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Saturday, July 25, 2026 · No. 205
Europe

Art News from London

40 stories across London, Contemporary, Art Fair, and Jewellery. Latest: Bonhams Sale of Alan Turing Papers Fetches £381,400, Led by Delilah Project Notes.

Bonhams Sale of Alan Turing Papers Fetches £381,400, Led by Delilah Project Notes

Bonhams Sale of Alan Turing Papers Fetches £381,400, Led by Delilah Project Notes

A collection of Alan Turing's autograph material, including more than 40 pages of working notes on the Delilah voice-scrambler project, sold for £381,400 at Bonhams' Fine Books and Manuscripts sale. The 118-lot auction achieved a total of £1,488,000.

Auction ResultHistoricalLondonBooks & Manuscripts
Tate Modern Unveils Lina Lapelytė's 'Serendipity Island' Participatory Installation

Tate Modern Unveils Lina Lapelytė's 'Serendipity Island' Participatory Installation

On July 24, 2026, Tate Modern announced a new installation and participatory performance by Lithuanian artist and composer Lina Lapelytė, titled "Serendipity Island." The work transforms the museum's Turbine Hall into a maze-like stage where visitors, guided by 'Conductors,' follow one of six 'sc.

ExhibitionContemporaryLondonParticipatory Art
Bonhams Offers Medieval Royal Heraldic Embroideries at Auction, Est. £200,000-300,000

Bonhams Offers Medieval Royal Heraldic Embroideries at Auction, Est. £200,000-300,000

A pair of late medieval royal heraldic embroideries, likely representing the Kingdom of Castile, came to auction at Bonhams in London on July 2, 2026, with an estimate of £200,000-300,000.

Auction ResultMedievalTextilesAuction
Bonhams Luxury Handbags Sale Features Louis Vuitton x Takashi Murakami Collaboration, June 1-10

Bonhams Luxury Handbags Sale Features Louis Vuitton x Takashi Murakami Collaboration, June 1-10

Bonhams will hold its Luxury Handbags sale from June 1-10, 2026, highlighting the Louis Vuitton x Takashi Murakami collaboration along with designs from Hermès, Chanel, and Christian Dior.

Auction ResultContemporaryLondon#event-2026-06-01
Bonhams to Auction Cartier Sautoir from Dame Nellie Melba's Collection, Estimate £60,000-80,000

Bonhams to Auction Cartier Sautoir from Dame Nellie Melba's Collection, Estimate £60,000-80,000

Bonhams will offer a Cartier Belle Époque seed pearl and diamond sautoir from the personal collection of opera singer Dame Nellie Melba (1861-1931) at its Exceptional Jewels sale in London on June 11, 2026.

Auction ResultJewelleryBelle ÉpoqueCartier
Bonhams Exceptional Jewels Sale in London Features Boucheron Tiara Estimated at £200,000–300,000

Bonhams Exceptional Jewels Sale in London Features Boucheron Tiara Estimated at £200,000–300,000

Bonhams presents its Exceptional Jewels sale in London on 11 June 2026, featuring six single-owner collections. Leading the auction is a Boucheron diamond bandeau tiara from 1924, estimated at £200,000–300,000. The tiara, unseen since its commission, features a 3.60-carat diamond.

OtherJewelleryAuctionLondon

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Bonhams London Fine Watches Sale Achieves £178,200 for Rare Patek Philippe

Bonhams London Fine Watches Sale Achieves £178,200 for Rare Patek Philippe

Bonhams presented its London Fine Watches sale on June 11, 2026, featuring 59 lots of rare and collectible timepieces. A Patek Philippe reference 7000R-001 minute-repeating wristwatch in 18K rose gold, circa 2017, led the auction at £178,200. An F.P.

Auction ResultWatchesLondonContemporary
Tate Appoints Dia Director Jessica Morgan as Tenth Director, Effective January 2027

Tate Appoints Dia Director Jessica Morgan as Tenth Director, Effective January 2027

Tate announced the appointment of Jessica Morgan, current Director of Dia Art Foundation, as its tenth Director, effective January 1, 2027. Morgan, 57, succeeds Maria Balshaw CBE and will lead the institution's four galleries: Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool, and Tate St Ives.

AppointmentContemporaryLondonNew York
Thaddaeus Ropac Opens Oliver Beer's 'The Sky in the Cave' in London

Thaddaeus Ropac Opens Oliver Beer's 'The Sky in the Cave' in London

On July 21, 2026, Thaddaeus Ropac announced Oliver Beer's exhibition 'The Sky in the Cave' at its London gallery. The show presents Beer's Resonance Paintings, which are physically shaped by sound vibrations acting directly on pigment, as well as monumental 16mm films and soundscapes.

