The RA’s annual showcase of all the artists you need to know about right now is back to brighten up the summer holidays. Now in its 257th year, the world’s oldest open submission exhibition (which means anyone can enter their work to be considered for inclusion) is curated by a different member of the Royal Academy each year.
The artist who was tasked with the big job in 2025 is British-Iranian architect Farshid Moussavi. The great thing about the Summer Exhibition is that it’s open to all, and the selectors pick from thousands of entries. That means that your mate’s mum’s weird little whittled sculptures of George Michael might be shown alongside something by Antony Gormley. It’s a good opportunity to spot an art star of the future, but it also still knows how to get the big art names in. And there’s a huge amount to see. From miniature paintings to enormous canvases, architectural models to photography, the exhibition features literally hundreds of works, meaning there’s something for everyone. And hey, most of it is for sale, so you may just be able to nab a bargain.
