Five must-see exhibitions in London for your Easter 2014

With a four–day weekend to look forward to, Easter is the perfect time for visiting galleries. Here is a helpful line-up of some of the most exciting exhibitions to be seen in London this spring.

Pangaea: New Art from Africa and Latin America – Saatchi Gallery

Pangaea, at the Saatchi Gallery, takes its name from the land mass that formed over 300 million years ago, before splitting apart to create the continents that we know today as Latin America and Africa. The exhibition celebrates new works from the two cultures with pieces by 15 contemporary artists, including Christian Roza, José Lerma and David Koloane. Some of the highlights of the show are Rafael Gómezbarros’ oversized fibreglass ants, which crawl across the walls of the first gallery, Ibrahim Mahama’s atmospheric wall installation of draped jute sacks and a series of energetic multi-layered paintings by Boris Nzebo.

Pangaea is at Saatchi Gallery until 31^st August 2014, for further information visit here.

Richard Galpin: Elephant (Ten Thousand Revolutions per Minute) – Hales Gallery

Best known for his cut-out photographic pieces, Richard Galpin’s latest work on show at the Hales Gallery is a large scale wall-based installation that combines experimental photography with sculpture to create a complex piece that tells of the ongoing cycle of construction, decay, demolition and renewal that affects London today. Inspired by the area of Elephant and Castle, Galpin has trapped photographic papers within a steel structure that reminds the viewer of the area’s industrial past. Rich in detail, the piece provides a thought-provoking visual commentary on the city’s constantly changing landscape.

Richard Galpin: Elephant (Ten Thousand Revolutions per Minute) is at Hales Gallery until 31^st May 2014, for further information visit here.

Ruin Lust – Tate Britain

Ruined buildings became a highly popular subject matter in the 18^th century and have been providing a source of inspiration for artists ever since. Ruin Lust at Tate Britain traces the ruin’s history as an icon, exploring its inclusion in an eclectic range of pieces that vary from the mournful and melancholic to the comic. Featuring over 100 works by artists including John Constable, Eduardo Paolozzi and Rachel Whiteread, this fascinating exhibition attempts to reveal exactly what it is that makes ruins so compelling.

Ruin Lust is at Tate Britain until 18^th May 2014, for further information visit here.

Confiscation Cabinets – V&A Museum of Childhood

Curated by artist and teacher Guy Tarrant, Confiscation Cabinets at the V&A Museum of Childhood is a display of over 250 objects confiscated from pupils at 150 London schools between the 1980s-present. Containing everything from Pokémon cards and Tamagotchies to more unusual finds, such as homemade weapons and a headless model of Mr T from The A Team, this fascinating collection is sure to evoke the viewer’s memories of their own school days – whether these be good, bad or ugly.

Confiscation Cabinets is at V&A Museum of Childhood until 1^st June 2014, for further information visit here .

United Visual Artists (UVA): Momentum – The Curve, Barbican Centre

Momentum by United Visual Artists (UVA) is a new installation that challenges visitors’ long-held perceptions of time, mass and movement. Carefully planned to work perfectly within the space of the Barbican Centre’s Curve gallery, this site-specific piece consists of 12 pendulums that trigger lights and sounds as they swing, creating a surreal retreat from the everyday world, in which the viewer’s senses are heightened and they feel as if time itself is slowing down. Haunting and magical, Momentum was inspired by research into computer technology and aims to create a new environment in which the rules of physics that shape our usual experiences appear to become flexible.

United Visual Artists (UVA): Momentum is at The Curve, Barbican Centre until 1^st June 2014, for further information visit here.

Melanie Weaver