ExhibitionContemporaryLondonMultimedia
National Gallery to Tour 'Mary Magdalene: Woman and Myth' Across Northern England in 2027

National Gallery to Tour 'Mary Magdalene: Woman and Myth' Across Northern England in 2027

On July 1, 2026, the National Gallery, London, announced a major touring exhibition, 'Mary Magdalene: Woman and Myth', which will open at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool from February 6 to May 23, 2027, before traveling to the Millennium Gallery in Sheffield (June 17–September 12, 2027) and A.

ExhibitionTouring ExhibitionContemporaryOld Masters
Galerie Max Hetzler Announces Sabine Moritz 'Lie Down in Green Pastures' at Garden Museum

Galerie Max Hetzler Announces Sabine Moritz 'Lie Down in Green Pastures' at Garden Museum

On July 22, 2026, Galerie Max Hetzler announced Lie Down in Green Pastures, a solo exhibition by Sabine Moritz at the Garden Museum in London.

ExhibitionContemporaryLondon#city-london
Serpentine Galleries Opens 'processing…' Archive Display on Art and Technology

Serpentine Galleries Opens 'processing…' Archive Display on Art and Technology

Serpentine Galleries has opened 'processing…', an open-access archive display in the Education Space at Serpentine South, running from July 20 to September 6, 2026.

ExhibitionContemporaryNew MediaLondon
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2026 Explores 'Interconnectedness' in 258th Edition

Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2026 Explores 'Interconnectedness' in 258th Edition

The Royal Academy of Arts has announced its 258th Summer Exhibition, opening on June 9, 2026. The 2026 edition explores the theme of 'Interconnectedness,' examining relationships between people, art, and the wider world.

ExhibitionContemporaryLondonSummer Exhibition
Tate Appoints Daisy Desrosiers as Britton Family Curator at Large for North America

Tate Appoints Daisy Desrosiers as Britton Family Curator at Large for North America

On July 15, 2026, Tate announced the appointment of Daisy Desrosiers as the Britton Family Curator at Large, North America. Based in the United States, Desrosiers will focus on developing North American art in Tate’s collection through new research and acquisitions.

AppointmentContemporaryModernNorth America
Bonhams to Offer Rare Lotus 49B Formula 1 Car at Festival of Speed Auction

Bonhams to Offer Rare Lotus 49B Formula 1 Car at Festival of Speed Auction

Bonhams will auction a rare Lotus 49B Formula 1 car, chassis number '49-R8', at its Festival of Speed sale on June 27. The car is the last Lotus to be sold from the collection of the late John Dawson-Damer and has never before been offered at auction.

Auction ResultClassic CarsFormula 1London
Jenkin van Zyl's 'Surrender' Opens at Edel Assanti, London, Exploring Queer Desire and Love Hotels

Jenkin van Zyl's 'Surrender' Opens at Edel Assanti, London, Exploring Queer Desire and Love Hotels

Jenkin van Zyl's first major solo exhibition, 'Surrender,' has opened at Edel Assanti in London, featuring an immersive installation centered on Japanese love hotels and queer desire.

ExhibitionArt FairContemporaryLondon
Frieze London 2026 Connects Global Art World to Asia with Expanded Programme

Frieze London 2026 Connects Global Art World to Asia with Expanded Programme

The fifth edition of Frieze London has opened, once again connecting the global art world to that of Asia, with new curated sections and an expanded programme.

FairArt FairContemporaryLondon
Frieze London 2026 to Feature Expanded Programme and New Curated Sections

Frieze London 2026 to Feature Expanded Programme and New Curated Sections

Frieze announced the fifth edition of its London fair, which will once again connect the global art world to Asia, with new curated sections and an expanded programme.

FairArt FairContemporaryLondon
Frieze London 2026 Opens with Expanded Asia-Focused Programme

Frieze London 2026 Opens with Expanded Asia-Focused Programme

On July 16, 2026, Frieze announced its fifth edition of Frieze London, which connects the global art world to Asia through new curated sections and an expanded programme.

FairArt FairContemporaryLondon
Bonhams to Offer Rare Meissen Chocolate Cup from Swan Service, Estimated at £25,000–35,000

Bonhams to Offer Rare Meissen Chocolate Cup from Swan Service, Estimated at £25,000–35,000

Bonhams will present a single-owner ceramics sale featuring an extremely rare Meissen chocolate cup and saucer from the Swan service, estimated at £25,000–35,000.

