Top things to do during Art in Mayfair: 12 June-9 July, 2023

See Mayfair’s historic streets transformed with colourful flags designed by British contemporary artist Bob and Roberta Smith, who is known as using text as an art form.

The colourful flags will hang above Mayfair’s key streets, including fashionable Mount Street, foodie hotspots North Audley Street and Duke Street, and shopping hub South Audley Street.

Bob and Roberta Smith

Prepare to be wowed by magnificent sculptures in Mayfair’s parks, with highlights including four sculptures in Grosvenor Square and one in Berkeley Square, all created by French conceptual artist Bernar Venet who is known for his curved metal sculptures. More details about the sculptures will be revealed soon.

Enjoy a spot of artful dining by booking a table at one of Mayfair’s art-filled or design-led restaurants and bars.

Located near the Berkeley Square sculpture is Bacchanalia on Mount Street, which boasts four Damien Hirst statues, hand-painted ceiling murals and 2000-year-old Greek and Roman artworks. Also near Berkeley Square is the art-filled Audley Public House on Mount Street, which has a rotating roster of artworks, with Phyllida Barlow’s colourful kaleidoscope ceiling installation taking centre stage. Other artworks include Martin Creed’s neon FRIENDS sign above the bar.

On the first floor of The Audley Public House is the Mount St. Restaurant (pictured below) which houses more than 200 pieces of art throughout its main dining room and private rooms, including works by Andy Warhol, Henry Matisse, Lucian Freud, Ferdinand Hodler, Peter Fischli and David Weiss. The restaurant’s showpiece is the eye-catching ‘Broken Floor’, a palladiano mosaic floor by Rashid Johnson which runs throughout the dining room.

For a dose of 1929s New York glamour, head to The Colony Grill Room at The Beaumont hotel, which is adorned with large-scale murals and maximalist artworks.

Alternatively, head to The Ivy Asia in Mayfair’s North Audley Street for wow-factor interiors, including a dazzling green stone floor, antique decor and a dining room filed with 12 cherry blossom trees.

See solo exhibition “Powerful, despite it all” by French-Vietnamese artist Sophie-Yen Bretez at the JD Malat Gallery on Davies Street, Mayfair. A champion of emerging female artists, the exhibition invites viewers to embark on a journey to reflect on the themes of memory, pain, and resilience through the lens of universal femininity. 8 June-8 July, 2023.

Book a stay at Antony Gormley’s Room at The Beaumont hotel, a one-off suite occupying the interior of a giant semi-abstract sculpture. The dark, wood-panelled, cave-like room offers its occupants the chance to find peace and tranquillity away from the pressures of modern life. From £1,100 per night. Book a stay at Room at The Beaumont.

If you’re visiting after dark, head to the iconic five-star hotel The Connaught in Carlos Place to sip cocktails in its art-filled Red Room, which is tucked behind a velvet-curtained doorway of the hotel’s Champagne Room. The bar showcases a collection of red-coloured artworks by female artists, including I Am Rouge by Louise Bourgeois and a photographic piece by Trina McKillen. The striking design-led interior includes a pink onyx bar and a red-flecked marble fireplace.

See iconic and rarely seen photographs by pioneering photographer Richard Avedon at Avedon: Glamorous at Hamiltons Gallery. Marking the centenary of Richard Avedon’s birth, this exhibition features photographs that focus on glamour, including images of Tina Turner and Andy Warhol. Find out more. 17 May-11 August, 2023. 

Richard Avedon, Debutante Cotillion, New Orleans, Louisiana, February 19, 1963

Buy wash bags and laundry bags designed by artist Charlotte Posner at Hanro. Inspired by the brand’s heritage, the bags celebrate the craftsmanship of iconic products from the archives.