgent questions of land, presence, and social justice against the backdrop of European settlement of the New World.

The book explores how artists navigate intertwined histories of forced migration and slavery, examines the environmental consequences of colonialism, and engages with the ongoing occupation of Native lands while celebrating how indigenous cultural practices and knowledge systems offer transformative perspectives on our relationship with the natural world.

Described by Vogue as “the most inspired and inspiring curator in Britain,” Eshun brings his distinctive curatorial vision and scholarly insight to bear on some of the most pressing issues of our time.

2pm-3pm – Express Yourself: Fashion, Identity and Liberation with Dame Zandra Rhodes and Daniel Lismore

Join us for an extraordinary celebration of fashion as the ultimate form of self-expression with Dame Zandra Rhodes, one of Britain’s most iconic and influential designers, alongside Daniel Lismore, the acclaimed artist and ‘Living Sculpture’ recognised by Vogue as ‘England’s Most Eccentric Dresser’. This conversation will explore fashion’s transformative power and its role in shaping identity, challenging conventions, and liberating creative expression.

From the King’s Road’s swinging sixties revolution to the raw energy of punk, Chelsea has been the epicentre of Britain’s most significant cultural and style movements. As both witness to, and architect of, some of these seismic shifts, Dame Zandra Rhodes offers unparalleled insight into fashion’s capacity to reflect and reshape society. Her fearless approach to colour, print, and silhouette has challenged fashion orthodoxy for over five decades, creating clothes that are as much works of art as they are statements of personal freedom.

This conversation will traverse Dame Zandra’s remarkable journey through fashion’s most defining moments, from her early days printing fabrics to dressing rock legends and royalty alike. Daniel Lismore brings his unique perspective as a performance artist, champion of sustainable fashion and proponent of recycling clothes.

Drawing from Dame Zandra’s compelling memoir Iconic: My Life in Fashion in 50 Objects and Lismore’s own book Be Yourself, Everyone Else Is Already Taken, they will share stories behind their most memorable creations and reflect on how fashion continues to serve as a powerful tool for identity, rebellion, and self-discovery.

5.30-6.30pm – Jack Edwards’ Inkling Book Club

The ‘internet’s resident librarian’, Jack Edwards, hosts the first live Inklings Book Club Event. Jack has transformed the way young people discover and discuss literature through his popular YouTube channel. His infectious enthusiasm for books – from contemporary fiction to classic literature – has built one of the most vibrant online reading communities. He is known for his thoughtful reviews and genuine love of storytelling, becoming a trusted voice for readers seeking their next good book.

This Inklings Book Club event is an intimate celebration of reading, complete with Jack’s trademark wit, literary insights and book recommendations that will have you rushing to the nearest bookshop. Whether you’re a long-time follower or new to his literary work, this is a chance to experience Jack’s passion for books in person, with Jack in conversation with a special guest author. 

Further information and the full Festival schedule can be found on their website here.

Please note, all events are ticketed and must be pre-booked to attend. Events take place at the Gallery on Friday and Saturday only. 

“What makes something precious is how little time we have with it.” — A. R. Turner

London Art Collective presents the first solo exhibition of American artist A. R. Turner, titled “Energy”. The exhibition brings together twelve specially commissioned new works, offering an immersive exploration of time, eternity, and perception. 

Energy is a key word that resonates deeply throughout A. R. Turner’s creative field trips. To him, energy is a cryptic dialogue — with his past self, with the marks of time, and with nature’s subtle cadence. A. R. Turner: Energy, the artist’s first solo exhibition, traces back to his many field trips across diverse landscapes: the Sonoran Desert, the Rocky Mountains, El Picacho del Diablo, Acropolis — culminating in London, not as a destination, but as another focal point where energies converge, refract, and transform. More than a collection of journey memories, this exhibition unfolds a personal narrative of growth and passion.

The exhibition invites us to confront the flux and fragility that define existence — to embrace the delicate thresholds where life’s force meets its vulnerabilities. Through his intimate dialogue with nature and time, he reveals how moments of tension, rupture, and renewal shape the physical world and inner landscapes as well. This exhibition is more than a visual experience; it invites audiences to slow down, look closely, and discover meaning in the fleeting yet lasting energies that move through everything. 

