LONDON

ART

Alyth Synagogue

The Centre Cannot Hold

Katy Sayers Green reflects on events in the Middle East and their aftershocks in the UK following 7 October 2023. Amongst the display are her most recent works, Rimon I and Rimon II, which are named as such due to their dual Hebrew definitions. The word translates as pomegranate, a symbol of fertility, abundance and renewal, but also means a hand grenade, and the fine artist explores both notions simultaneously.

Until 31 August

NW11 7EN. 020 8455 6763. www.alyth.org.uk

Austrian Cultural Forum

Painting Sculpture: Sophie Barber & Franz West

Sophie Barber created a series of smalls-scale works referencing the name and art of Austrian Jewish sculptor Franz West, inspire by his pink outdoor sculptures shown at the 2019 Tate Modern retrospective. West, one of Austria’s most celebrated artists, was known for his unique aesthetic portraying both high and low reference points and privileged social interactions.

No end date specified

SW7 1PQ. 020 7225 7300. www.acflondon.org

Bank of England

Building the Bank: 100 Years On

Explore the fascinating transformation of the Bank of England’s iconic Threadneedle Street building in this exhibition. Architectural plans and models are displayed alongside artwork exploring the site, which started renovations in 1925. Read more about Building the Bank: 100 Years On in the Winter 2026 issue of JR.

No end date specified

EC2R 8AH. 020 3461 4878. www.bankofengland.co.uk

Ben Uri

Disruptors: Fractured Images and Migrant Wordl

Wordl, an intentional blend of ‘word’ and ‘world’, represents the refugee artists who had to reconfigure their language when arriving in their new homes, artistically capturing the experience of migration. The artworks in this exhibition highlight the difficulties that came from navigating a new language. Explore pieces by Gustav Metzger, Samuel (Shmuel) Dresner, Alfred Lomnitz, Hugo Dachinger and more.

Until 4 September

The Abbey Art Centre as a Postwar Refuge

Unpack the story of the Abbey Art Centre, a cosmopolitan art group established by the German Jewish collector and creative William Ohly. The Abbey served as a sanctuary for Jewish refugees and European artists, providing affordable living and workspaces in New Barnet, North London. This exhibition features paintings, sculptures, photographs, archival materials and more by those who frequented the colony.

7 October – 18 December

NW8 0RH. 020 7604 3991. www.benuri.org.uk

The Courtauld Gallery

Hepworth in Colour

For the first time, early works by sculptor Barbara Hepworth, who greatly influenced Jewish émigré artists in Britain, are shown alongside some of her most important drawings from the decade. This exhibition also displays examples of her coloured pieces from the 1950s and 1960s, exploring her original, unexpected use of tones.

Until 6 September

Somerset House, WC2R 0RN. 020 3947 7777. www.courtauld.ac.uk

JW3

Legacy: The Story of the Jewish Family Who Founded J Lyons and Fed Britain

The Jewish Museum London presents an exhibition dedicated to the J Lyons entrepreneurial empire. In the 1800s, the German Jewish family fled to Britain, where they established the famous Lyons tea houses and corner shops, baked a wedding cake for the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, and built iconic London landmarks including the Trocadero and Strand Palace Hotel.

Until 18 October

Tree of Life: Stories from the Jewish Museum London’s Collection

Experience Jewish life in Britain through a collection of Judaica, artefacts, photography and documents taken from the Jewish Museum London’s 35,000 strong archive. Objects date back to the 1650s up until 2023.

Until 18 October

NW3 6ET. www.jw3.org.uk

MCC Museum, Lord’s Cricket Ground

Cricket and the Jewish Community

This exhibition shows, for the first time, how Jewish people have contributed to the world of cricket. See clothing, artwork, books and videos exploring how Jews, both on the field and behind the scenes, not only represent their countries but have also been pivotal in the development of the sport.

No end date specified

NW8 8QN. 020 7616 8595. www.lords.org

Museum of the Home

Rooms Through Time: Real Rooms

Museum of the Home, east London’s ode to how humans have lived throughout the centuries, has renovated its long-running exhibit with seven new additions that reflect the multicultural melting pot of London’s residents. Among them, is the Delinsky family home – a 1913 tenement room portraying Shabbat dinner, with simmering lokshen soup on the stove and an oil painting on the wall. The painting is based on a well-worn photo that was carried by the great-grandmother of the donor of the painting. The piece was commissioned by the husband of the great-grandmother, an art dealer, who filled the family home with portraits. The pair met in the UK after the great-grandmother fled antisemitic violence in Eastern Europe.

