• UN GIORNO D’ARTE A LONDRA:
GUIDA A GALLERIE E MUSEI •

Londra it is a city rich in culture and history, famous for its numerous art galleries and museums. If you are an art enthusiast like me and you have just one day to spend in the capital of the United Kingdom, Don't worry! As a former Londoner and now living only an hour's train ride from the centre, what I'm about to share with you is one of my favorite rides for a summer Saturday, but I'm sure it can be useful to you at any time of the year.

The route divides between the two neighborhoods of Southbank e Covent Garden and will allow you to discover some of London's best artistic attractions, but above all free events that you won't want to miss. You can decide to travel by metro between the various stages, but my advice is to walk around so as not to miss the street art works and the Thames with its thousand colours, which inspired great English artists such as William Turner.

Galleries and museums to see in London in one day

10:00 – Newport Street Gallery

Our tour to discover galleries and museums things to see in London in one day starts at the Newport Street Gallery. Founded by artist Damien Hirst. This contemporary art gallery, still off the radar of classic rides, will amaze you with works of artists emerging or established.

Entrance is always free, the exhibition space on two floors is immense and in perfect London style: the ideal white cube to accommodate all kinds of contemporary works of art. The Newport Street Gallery regularly hosts exhibitions spanning a variety of artistic mediums, including painting, sculpture, photography and installations. The exhibitions are curated with attention to detail, offering a fresh and new vision of art. And if you are afraid of not knowing or understanding the works, Don't worry! It happened to me too, but their information materials at the entrance are always super helpful!

The exhibitions they change every 4/6 months so I recommend you take a look at their website to catch up on the latest news before leaving. For example, I have just discovered the works of the glass artist Brian Clarke, thanks to a tour here last Saturday.

11:30 – TATE Modern Exhibition

About half an hour from there continue towards the TATE Modern. I know, I know, it's a place you've already visited in the past if you've been to England or that you have on your list, so nothing new. But I'm about to reveal a couple of tips that are rarely shared.

In fact, the first piece of advice I give you is not to start from the free permanent collection which will always be there even the next time you return or was there the last time you passed through London. Instead, visit one of the temporary exhibitions, there will be a ticket to pay but I assure you that they are often real stories of art, taken care of down to the smallest detail and which you will remember for years.

Always book online to skip the queue and ask for one of their mini guides at the entrance, are included in the ticket price. If in addition to being an art enthusiast, you are also a member ICOM student or museum professional (International Council of Museums) You enter for free at the temporary ones and you can book online without problems.

The TATE hosts exhibitions of contemporary and classical artists, offering you a unique overview of the art of different eras. Let yourself be transported by’immersive experience offered by this world-famous museum. If you have the opportunity to visit it in the summer/autumn 2023 my suggestion is not to miss the exhibition on the works of Piet Mondrian and Hilma Af Klint, two artists who both arrived at abstraction from different paths.

13:00 – Guided tour of the TATE

The second gem I'll reveal to you is the possibility of visiting the permanent collection with a guide for free. Everyday, Indeed, at 12:00 and at 13:00 TATE Modern volunteers gather a group of visitors for a thematic tour.

The meeting point is the second floor of the Natalie Bell building and the tour lasts approx 45/50 minutes. The theme changes often and depends on the day and time. This also gives the possibility of returning several times and always discovering new works thanks to the expert and never boring explanation. I find it an excellent way to approach contemporary art and not have to go through an indigestion of works in an immense museum like the TATE. The last tour I followed was entirely dedicated to the theme "History and Memory". The works ranged from the paintings of Cy Twombly to the fabrics of South American artists of the second half of the 20th century.

In the end, mark on the agenda that also the TATE British, the home of English works from the 17th century to the contemporary, organizes the same free tours. These too are not to be missed, maybe for another tour of what to see in one day in London!

14:00 – Lunch from Amazon Fresh

Once the tour at the TATE is over, it will certainly be time for lunch and to continue the tours of the museums, penso sia necessario un po’ per tutti noi mangiare un boccone. In the TATE area there are a thousand options, for all budgets and tastes. Wagamama, if you like Asian cuisine; LEON if you are looking for vegetarian dishes, but my advice is to take advantage of it to have a unique and fairly economical experience.

In fact, two minutes from the TATE Modern there is one of the Amazon Fresh sales points, those whose videos went viral because they left "without paying". If you have an Amazon account you can access the store, do the shopping and leave with the bag without going through the cash register because the bill will be directly debited to your card. I find it very comfortable! Furthermore, Amazon ha incentivato l’utilizzo di questa opzione inserendo il famoso “Meal Deal” nelle sue opzioni. What does the English Meal Deal consist of?? You pay a fixed fee (3,90£ il menu base) and take away a main course, a side dish and a drink. The choice is very vast and the quality is higher than in a supermarket. Then just put the three pieces in the bag and go out to enjoy lunch on one of the benches in front of the TATE. An excellent and quick alternative if you decide to see London in just one day!

15:00 – Walk along the Thames towards Covent Garden

After lunch, walk along the banks of the Thames from the TATE to Westminster to enjoy the most characteristic place in my opinion in the city. You can feel like a real Londoner as you pass by the used book stalls, to works of public art.

The destination is Covent Garden, on the opposite side of the river. I'm sure you'll love immersing yourself in the lively atmosphere of this neighborhood.

16:30 – National Gallery e Covent Garden

Among the things to see in London in one day I cannot fail to include the National Gallery, a Trafalgar Square. This museum houses a vast collection of paintings by famous artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Van Gogh and Monet. Here you can admire timeless masterpieces. Also in this case you can choose whether to visit the permanent collection for free or for a fee exhibitions temporary. As with the TATE, these never disappoint for the National Gallery.

Take a trip to the shop to pick up an artistic souvenir and unique gifts here or go out and finally arrive in Covent Garden. If you are a lover of the trendiest shops and want to go shopping this is the perfect place: from second-hand London 60s to the most famous single-brand stores such as Levi's or Dr. Martens.

19:30 – Seven Dials

In the end, per chiudere il tour d’arte da vedere a Londra in un giorno hai un bel po’ di scelta. If you want to stay on the Italian theme I suggest a pizza at RossoPomodoro there in Covent Garden or if you want to immerse yourself in the London air at 100% pop into Seven Dials Market. You will be spoiled for choice and you can truly live a London experience. Indeed, I myself went there with my English colleagues on my lunch break, taking advantage of the possibility of choosing between small restaurants and bars to suit all tastes..

And to end on a high note, enter the address “Seven Dials” on Google Maps, Neals Yard London WC2” e non perderti Neals Yard e la famosa Ode a Diana, a work by street artist Bambi in honor of Lady Diana.

Spero che questo giro per Londra un po’ insolito ti sia piaciuto e se vuoi non perderti i miei racconti su arte e musei ti suggerisco di iscriverti al canale Youtube @artnthecities or take a look at my blog: https://artandthecities.com/

Thanks for the wonderful London tour to Clelia Mangione, author of this article and founder of artnthecities. I suggest you take a look at his account Instagram and to the canal YouTube @artnthecities.