Presented by: 

London Art Collective presents the large-scale international group exhibition ArtEvol 2025: Voices from the Undefined. The exhibition will focus on emerging artists who are shaping the visionary future of contemporary art, collectively examining the motivations and emotional tensions encapsulated by “Evol” in the context of today’s art landscape. The term evokes a state of becoming that resists closure, holding space for contradiction, drift, and unresolved desire. 

As the 5th International Art Exhibition, this edition seeks to amplify the voices of often-excluded artists from marginalised, untrained, or diasporic backgrounds. The title “ArtEvol” metaphorically represents an emergent artistic movement in a state of flux, formed in the tensions between technology and the body, the self and the other, the real and the fictional. It centres on practices that shift across disciplines, identities, and cultural forms, offering open-ended responses to the complexities of our time. Artists associated with this exhibition do not seek validation within established systems but continue to voice themselves from “undefined” positions. ArtEvol: Voices from the Undefined aims to activate a dialogical framework that allows these emerging practices to be genuinely heard and equally seen within mainstream institutions, not as exceptions, but as possibilities for the future itself. 

The works on display will be selected via open call, which is currently live. Deadline for submissions is 19 August 2025. Please visit the London Art Collective’s website for artwork submission details and full guidelines. 

ArtEvol: Voices from the Undefined, is curated by Nelson Qin, organised by London Art Collective (LAC). The exhibition aims to present undefined new creative languages in response to this ever-changing world. It calls for not only fresh visual experiences but also a reimagining of the relationship between art and reality. 

Presented by: 

About

Immerse yourself in the beauty, symbolism, and creative power of flowers. This exhibition reveals the myriad ways that flowers continue to be depicted by artists and their omnipresence within our contemporary culture. Occupying two floors and over nine major gallery spaces, this exhibition features large-scale installations, original art, photography, fashion, archival objects and graphic design exploring the ongoing influence of flowers on creativity and human expression.

Aside from studies of their inherent beauty and drama, flowers are also utilised as symbols, signifiers or metaphors for human emotions and impulses.  Flora lies at the heart of myths and stories that inform our cultural outlook and language. Recognised as unparalleled objects of beauty in nature, artists continue to evoke the power and beauty of flora to convey a multitude of messages and meanings. 

Over 500 unique artworks and objects are on display throughout the exhibition, divided into nine sections – from Roots, In Bloom, Flowers and Fashion, Science: Life & Death, to New Shoots – each exploring different creative themes and media. In Music, Film & Literature a wall of vinyl records displays floral themes on album covers over the past 50 years. Check out the accompanying Spotify playlist here!

One room is entirely devoted to a bespoke installation piece by Rebecca Louise Law, made up of over 100,000 dried flowers, while another is transformed into a digital projection space featuring interactive work of the pioneering French artist Miguel Chevalier.

Curatorially, sections of the exhibition involve collaborations with institutions and designers such as Marimekko. The project partner for a presentation of photographic works from Flora Imaginaria, curated by Danaé Panchaud and William Ewing, is the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography (FEP).

