WHAT? Summer Exhibition 2023

WHERE? The Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J  OBD

WHEN? Now until 20th August 

WHY GO ? For the thrill of discovery. It’s epic, it’s filled to the rafters, it’s diverse, it’s everything we all love about the uniquely British Summer Exhibition co-ordinated this 255th year by artist David Remfry RA, and what a thrilling curation it is.  

Aptly titled, Only Connect, it connects us with every conceivable creative force, starting with Irish fashion designer Richard Malone’s towering textile sculpture fluttering over the Central Hall. 

There are more textile art exhibits, more conceptual works, more weird and wonderful sculptures and indeed more of everything, but it all seems more orderly than in previous years.

As ever, the joy is in discovering hidden gems by amateurs and RA graduates amongst the famous names like Antony Gormley, Ron Arad or Paula Rego, whose wooden cabinet of creepy dolls sits like a grisly tableaux centre stage. 

But then, just around the corner, there’s the calm presence of  Edmund de Waal's pure white vitrine to connect us back to sanity!

Take a deep breath, dive in, you'll love this culture fest!

IN THE KNOW 

The exhibition title Only Connect is inspired by a quote from Howards End by E.M. Forster, not as some might assume, the BBC quiz by the same name that challenges viewers to make connections with unconnected things!  Co-ordinator David Remfry says, “I used it to make a connection between oneself and everything else, it can be as simple or as complex as you like.”