Summertime London Awaits: Top Eco-Friendly Exhibitions to Explore
London's Summer of Eco-Conscious Art and Culture
London's cultural scene is blooming with a focus on ecological responsibility and sustainability this summer. Here's a roundup of some key exhibitions that highlight the city's commitment to environmental issues.
Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition (June 17 – August 17, 2025, Burlington House)
The long-running Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition is back, with a theme of "Dialogues." This year's exhibition showcases over 1,700 pieces across various media, emphasizing societal and ecological concerns. The works on display range from prints and paintings to sculpture and film, all selected to inspire conversations about ecology, survival, and cohabitation.
Marina Tabassum’s 2025 Serpentine Pavilion (Summer 2025, Kensington Gardens)
The Serpentine Pavilion series continues with Marina Tabassum's design, titled A Capsule in Time. This innovative pavilion integrates ecological and social issues like housing insecurity and climate change. It encourages community engagement and reflects on the relationship between people, history, and the Earth. The design is sustainable and interactive, making it a must-visit for the 25th anniversary of the Serpentine Pavilion series.
The "Future of Our Food" Exhibition (July 24 – Dates Not Specified, Science Museum)
The Science Museum is hosting "The Future of Our Food" exhibition, which opens on July 24, 2025. This exhibition offers knowledge, inspiration, and hands-on activities, exploring how food needs to change to protect the planet. It focuses on food production, past practices, and future developments, and showcases local initiatives that are successfully reducing the environmental impact of food. Highlights include interactive activities, food like a 3,500-year-old loaf of bread, the first lab-grown burger, and stories of community and scientific efforts to preserve food genetic diversity.
"More than Human" Exhibition at the Design Museum (July 11 – October 5, 2025)
The Design Museum's "More than Human" exhibition invites visitors to rethink the role of design in relation to the living world and the climate crisis. It features over 140 works from art, design, architecture, and technology by 50 artists, architects, and designers. This exhibition is a collaboration with the Future Observatory, the museum's national research program for green transition.
"Unearthed: The Power of the Gardener" Exhibition at the British Library (May 2 – August 10, 2025)
The British Library's "Unearthed" exhibition explores the history and impact of gardening on individuals, communities, and the natural world. This exhibition uses bio-based materials and a design that allows for easy disassembly, reuse, and recycling to minimize environmental impact. The British Library is also measuring the CO2 emissions of the exhibition for the first time.
These exhibitions illustrate London's summer cultural scene as deeply engaged with ecological responsibility, sustainability in art and architecture, and fostering community dialogue on environmental issues. Whether you're a lover of art, architecture, or the environment, London's summer of 2025 offers a wealth of opportunities to learn, engage, and be inspired.
- The Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition holds a theme of "Dialogues," emphasizing conversations about ecology, survival, and cohabitation, which are integral to science and the environment.
- The Serpentine Pavilion's 25th anniversary design by Marina Tabassum, titled A Capsule in Time, integrates ecological issues such as climate change and housing insecurity within the realm of science and environmental science.
- The Science Museum's "Future of Our Food" exhibition, opening on July 24, 2025, focuses on the impact of food production on the environment and the role of sustainable living in changing food practices.
- The Design Museum's "More than Human" exhibition collaborates with the Future Observatory, the museum's national research program for green transition, and features works that address the environmental crisis in the areas of art, architecture, design, and technology.
- The British Library's "Unearthed" exhibition, from May 2 to August 10, 2025, showcases gardening's influence on individuals, communities, and the natural world, using bio-based materials and a design that ensures sustainability in the home and garden.