Auction ResultCeramicsMeissenEuropean Porcelain
Bonhams Exceptional Jewels Sale in London Totals £508,400 for Boucheron Tiara

Bonhams Exceptional Jewels Sale in London Totals £508,400 for Boucheron Tiara

Bonhams presented its Exceptional Jewels, London sale on June 11, featuring an outstanding selection of period and antique jewellery from six notable single-owner collections.

Auction ResultJewelleryLondonBonhams
V&A Announces 2027 Programme: Punk to Pop, Sculpture in Clay, Chintz, South Asia Now, Westwood Jewellery

V&A Announces 2027 Programme: Punk to Pop, Sculpture in Clay, Chintz, South Asia Now, Westwood Jewellery

On July 15, 2026, the Victoria and Albert Museum announced its 2027 exhibition programme spanning three sites: V&A South Kensington, V&A East Museum, and V&A Dundee.

ExhibitionLondonDundeeContemporary
Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Donates Three Glut Sculptures to ARTIST ROOMS, Jointly Held by Tate and National Galleries of Scotland

Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Donates Three Glut Sculptures to ARTIST ROOMS, Jointly Held by Tate and National Galleries of Scotland

Tate and the National Galleries of Scotland announced that the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation has donated three sculptures from the artist's Glut series to the ARTIST ROOMS collection.

AcquisitionPost-WarSculptureLondon
Bonhams Fine Jewellery Sale in London Achieves £40,960 David Morris Necklace as Top Lot

Bonhams Fine Jewellery Sale in London Achieves £40,960 David Morris Necklace as Top Lot

Bonhams presented its Fine Jewellery, London sale on 8 July, with a David Morris cultured pearl and diamond necklace achieving £40,960 against a £25,000-35,000 estimate. A natural pearl necklace with diamond clasp sold for £39,680, more than tripling its £7,000-10,000 estimate.

Auction ResultLondonJewelleryLuxury
Thaddaeus Ropac: Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Donates Three 'Glut' Works to Artist Rooms

Thaddaeus Ropac: Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Donates Three 'Glut' Works to Artist Rooms

On July 14, 2026, Thaddaeus Ropac announced that the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation has donated three works from the artist's "Gluts" series (1986–87) to Artist Rooms, a collection jointly managed by Tate and the National Galleries of Scotland.

AcquisitionPost-WarContemporaryLondon
White Cube Announces Rachel Kneebone's 'Metamorphoses' at Wallace Collection, London

White Cube Announces Rachel Kneebone's 'Metamorphoses' at Wallace Collection, London

On July 13, 2026, White Cube announced that the Wallace Collection in London will present 'Metamorphoses', an exhibition of porcelain sculptures by Rachel Kneebone, running from September 23, 2026 to April 25, 2027.

ExhibitionContemporaryLondonSculpture
Barbican Centre Announces Yuko Mohri Exhibition 'In Concert' for The Curve's 20th Year

Barbican Centre Announces Yuko Mohri Exhibition 'In Concert' for The Curve's 20th Year

The Barbican Centre announced that Japanese artist Yuko Mohri will present a major new exhibition, "In Concert," in The Curve from October 1, 2026, to January 24, 2027.

ExhibitionContemporaryLondonInstallation
Tate Modern to Present UK's First Major Ana Mendieta Exhibition in Over a Decade

Tate Modern to Present UK's First Major Ana Mendieta Exhibition in Over a Decade

Tate Modern will open the UK's first major exhibition dedicated to multidisciplinary artist Ana Mendieta (1948-1985) in over a decade, running from July 15, 2026 to January 17, 2027.

ExhibitionContemporaryLondonPost-War
Christie's Cuts Carbon Emissions 39% Since 2019, New Report Details Progress

Christie's Cuts Carbon Emissions 39% Since 2019, New Report Details Progress

On June 30, 2026, Christie's announced its 6th Environmental Impact Report, revealing a 39% reduction in carbon emissions against its 2019 baseline year.

OtherSustainabilityEnvironmental ReportCorporate
Bonhams to Offer Jane Birkin's Personal Hermès Birkin Bag in July Sale

Bonhams to Offer Jane Birkin's Personal Hermès Birkin Bag in July Sale

Bonhams will offer Jane Birkin's own Hermès Birkin bag in its Designer Handbags and Fashion sale on 20 July at Bonhams Knightsbridge. The bag, estimated at £15,000–20,000, was originally purchased by the current owners at a 2014 charity auction benefiting Anno's Africa.