No end date specified

E2 8EA. 020 7739 9893. www.museumofthehome.org.uk

National Gallery

Renoir and Love

Couples waltzing in the summer air, lovers stealing a glance and families sharing a quiet moment all feature in Renoir’s Impressionist paintings, capturing the complexities of personal connections. The artist experimented with style and theme during the peak of his career and, for the first time in the UK, his iconic painting Bal au Moulin de la Galette (Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette) will be displayed. Despite being overtly antisemitic, his piece Pink and Blue depicts sisters Alice and Elisabeth (aka The Renoir Girls), daughters of a wealthy Parisian Jewish banking dynasty and their older sister Irène. Read more about The Renoir Girls in the Summer 2026 issue of JR.

3 October 2026 – 31 January 2027

WC2N 5DN. 020 7747 2885. www.nationalgallery.org.uk

National Portrait Gallery

Gillian Wearing: Spiritual Family

See four works from Gillian Wearing’s series Me As…, depicting the artist as Andy Warhol, Diane Arbus, Robert Mapplethorpe and Claude Cahun. These four names have had a profound effect on Wearing’s practice and she’s named them her ‘spiritual family’.

Until 10 January

Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait

Explore the life, career and legacy of Marilyn Monroe in an exhibition marking what would have been her 100th birthday. The Golden Age icon converted to Judaism before marrying playwright Arthur Miller and maintained her Jewish identity even after their divorce. Portraits by artists including Andy Warhol and James Gill are shown alongside personal belongings, offering insight into the woman behind the icon.

Until 6 September

WC2H 0HE. 020 7306 0055. www.npg.org.uk

Southbank Centre

Anish Kapoor

Discover immersive sculptures and paintings by Anish Kapoor, who returns to the Southbank Centre’s Hayward Gallery almost 30 years after his first major UK show there. This retrospective features some of the Jewish Indian artist’s most iconic works, including steel mirror sculptures and objects coated in Vantablack, possibly the world’s darkest material which, controversially, Kapoor gained exclusive use of in 2016 – a move that maddened the art world. Plus, see several new works, including two huge installations in his signature red. Read more about Anish Kapoor on the JR blog and in the Spring 2026 issue of JR.

Until 18 October

Nan Goldin

Jewish American artist and activist presents her encounters with personal relationships, addiction and queer communities in her photography. Her unique style captures the rawness of her own life and this exhibition features new films alongside the images, exploring survival, empathy and the search for beauty in tumultuous times. Goldin’s contemporary works veer away from the human experience and focuses on other species, addressing topics such as animal rescue in the Gaza strip.

24 November – 7 March

SE1 8XX. www.southbankcentre.co.uk

St John’s Waterloo

Music, Migration and Mobility: The Story of Émigré Musicians from Nazi Europe in Britain

This touring exhibition curated by the Royal College of Music enjoys a showing at St John’s Waterloo as part of the celebrations of the Festival of Britain’s 75th Anniversary. Trace the journeys of a group of influential musicians through concentration camps and post-war Britain, as well as their lasting contribution to the Festival. Read more about the Music, Migration and Mobility project in the July 2020 issue of JR and read about the Festival of Britain in the Summer 2026 issue.

9 September – 9 October

SE1 8TY. www.stjohnswaterloo.org

Tate Modern

Frida: The Making of an Icon

This exhibition showcases more than 30 works by revolutionary artist Frida Kahlo, who identified as Jewish despite her heritage being questioned throughout her career. Kahlo was known for showing the many sides of her personality in her art – from a dedicated wife and intellectual to a political activist – and her story went on to inspire hundreds of pieces by contemporary artists. Frida: The Making of an Icon explores the transformative power of her work, highlighting her lasting influence, fandom and the communities who continue to claim her as their own.

Until 3 January 2027

SE1 9TG. www.tate.org.uk

WIENER HOLOCAUST LIBRARY

Life and Death in Saharan Vichy Labour Camps

The Wiener Holocaust Library’s archival documents uncover the little-known story of forced labour camps in the Sahara throughout World War II, which held Jewish, Spanish Republican and local political prisoners. Run by the Vichy French authorities, the labour camps exploited its captives to construct a trans-Saharan railway, a project supported by the Nazis. Explore the violence and mistreatment that occurred and learn about the experiences of the German Jewish men who found themselves there.

Until 20 August

Nazi Slave Labour: Perpetrators and Victims

This exhibition reveals how perpetrators of the Holocaust, including the SS, chemical giant IG Farben, and the arms manufacturer Krupp, profited from the exploitation of slave labour. The forced work within concentration camps was brutal, with starvation, exhaustion, disease and physical abuse causing 2.5 million deaths. Despite its scale, this exploitation remains one of the least understood aspects of the period. Through covert photographs, eyewitness testimonies and documents exposing the complicit companies, the exhibition highlights the financial gain, power and responsibility associated with this dark chapter of history.

Until 30 October

WC1B 5DP. 020 7636 7247. www.wienerlibrary.co.uk

BOOKS & POETRY

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FILM AND TV

WALKS