Discover contemporary Indian art at this free Saatchi Gallery exhibition in London.

The Empire Strikes Back features 26 emerging and established Indian artists, most of whom have never been shown before in the UK.

India’s contemporary art market is expanding rapidly, with thriving art galleries in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore.

Against this backdrop, Indian artists are making a wide range of work. The issues explored in the Saatchi Gallery exhibition include:

• The Raj and its legacy
• Gandhi and Nehru
• Urban expansion
• India’s slums
• Issues around migration

http://london.londinium.com/102159

The winning and commended images from the 2009 competition are now on show in a stunning new exhibition space at the Natural History Museum.

http://london.londinium.com/102150

The Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2009 presents the very best in contemporary portrait photography, showcasing the work of some of the most talented emerging young photographers , alongside that of established professionals, photography students and gifted amateurs.

http://london.londinium.com/102147

Chris Ofili’s intensely coloured and intricately ornamented paintings are on show at Tate Britain in a major survey of the artist’s career that brings together over 45 paintings, as well as pencil drawings and watercolours from the mid 1990s to today. One of the most acclaimed British painters of his generation, Ofili won the Turner Prize in 1998 and represented Great Britain at the 50th Venice Biennale in 2003.

At the centre of the Tropical Extravaganza festival at Kew Gardens will be the Princess of Wales Conservatory brimming with thousands of orchids and tropical plants. Explore the diversity of colours, shapes and sizes found in exotic plants and why they have evolved such spectacular forms.

Escape the cold winter chill and delve into a steamy tropical atmosphere filled with colour and incredible diversity. The many displays will include arches adorned with Oncidium orchids and bromeliads including Guzmania and Vriesea and a Vanda tunnel where you can immerse yourself in colour.

Rising from the pond at the heart of the Princess of Wales Conservatory will be a sculptural island display covered with hundreds of varieties of exotic orchids including beautiful slipper orchids (Paphiopedilum).

Tate Modern presents the first major exhibition in the UK devoted to the Dutch artist and pivotal figure of the European avant-garde, Theo van Doesburg.  This is a unique and exciting chance for van Doesburg’s work to be seen for the first time in the UK. This follows in the footsteps of a series of exhibitions looking at different aspects of Modernism, conceived by Vicente Todolí, Director of Tate Modern.

New work by William Eggleston, one of the most influential photographers of the last half-century. Hailed as the father of colour photography, his ability to find beauty in the banal has changed the way we look at the world. His colour prints monumentalise the everyday: the parking lots, diners, motel rooms and lives of the people of his native environment.

The Royal Academy of Arts presents a landmark exhibition of the work of Vincent Van Gogh (1853–1890). The focus of the exhibition is the artist’s remarkable correspondence.

Over 35 original letters, rarely exhibited to the public due to their fragility, are on display; together with around 65 paintings and 30 drawings that express the principal themes to be found within the correspondence.

The first major Van Gogh exhibition in London for over 40 years, this is a unique opportunity to gain an insight into the complex mind of Vincent van Gogh.

http://london.londinium.com/1820

Cirque du Soleil celebrates its 25th anniversary with a special return visit to the Royal Albert Hall with Varekai in January 2010.

Deep within a forest, at the summit of a volcano, exists an extraordinary world—a world where something else is possible. A world called Varekai.  The word Varekai means ‘wherever’ in the Romany language of the gypsies, the universal wanderers. This production pays tribute to the nomadic soul, to the spirit and art of the circus tradition, and to the infinite passion of those whose quest takes them along the path that leads to Varekai.

http://london.londinium.com/19498

Paccar Gallery, British Library
Price: Free

From the first tentative ‘drawings of shadows’ produced in the mid-1830s to its universal acceptance as a leisure pursuit, photography was swept along by a tide of entrepreneurial activity throughout the 19th century.

As an influential new artistic and documentary medium, photography rapidly developed into a lucrative profession. Science, government, industry and a growing media quickly recognised its power both to reflect and to shape society, while both artists and amateurs embraced its potential for personal expression.

Organised by subject matter, the exhibition asks: ‘Who was taking the photograph and why?’ Section by section, items are presented within their cultural context to explore some of the major themes of the 19th century – from expansion to industrialisation, science, and the rapid changes taking place in society. The final section reveals how technology responded to the demands of a developing mass market for photography, which continues to the present day.

http://london.londinium.com/93848

Tate Modern
Price: Free

This is the 10th commission in the Unilever Series for the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern. This exhibition showcases Polish Artist Miroslaw Balka, with installations, sculpture and video by him. These works explore themes of personal history and common experience, and is intimate and self-reflective, demonstrating his central concerns of identifying personal memory within the context of historical memory.

http://london.londinium.com/93843

Tate Britain
Price: Free

This free exhibition showcases Turner’s exploration of methods and techiniques, of colour and line. It follows Turner’s travels through Europe and his responses to different places, lighting and materials available. This ongoing exhibition will change exhibits every 6 months.

http://london.londinium.com/91509

Imperial War Museum
Price: Free

Breakthrough is an art exhibition showcasing British art from both WWI and WWII, focusing particuarly on non-official and contemporary work. Official works shown will include some by Paul Nash, CRW Nevinson, John Piper and Eric Ravilious. Until the 28th June an additional display ‘The Neo-Romantics At War’ will also be on show, exploring the rise of British Neo-Romanticism during World War Two.

http://london.londinium.com/90055

Imperial War Museum
Age: 8-12

Taken from the Horrible History series of books, this exhibition lets visitors learn more about live in the trenches. Visitors can discover battle plans and living conditions, and can even try on strange clothes for living in trenches and climbing into mining tunnels, peering through periscopes and much more!

http://london.londinium.com/90054

Science Museum
Cost: Free

Explore how astronomy has changed the way we see our universe – and ourselves – through this object-rich exhibition. From ancient heritage to cutting edge technology, trace the history of people and the stars through different stories drawn from around the world.

http://london.londinium.com/88640

Science Museum
Cost: Free

This temporary exhibition showcases 20 examples where F1™ technology is impacting on our lives, from changing the way we look after patients and design our sports equipment, to maintaining the heating systems in our homes.

http://london.londinium.com/88637

A mother. A daughter. 3 possible dads. And a trip down the aisle you’ll never forget!

Over 32 million people all around the world have fallen in love with the characters, the story and the music that make MAMMA MIA! the ultimate feel-good show!

Writer Catherine Johnson’s sunny, funny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the identity of her father brings 3 men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago. The story-telling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs propels this enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship, and every night everyone’s having the time of their lives!

http://london.londinium.com/19541 – Mamma Mia