Auction ResultContemporaryLondonFashion
Charles Ede Director on Antiquities Market: Fragments Are the Next Big Thing

Charles Ede Director on Antiquities Market: Fragments Are the Next Big Thing

On June 26, 2026, Charles Ede, a London-based antiquities gallery, released a statement from its director explaining why the antiquities market operates differently from the broader art market.

OtherArt FairAntiquitiesCollecting
Tate Modern to Stage Yvonne Rainer's Trio A for 60th Anniversary in Turbine Hall

Tate Modern to Stage Yvonne Rainer's Trio A for 60th Anniversary in Turbine Hall

Tate Modern will present free performances of Yvonne Rainer's seminal dance work "Trio A" in the Turbine Hall on July 10 and 11, 2026, marking the 60th anniversary of the piece's creation.

ExhibitionContemporaryPerformanceLondon
Bonhams Classics Week Achieves £9.8M Total, Led by Record for Klontzas Triptych at £1.86M

Bonhams Classics Week Achieves £9.8M Total, Led by Record for Klontzas Triptych at £1.86M

Bonhams Classics Week achieved a total of £9,799,750 across seven live and four online auctions, with the top lot being Georgios Klontzas's triptych 'The Fall and Redemption of Man (the Spada Triptych)' which sold for £1,863,400, setting a world auction record for the artist.

Auction ResultOld MastersLondon#priority-hero
Sotheby's London June Auctions Total £420.5m in Final Tally

Sotheby's London June Auctions Total £420.5m in Final Tally

On June 26, 2026, Sotheby's announced that its London June auction series achieved a combined total of £420.5 million. The figure represents the final tally across multiple sales held during the month, encompassing works from various categories.

Auction ResultLondon#priority-featured#city-london
Serpentine Galleries Names Formafantasma as Lead R&D Fellows for Ecology Collaboration

Serpentine Galleries Names Formafantasma as Lead R&D Fellows for Ecology Collaboration

Serpentine Galleries announced a multi-year collaboration with Formafantasma, the research-based design studio led by Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin, appointing them as Lead R&D Fellows, Ecology.

AppointmentContemporaryLondonEcological Art
Serpentine Galleries Launches Park Nights 2026 with Performances by Sophia Stel, Chanel Beads, Ebun Sodipo, Shala Miller

Serpentine Galleries Launches Park Nights 2026 with Performances by Sophia Stel, Chanel Beads, Ebun Sodipo, Shala Miller

Serpentine Galleries has announced Park Nights 2026, an experimental live programme of performances inside the 25th Serpentine Pavilion, designed by the LANZA atelier of Isabel Abascal and Alessandro Arienzo.

ExhibitionContemporaryPerformanceLondon
Christie's Old Masters Sale in London Sees £431,000 for Unknown Dutch Artist, Six Records Set

Christie's Old Masters Sale in London Sees £431,000 for Unknown Dutch Artist, Six Records Set

On July 7, 2026, Christie's reported that an Old Masters auction held in London on June 30, 2026, saw a painting by an unknown 17th-century Dutch artist sell for £431,000 ($575,000), approximately four times its estimate.

Auction ResultArt FairOld MastersLondon
White Cube: El Anatsui Releases Three Limited-Edition Prints from Vienna Opera Safety Curtain

White Cube: El Anatsui Releases Three Limited-Edition Prints from Vienna Opera Safety Curtain

On July 1, 2026, White Cube announced three limited-edition prints by El Anatsui—Male, Female, and Head—derived from his XOHANAMI safety curtain project for the Vienna State Opera's 2025/26 season.

OtherContemporaryPrintsPublic Art
National Portrait Gallery Unveils Elizabeth Peyton Portrait of Former Director Nicholas Cullinan

National Portrait Gallery Unveils Elizabeth Peyton Portrait of Former Director Nicholas Cullinan

On July 1, 2026, the National Portrait Gallery in London unveiled a new portrait of its former Director, Nicholas Cullinan, by American artist Elizabeth Peyton. The work was commissioned to mark Cullinan’s tenure from 2015 to 2024 and has been given to the gallery by the artist.

ContemporaryPortraitureLondonExhibition
Lisson Gallery to Lead Guided Tour of Daniel Buren's 'Pages in situ' Exhibition in London

Lisson Gallery to Lead Guided Tour of Daniel Buren's 'Pages in situ' Exhibition in London

On July 8, 2026, Lisson Gallery announced a guided tour of Daniel Buren's exhibition 'Pages in situ' on July 18, 2026, at 2pm at 67 Lisson Street, London.

ExhibitionContemporaryLondon#event-2026-07-18