Summer Exhibition 2012

4 June—12 August 2012

In the Main Galleries, Burlington House

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The world’s largest open submission contemporary art show, now in its 244th year, continues the tradition of showcasing work by both emerging and established artists in all media including painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, architecture and film.

Installation view of Gallery III, Summer Exhibition 2012 @ Royal Academy of Arts

The Summer Exhibition attracts a high volume of entrants annually with over 11,000 entries received this year. Royal Academician Tess Jaray is the co-ordinator for Summer Exhibition 2012.

The exhibition begins in the Wohl Central Hall, which this year pays homage to Matisse’s The Red Studio. The vibrant gallery provide a backdrop to a selection of paintings whose main concern is colour. Gallery III, the grandest space in Burlington House, is curated by Tess Jaray RA. Containing a large quantity of smaller paintings, the gallery demonstrates that work of a more modest scale can be as powerful as larger work. As a former teacher at the Slade School of Art, Jaray is mindful of providing a forum for established and younger artists to show their work to the public.

Chris Wilkinson RA and Eva Jiricna RA have curated the architecture gallery of the Summer Exhibition. Their curatorial direction seeks to blur the boundaries between architecture and the fine arts.

Further highlights include a video room dedicated to the work of Jayne Parker and a gallery of Scottish and Irish artists arranged by Barbara Rae RA. Other artists exhibiting this year include Michael Craig-Martin RA, Michael Landy RA, Tracey Emin RA, Ken Howard RA, Anselm Kiefer Hon RA, Raqib Shaw, Calum Innes and Keith Coventry.

Following on from last year’s successful BBC TWO Summer Exhibition Culture Show Special, the Royal Academy of Arts is delighted to be working with the BBC once more. 'The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition: A Culture Show Special with Alastair Sooke’ will be broadcast on Friday, 15 June at 6pm on BBC2.

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