Eco-Conscious Exhibitions You Should Visit in London this Summer
This summer in London, you will get to see the most stunning eco-conscious exhibitions. From exhibitions centred on ecology to ones that tackle the future of food, these exhibitions will spark notes of conversation, inspiration and an opportunity to see the world in an eco-responsible lens.
In the summer of 2025, eco-conscious exhibitions have never been more important. London has had amazing sustainable art exhibitions over the years. This summer, there are new ones that are just as amazing and ones you absolutely need to see.
SUMMER EXHIBITION 2025
Royal Academy of Arts
Main Galleries | Burlington House
17 June 2025 – 17 August 2025
The Summer Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts has been held ever since the year of 1769. It displays various contemporary works such as prints, paintings, films, photography, sculpture, and architectural works. This year, the exhibition’s theme is based on “Dialogues”, a space created by art’s power to establish and inspire necessary conversations around topics such as ecology, survival and “living together”, as quoted by Farshid Moussavi RA, the exhibition’s coordinator.
“The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2025 will be dedicated to art’s capacity to forge dialogues and to afford us sensitivity towards societal concerns, such as ecology, survival and living together.” – Farshid Moussavi RA, coordinator of Summer Exhibition 2025.
Over 1,700 pieces by famous artists and members of the public were selected by Farshid Moussavi and her Summer Exhibition committee. If you’re in London this summer, this is an exhibition you don’t want to miss!
FUTURE OF FOOD
Science Museum
Special Exhibition Gallery 1, Level 1
24 July 2025 – 4 January 2026
“Future of Food”, an exciting, free exhibition set to open this month on 24 July, is all about how food needs to change in order to protect the planet. An interactive, multi-sensory exhibition that answers questions about how food goes “from field to plate”, how it was made in the past and how ecology and biotechnology will play a part in its future change, it will explore this in great detail through fascinating features.
These features include: food items such as a 3,500-year-old loaf of bread and the first beef steak grown outside a cow, a large multiplayer game where you can imagine your very own future of food, and inspiring stories of scientific and community efforts about conserving food’s genetic diversity, which includes Norway’s seed vaults and seed-swapping ceremonies in the Amazon. On top of this, you will also get the chance to see the work of community food projects making incredible strides in reducing environmental impact.
There is so much to discover, learn from and engage with at this incredible exhibition. Don’t miss it when it opens later this month!
“Delve into how community food projects, from organic food subsidy schemes in Cardiff to community kitchens in Peru, are making positive strides in reducing the environmental impacts of the food we buy, cook and eat.” – Science Museum.
UNEARTHED: THE POWER OF GARDENING
British Library
British Library, London
2 May 2025 – 10 August 2025
The British Library’s major exhibition is all about the power of gardening. Currently open and set to close on 10 August, it includes a rich history of gardening, centuries that “have nurtured individuals, empowered communities and transformed our natural world”, as quoted by the British Library.
“From beautiful botanical illustrations to the world’s oldest mechanised lawnmower, ancient herbals to guerrilla gardening zines, Unearthed reveals how gardeners have cultivated more than just plants – they’ve sown the seeds of change.” – British Library.
Unearthed also embraces sustainability through its design and build, the practices of which were inspired and aimed to reduce environmental impact. The Library, for example, is now measuring carbon emissions of the exhibition for the first time. Additionally, most of the materials in the exhibition’s build are bio-based and the design itself was created “to easily disassemble for more efficient re-use and recycling”, as quoted by the British Library.
From getting a chance to see the immense impact gardening has on human wellbeing, health, and the environment, to visions of reimagined homes, towns and cities for the creation of green spaces, including a wealth of amazing books, manuscripts, photographs, artworks and historical tools, this exhibition is a must-see! Not only will it ignite a love for gardening, it will show you just how beautiful and important it is, too.
MORE THAN HUMAN
Design Museum
Ground Level
11 July 2025 – 5 October 2025
The Design Museum’s major exhibition is a groundbreaking, eco-conscious exhibition that explores how design can help the planet flourish beyond human needs. It showcases radical ideas on how to specifically design with the natural world, to understand it better, and to not leave it behind, especially in the threat and presence of climate emergency.
“This will be the first major exhibition on a growing movement of ‘more-than-human’ design, presenting a new generation of international designers whose practices embrace the idea that human activities can only flourish alongside other species and systems.” – Design Museum.
Created in collaboration with Future Observatory, the museum’s national research programme for the green transition, the exhibition features incredible art, design, architecture and technology. In addition to featuring more than 50 artists, architects and designers, over 140 works are on display, consisting of contemporary and traditional practices, fine art, product design, architecture and interactive installations.
Having opened on 11 July and set to close on 5 October, “More than Human” will allow us to rethink the very nature of design, how necessary it is to create with and for the living world, and the medium’s importance in the climate we live in today.
Highlight Image:
© Unearthed at the British Library © British Library Board