“Stunning” – Visit London

“Fabulous – a must-see” – Secret London

“Will leave you dazzled” – The London Standard

“A floral wonderland” – Time Out London

“A huge bouquet of floral imagery” – The Guardian

“A vibrant and dynamic celebration” – Aesthetica

Featured artists include:
Cristina Alcantara, Pedro Almodóvar, Nobuyoshi Araki, Nick Archer, Gillian Ayres, Jessica Backhaus, Mandy Barker, Brendan Barry, Susan Beech, Valérie Belin, Andy Bettles, Elizabeth Blackadder, John Blakemore, Jean Baptiste Bosschaert, Faye Bridgwater, Orlanda Broom, Buccellati, Olga Cafiero, Ann Carrington, Rob & Nick Carter, Miguel Chevalier, Christo, Philip Colbert, Lottie Cole, Stephanie Comilang, Sharon Core, Michael Craig-Martin, Reuben Dangoor, Lia Darjes, William Darrell, Tom de Houwer, Richard de Tscharner, Elspeth Diederix, Jim Dine, Nathalie Djurberg & Hans Berg, Ron van Dongen, Xuebing Du, Elaine Duigenan, Pamela Ellis Hawkes, Ruud van Empel, Joanna Epstein, Mary Fedden, Robert Frank, Anne von Freyburg, Erwan Frotin, Adam Fuss, Matthieu Gafsou, Kate Gibb, Grace Gillespie, Sky Glabush, Daniel Gordon, Maro Gorky, Roberto Greco, Jo Grogan, Anna Halm Schudel, Joanna Ham, Rose Electra Harris, Dan Hays, George Henry, Realf Heygate, Damien Hirst, Aimée Hoving, Gary Hume, Florence Hutchings, Mila Ilingina, Yinka Ilori, Michelle Jung, Nadav Kander, Heath Kane, Sandra Kantanen, Neil Kellerhouse, Rob Kesseler, Nick Knight, Kior Ko, Jan Sebastian Koch, Irene Küng, Yayoi Kusama, Wole Lagunju, Caroline Larsen, Rebecca Louise Law, David Lebe, Laura Letinsky, Kathrin Linkersdorff, Brigitte Lustenberger, Mari Mahr, Martin Maloney, Ann Mandelbaum, Tony Matelli, Margaret Mellis, Sophie Mess, Ally McIntyre, Anastasija Michailova, Andrew Millar, Banita Mistry, Carmen Mitrotta, Abelardo Morell, William Morris, Alphonse Mucha, Vik Muniz, Galina Munroe, Takashi Murakami, Winifred Nicholson, Jesse Pollock, Janet Pulcho, Stormy Pyeatte, Marc Quinn, Dan Rawlings, Marcel Rickli, Catriona Robertson, Almudena Romero, Paul Rousteau, Andrew Salgado, Frederick Sander, Viviane Sassen, Thirza Schaap, Schiaparelli, Helene Schmitz, Martin Schoeller, Megan Seiter, Amy Shelton, Ann Shelton, David Shrigley, Niki Simpson, Chieska Smith, Leonard “Soldier” Iheagwam, Rudolf Steiner, Holly Stevenson, Florent Stosskopf, Daniel The Gardener, Rebecca Thomas, Mimei Thompson, Miriam Tölke, VOYDER, Robert Walker, Tim Walker, Tom Wesselmann, Vivienne Westwood, Jo Whaley, Jess Wilson, Emma Witter, Kasia Wozniak, Nadirah Zakariya, Christina Zimpel, Victoria Zschommler, Andrew Zuckerman

Curatorial project partners include:
Chelsea Physic Garden, Cinema Poster Gallery, The Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography (FEP), Marimekko, Mary Quant Limited, Sanderson Design Group including Morris & Co., William Morris Gallery

Supported by

Project partner

 

 

Come and enjoy the long summer evenings at Saatchi Gallery Lates! 

On selected Fridays, Saatchi Gallery Lates will offer workshops, guided classes and creative activations along with access to all two floors and nine major gallery spaces of the summer season of FLOWERS – FLORA IN CONTEMPORARY ART & CULTURE; featuring large-scale installations, original art, photography, fashion, archival objects and graphic design.

Tickets include:

• Entry to the summer season of FLOWERS – FLORA IN CONTEMPORARY ART & CULTURE
• Entry to all current Ground Floor Shows
• Bar open to 8:30pm
• Classes, workshops and creative activations, with basic materials and guidance from the Learning Team provided, plus special guests 

Friday 5th September

Classical Piano Covers with Monica Frank (7PM-8PM)
Monica Frank is a classical pianist originally from the United States and currently based in London. Since graduating with her master’s degree from New York City’s Manhattan School of Music, she has been mentored by Mike Garson, who was David Bowie’s pianist for many years. Monica will be performing her own unique covers of the records displayed in the FLOWERS exhibition.

Midsummer Movement Life Drawing with Irie! Dance Theatre (7PM-8.30PM)
Saatchi Gallery Learning team will be teaming up with IRIE! dance theatre, Britain’s leading dance theatre company working in the field of African & Caribbean dance fusion, to bring you a movement life drawing session inspired by ‘Danni’s Dance’ from the 2019 film Midsommar.

We recommend booking your tickets in advance to avoid disappointment! 

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