Ask the Art Director: Insider tips from Maddox Gallery's Maeve Doyle

Now in its ninth season, Art in Mayfair returns as the annual celebration of art and culture in partnership with the Royal Academy of Arts. The honour of designing this year's magnificent flags goes to internationally acclaimed artist Ugo Rondinone. His stunning flag installation, Light, will fly high above Bond Street from 8 June to mid-August 2026. Coinciding with the Royal Academy's annual Summer Exhibition, the Art in Mayfair event is guaranteed to bring a splash of colour to Bond Street's windows and exciting new art to its streets.

Must-see events and collaborations include Director's Cut at the Halcyon Gallery, June 8-30, featuring dreamy landscapes and filmic interiors by the Spanish artist, Ernesto Cánovas. At Bang & Olufsen, Hiroshi Fujiwara’s Tokyo-based design studio, Fragment Design, has reimagined four of the brand’s most iconic products, including its Beosound Shape tile speakers. And Bvlgari's stunning new window displays draw inspiration from a selection of iconic campaign illustrations by artist and designer Davide Pizzigoni, created between 1991 and 2007.

To say Maeve Doyle is busy is perhaps an understatement, especially at this time of the year, with so many Mayfair art happenings. Today, she wears several hats: renowned international art critic, global artistic director of the Maddox Gallery group. She is also the host of her own podcast, ‘A Private View with Maeve Doyle’ on Soho Radio’s culture channel. And when she is not doing all that, she curates and leads Brown's Hotel's weekend art tours, all of which makes her the ideal person to offer a glimpse into Mayfair's dynamic art world. 

How do you curate your art walks with Brown's Hotel?

The concierge team at Browns work closely with me to provide 100% personalisation for their guests, whether they are a single client, a couple, or a family. They may be someone who wants to add to their personal art collection, so depending on their taste, we pick the route together.  For example, one couple was interested in Banksy, so I took them on an after-hours, behind-the-scenes tour at Sotheby’s with the senior director of sales. 

What is Bond Street's role within Mayfair's historic art scene?

Bond Street’s role as a cornerstone of London’s art scene started with Joshua Reynolds and the Royal Academy in 1769. The Academy has run continuously for over two centuries, hosting annual events like the famous Summer Exhibition and the Royal Academy Schools, a postgraduate education in contemporary art practice. Cork Street then became the ideal location for commercial galleries, including the legendary Guggenheim Jeune. Peggy Guggenheim's short-lived gallery opened here in 1938, marking the English debut of Wassily Kandinsky. Sotheby’s and The Fine Art Society (now Halcyon) were on Bond Street for 146 years.  Luxury brands, including Dior and Loewe, all have in-house art collections for the culturally curious consumer. Bond Street really is the centre of the art world and the U.K art market.

What do you love most about the Art in Mayfair-designed flags lining Bond Street?

I am delighted to see creativity spilling out of the Royal Academy's gallery walls and onto the streets of Mayfair for everyone to experience. It’s such a celebration of summer. Ugo Rondinone’s art flag installation flying high above Mayfair is nothing short of art history in the making and a tribute to the Royal Academy’s dedication to culture in the area. Note to the culturally curious. The flags are inspired by Ugo Rondinone's Sunrise Sunset watercolours, currently on show at Sadie Coles' Bury Street gallery. 

Where would you recommend someone go for an immersive art, tea and shopping experience? 

If you want to enhance your cultural experience, start at the Donovan Bar at Browns Hotel. It is a permanent exhibition space for the acclaimed photographer Terrance Donovan, who, along with David Bailey and Brian Duffy, created what is now known as the 'London Look'. I’m not an afternoon person, but the drawing room at Browns is always booked, and so is the afternoon tea at Sketch on Conduit Street. My favourite places to shop on Bond Street include Dior, where customer experience manager Damien Ipser shares the stories behind the flagship's permanent art collection and Christian Dior's personal relationship to art and artists.

Art in Mayfair is free to experience and on display across Bond Street from 8 June until mid-August 2026.