The Summer Exhibition is the world’s largest open submission contemporary art show which has taken place every year without interruption since 1769.
Acclaimed British painter, Jock McFadyen RA will be the co-ordinator of the 251st Summer Exhibition. McFadyen, alongside the Summer Exhibition Committee, intends to build on the exhibition’s success, recognising that it continues to provide a unique platform for artists at all stages of their career to present recent work.
Highlights within the Main Galleries will include a ‘menagerie’ in the Central Hall curated by Jock McFadyen RA, with works by artists including Polly Morgan, Charles Avery and Mat Collishaw. Jane and Louise Wilson RA will organise two gallery spaces, one of which will showcase light and time-based work. Spencer de Grey RA will curate the Architecture Gallery, which will explore the theme of sustainability.
The celebrated artist Thomas Houseago will show a group of large-scale sculptural works in the Royal Academy’s Annenberg Courtyard that respond to the Academy’s statue of Joshua Reynolds, which has stood in the courtyard since 1931. This will be the first time that the courtyard will be dedicated to an artist that is not a Royal Academician as part of the Summer Exhibition. Further artists exhibiting in this year’s Summer Exhibition include Jeremy Deller and Marcus Harvey alongside Royal Academicians such as Tracey Emin RA, Gary Hume RA, David Nash RA, Wolfgang Tillmans RA and Honorary Royal Academicians, Anselm Kiefer and James Turrell. The celebrated German filmmaker and photographer Wim Wenders Hon RA will be taking over the free McAulay Galleries, with a series of panoramic photographs.
| Duration | 10 June 2019 - 12 August 2019 |
| Times | 10am – 6pm daily Fridays until 10pm |
| Cost | £18 Free for member |
| Venue | Royal Academy of Arts |
| Address | Burlington House, 6 Burlington Gardens, London, W1J 0BD |
| Contact | / press.office@royalacademy.org.uk / www.royalacademy.org.uk |