From a sculpted athletic torso pierced by metal rods to a skull adorned with glittering decorations, the Royal Academy’s eclectic Summer Exhibition has something for everyone.
ADVERTISEMENTThe Royal Academy of Arts’ legendary summer exhibition is underway in London.
From big name artists, like Tracey Emin, to new and emerging talent, more than 1,700 works are on display across 13 gallery spaces.
The Royal Academy selects renowned artists like Emin as Royal Academicians, granting them membership in the historic institution. Currently, there are fewer than 100 Academicians, so each year, about two-thirds of the exhibited works are by non-members.
«This year’s Summer Exhibition it’s in its 256th edition. And as ever, it is, of course, an incredibly wide range of works that we’re showing in the in the exhibition, 1,700, actually, which must be one of the all-time highs almost. And the exhibition, as ever, is, of course, a sort of cross-section of works by artists who have sent the works in,» explains Axel Rüger, Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Arts.
He adds: «There were more than 16,000 submissions to the show, out of which then a committee of artists selects for this exhibition. And plus our members, the Royal Academicians, also submit to the exhibition.»
The theme for this year’s exhibition is ‘Making Space.’
The artworks on display are also available to buy. While many are affordable, starting at less than £250 (€295), others are quite expensive. A sculpture of a pipe-smoking dog by Laura Ford is priced at £36,000 (€42,500), a small plasticine Palestinian flag is £3,600 (€4,200), and a striking pink painting by Academician Sir Michael Craig-Martin costs £110,000 (€130,000).
Most visitors, however, are not there to purchase art. They come to immerse themselves in an extraordinary collection, far larger than what is typical in most exhibitions.
«So most exhibitions you’ll go to in places like the Royal Academy of Arts will be tightly curated with a limited number of works. And here there are hundreds of works. In fact, there’s 1,700 works. So there is more works than you can possibly take in in a single visit, which is unlike any other exhibition most people go to. So that means you just have to let your eyes wander, see what works for you, and know that you’ll miss at least half the works. But that’s part of the fun of it,» says art critic Tabish Khan.
The Summer Exhibition runs until 18 August at London’s Royal Academy.
Check out the video above for a look inside the exhibition.
