Absolutely’s guide to what’s on in May, here’s all the best in art and culture London has to offer this month.
OUR TIME ON EARTH
Barbican Centre
5 May – 29 August
The Barbican’s newest group exhibition wants its attendees to view the global climate emergency from a new perspective, or rather a few new perspectives. The immersive exhibit crosses disciplines and borders to explore how we exist collectively on earth and how we may continue to do so in the future.
barbican.org.uk
DEUTSCHE BÖRSE PHOTOGRAPHY PRIZE
The Photographer’s Gallery
Until 12 June
The annual Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize acknowledges artists that have made a significant contribution to the medium over the previous 12 months. This year’s finalists are all photographers whose work presents a unique vision of a specific region or community and their nominated projects will be exhibited alongside a program of talks and events.
thephotographersgallery.org.uk
FEMININE POWER
The British Museum
19 May – 25 September
Feminine Power: the divine to the demonic, is the first exhibition to focus solely on female spiritual beings and their presence in global mythology. It presents a cross-cultural retrospective of the diverse ways feminine spiritual power has been embodied in ancient sculptures, sacred artefacts and contemporary artworks.
britishmuseum.org
LONDON ORIGINAL PRINT FAIR
Somerset House
26 – 29 May
Somerset House is the new home of the London Original Print Fair, an exhibition that showcases some of the art world’s most celebrated original prints, borrowed from the collections of top international dealers, publishers and studios. It is an unmissable opportunity to browse and buy prints created over five centuries and is a real must-see for those looking to add to their collection.
londonoriginalprintfair.com
RAPHAEL
The National Gallery
Until 31 July
His career only spanned two decades, but the impact of Raphael’s cultural legacy is still being felt over 500 years after his death. A giant of the Italian Renaissance, Rafaello Santi was a painter, draughtsman, architect, designer and archaeologist and this exhibition explores the full extent of his multimedia work and its impact.
nationalgallery.org.uk
STRAIGHT-LINE CRAZY
Bridge Theatre
Until 18 June
Ralph Fiennes heads an electrifying cast in David Hare’s new theatrical portrayal of the rise and fall of visionary urban planner Robert Mose. Mose occupied a position as one of the most powerful men in New York, and his decisions not only changed the physical landscape of the city but the socio-economic one as well.
bridgetheatre.co.uk
