Ikon hosts a new solo exhibition from Birmingham-raised artist Mahtab Hussain.

What Did You Want To See? explores the fine line between photographic documentation and surveillance culture, addressing the intelligence sites established by the media and the state to monitor the Muslim community in Britain.

Commissioned by Ikon and Photoworks, the exhibition features new work, including Hussain’s systematic documentation of 160 Birmingham mosques, revealing the diversity of mosque architecture; portraits of Birmingham residents which highlight the city’s vibrant Muslim community; a communal space within the gallery aimed at fostering inclusion and intercultural dialogue; and What Did You Want To See? an installation simulating a site under surveillance.

Lauded as one of art’s greatest-ever storytellers, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery hosts a collection from 17th-century Dutch painter Rembrandt. On tour from Rembrandt House Museum in the Netherlands, Rembrandt: Masterpieces in Black and White highlights the full range of the artists’ output along with those he influenced across the centuries.

Wolverhampton Art Gallery hosts a solo exhibition by renowned Syrian-Armenian photographer Hrair Sarkissian.

Other Pains comprises three bodies of work where captivating landscapes and urban scenes reflect sites of previous pain, trauma or melancholy from both the artist’s own personal history and that of others.

The Bothy is a permanent outdoor installation set in the Minerva Apothecary Garden on the Grand Union Canalside, and is part of Whittle’s long-term artist project with Grand Union titled Congregation: Creating Dangerously.

Created by British-Barbadian artist Alberta Whittle, along with Birmingham-based women’s organisations and MJM Bespoke, the structure is modelled on a traditional Scottish both, which provides temporary, free shelter for anyone to use, and is intended as a place for people to rest and take in views of the sky and surrounding land.

Presented by Midlands Arts Centre and Sampad South Asian Arts and Heritage, Sari Stories shares joyful and moving reflections on the sari, collated through an open call by individuals across the Midlands.

From climbing mountains and running marathons in saris, to hand crafted saris passed down through family, to expressions of gender and queer identity explored through the beautiful material, this exhibition weaves together a rich collection of stories.

An upcoming outdoor exhibition will celebrate Solihull’s integral role in the Surrealist art movement.

Surreal Solihull will be located in Solihull town centre. Its starting point will hone in on the work of pioneering artist and poet Emmy Bridgewater, who founded and worked with the Birmingham Surrealists throughout the 1930s and 40s.

As well as featuring several pieces painted, collaged and drawn by Emmy Bridgwater, 30 local artists have been commissioned to create new Surrealist artworks which will be debuted at the free-to-attend exhibition.

Founded in 1880, The Lapworth Museum of Geology is one of the oldest geological museums in the UK.

Housed in the Edwardian Grade II listed Aston Webb Building at the University of Birmingham, the institution houses collections dedicated to everything from dinosaurs and volcanoes to diamonds and fossils, offering a fascinating insight into how life began and changed through time.

A powerful and moving solo exhibition by Marcia Michael reimagines the traditional family album to explore the beauty and depth of Black family connections in British history.

The Family Album captures intimate moments, challenges stereotypes and celebrates Black love and identity through photography, sculptures and archival imagery.

Another mention for Ikon as the gallery hosts a major solo exhibition by multidisciplinary artist Htein Lin from Myanmar.

Escape compiles a comprehensive selection of the artist’s paintings made while he was a political prisoner from 1998 to 2004.

At the centre of the collection are over 45 works from the 000235 series (1998-2004). Named after Htein Lin’s International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) number, they demonstrate the ingenuity and originality of his art made in confinement.

Whether you’re a calligraphy fanatic or more of a fairweather fan, the Pen Museum is a somewhat unlikely but fun afternoon out for all ages.

During the Victorian era, making steel pen nibs was a major industry, with 129 companies employing 8,000 workers across Birmingham. Throughout the museum, you’ll find a wide variety of objects that tell the story of the city’s pen trade, with a range of interactive activities along the way, including writing with quills and ink, using graphology to analyse your handwriting and even the opportunity to make your own nib.

A newly-formed West Midlands arts collective hosts its first group exhibition at Solihull’s Courtyard Gallery.

Belongings features the work of 20 diverse artists from the region who have recently formed the new collective MIAC (Midlands International Artists Collective). The exhibition explores themes of belonging, identity, journey, heritage and multiculturalism for their first show, which will include paintings, photography, weaving, textiles and ceramics, alongside other mixed-media works.