London's blockbuster exhibitions open now

From feeling the heartbeat of a hummingbird to stepping inside a starling murmuration, this family-friendly exhibition invites you to enter fully into the world of birds – both familiar and endlessly surprising. Discover what a pigeon has in common with a T. rex and why some species bathe in acid – as well as the reason that birds outlived the dinosaurs.

Across two exhibitions in dialogue, experience two artists at pivotal moments in their careers: the Brazilian neo-concrete artist Lygia Clark and the interdisciplinary British artist Sonia Boyce. Despite working in different contexts, separated by time and geography, both Clark and Boyce embraced participation in their practices, sharing an interest in the relationship between artist and viewer. Discover the similarities and differences between their distinct approaches, while getting a deeper understanding of each artist's significance in global art history.

Don't miss this year's edition of the biggest contemporary art prize, back at Tate Britain to mark 40 years since its inception. Discover the boundary-pushing artists who were in the running for the 2024 Turner Prize, awarded to Jasleen Kaur for her Ford Escort draped in a giant doily.

Discover how a wide-ranging community of photographers captured a decade of change. The powerful shots in this exhibition document race uprisings, the miners strikes, section 28 and the AIDS pandemic – giving voice and visibility to overlooked and ignored groups. Used as a tool for social change, they're now a remarkable showcase of photography's impact on both art and the world.

Figurative painter Francis Bacon said that the definition of a great portrait is that 'it returns you to the person that you are trying to catch' – no matter how abstract or distorted the image might be. Across more than 50 works from the 1940s onwards, this exhibition charts Bacon's talent for capturing people's likeness – both of himself and key figures in his life – in ways that transcended the parameters of portraiture at the time.

If you couldn't get enough of last summer's Barbiemania then you're in luck with the Design Museum's deep-dive into the iconic doll. Discover how Barbie's style, houses, cars and friends all evolved over the decades with design trends and a shift towards a more inclusive, multicultural world. You'll leave realising that life in plastic really is fantastic.

Journey to elaborate, provocative and imaginary worlds concocted by the brilliant mind of Mike Kelley. His work drew on a range of sources, from pop culture to philosophy, to explore themes of childhood and memory and how we blur the roles we play in society with characters on film.

Charting medieval women's experiences in their own words, this wide-ranging exhibition features 140 items from across medieval Europe, drawn from the British Library's own collections and including significant loans from the V&A, British Museum and the Louvre. The manuscripts, paintings, coins and more on show document the private, public and spiritual lives of women from roughly 1100 to 1500.

One of the original supermodels and the first Black woman to appear on the cover of French Vogue at the tender age of 18, who doesn't know Naomi Campbell? Through her enviable wardrobe and legendary looks from over the years, this exhibition tells the story of her life and successful career, which saw her turn into a global superstar and fashion icon.

Step inside and interact with immersive light sculptures in this major presentation of Anthony McCall, a contemporary artist who redefined the possibilities of sculpture in the 70s. Create new shapes with your own movement in these translucent installations that blur sculpture, cinema, drawing and performance.

Marvel at starry skies and bright sunflowers in this major exhibition dedicated to one of the most well-known artists in the world, Vincent van Gogh. In this once-in-a-century show, the National Gallery brings together paintings and drawings from his brief but significant time in the south of France, where he developed his revolutionary painting style, marked by vibrant colours and bold and dramatic brushstrokes.