It’s difficult to predict exactly what effect the economic doom will have on London museum programming. Public spending on the arts will undoubtedly be squeezed, and the large corporations that public institutions also rely on for funds will more than likely take a similar budget-cutting approach. This could result in a new kind of freedom for the institutions, who could turn to smaller, perhaps more critically laudable shows, or, alternatively, could work to bring in crowd-pleasing blockbusters and the resulting café, gift-shop, and ticket receipts.

But speculation aside, there are still some great art exhibitions to be seen in and around the British capital in 2009 (all of which are in the later stages of planning and therefore, one hopes, will be little affected by the current crisis). Here, ARTINFO presents five of the best museum shows coming up in the first half of the year.

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