filter_list Showing 174 results for "Freedom" close Clear
dashboard All 543 museum exhibitions 174article news 153article policy 106article culture 32article local 29person people 19candle obituary 10rate_review review 9trending_up market 7gavel restitution 4
date_range Range Today This Week This Month All
Subscribe

Frank Stella’s Personal Collection of Navajo Textiles Goes on View for the First Time

A selection of Navajo textiles from the personal collection of minimalist artist Frank Stella is being exhibited and sold for the first time. The 55 textiles, dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, will be on view at Arader Galleries in New York from May 15 to June 10, then travel to Peter Pap Rugs in New Hampshire in June. Priced between $6,500 and $25,000, the collection includes a large 19th-century blanket that Stella lent to a seminal 1972 exhibition at LACMA. Stella began collecting these works in the mid-1960s after being introduced to Navajo art by Donald Judd and Tony Berlant.

Venice Biennale 2026: all the national pavilions, artists and curators so far

The 61st edition of the Venice Biennale, the world's oldest and most prestigious art biennial, will open on 9 May 2026 and run through 22 November. The main exhibition follows the curatorial plan of the late Koyo Kouoh, while national pavilions have been announcing their participating artists and organizers. The article provides a comprehensive list of confirmed pavilions so far, including artists such as Genti Korini (Albania), Matías Duville (Argentina), Khaled Sabsabi (Australia), Florentina Holzinger (Austria), Faig Ahmed (Azerbaijan), and many others, with details on venues and organizers.

ai weiwei lego water lilies monet 2274982

Ai Weiwei has recreated Claude Monet's monumental triptych "Water Lilies" (1914–26) using 650,000 Lego bricks in 22 colors, spanning nearly 50 feet. The work, titled "Water Lilies #1" (2022), is now on display at the Design Museum in London ahead of a major survey exhibition opening April 7. Ai added a personal touch by inserting a "dark portal" referencing the underground dugout he shared with his father during his family's exile to Xinjiang in the 1960s. The show also includes "Untitled (Lego Incident)", a work made from Lego bricks sent by fans after Ai's Instagram post about Lego temporarily restricting his bulk orders for political artworks.

toyin ojih odutola 2660457

Toyin Ojih Odutola is presenting two major solo exhibitions simultaneously—one at Jack Shainman Gallery in New York and one at the Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin—marking a pivotal moment in her career. The New York show, titled "Ilé Oriaku," features recent works that build on themes from her 2024 Kunsthalle Basel exhibition and the Nigerian Pavilion at the 60th Venice Biennale, incorporating personal loss, ancestral memory, and layered storytelling. The artist describes a need for freedom and resists tidy conclusions, instead embracing flux and experimentation.

onassis onx opens in tribeca 1234761127

The Onassis Foundation’s experimental art and tech studio, Onassis ONX, is relocating to a larger 6,000-square-foot space in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood, doubling its size. The new facility at 390 Broadway will open in January with the multimedia exhibition “TECHNE: Homecoming,” featuring works by artists such as Andrew Thomas Huang, Tamiko Thiel, and Sister Sylvester. The space includes advanced production facilities like a motion-capture stage, a three-wall projection room, an expanded sound studio, and enhanced AI and generative media infrastructure.

gallerist ron mandos erwin olaf 2747351

Gallerist Ron Mandos reflects on the enduring legacy of the late Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf, whose work blended fine art, fashion, and activism. Following Olaf’s death in 2023, Galerie Ron Mandos has continued to champion his career, most recently through the exhibition “Tender Fury,” which places Olaf’s provocative imagery in dialogue with conceptual artist Kendell Geers. The partnership between Mandos and Olaf began in earnest in 2020, a period during which the artist committed to a decade of total creative freedom, resulting in significant series like “Im Wald.”

america 250th anniversary exhibitions 2662919

Museums across the United States are preparing exhibitions to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026. The New York Historical will present "Democracy Matters," opening June 19, 2026, exploring voting, free speech, and land rights through works by Thomas Cole, Mel Chin, and Lady Pink alongside historic documents. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston will debut "America at 250" on the same date, integrating Native and non-Native art with pieces like Gilbert Stuart's portrait of George Washington and a critique by Mohawk artist Alan Michelson. The National Portrait Gallery had planned "Amy Sherald: American Sublime" for September 2025, but Sherald canceled the show over censorship concerns in July 2025. The Philadelphia Museum of Art will host "A Nation of Artists" from April 2026 through September 2027, featuring Frederic Edwin Church's "Pichincha."

spielzug gallery 1 day at a time new york 1234770906

Spielzeug Gallery, a nomadic curatorial project founded by Evan Karas, opened a temporary brick-and-mortar space at 131 Chrystie Street in New York through a collaboration with 1 Day at a Time, an enterprise that helps nomadic creatives secure footholds in the city. The inaugural exhibition, “TOYS! TOYS! TOYS!”, featured works by Thomas Liu Le Lann, Josh Rabineau, and Michelle Im, exploring themes of control, psychosexuality, and the interplay of objects and space. The gallery’s model, described as an “itinerant fantasy,” has previously staged shows in venues including a Czech bunker, a party bus, and a Bushwick apartment.

michele pred projecting democracy 2748329

Artist and activist Michele Pred has opened a solo exhibition at Nancy Hoffman Gallery in New York, showcasing a body of work that addresses the erosion of civil and reproductive rights. The exhibition features her signature electroluminescent wire-stitched vintage handbags, sculptures made from found objects like wooden gavels and disarmed bullets, and large-scale inflatable abortion pill sculptures. Pred’s practice, rooted in her upbringing between California and Sweden, utilizes approachable domestic objects to deliver urgent political messages regarding bodily autonomy and social justice.

john constable bernard jacobson gallery 2741436

The Bernard Jacobson Gallery in London is presenting an exhibition titled "For John Constable," which reunites a portfolio of prints originally published by gallerist Bernard Jacobson in 1976. The 1976 project featured works by 19 contemporary artists, including David Hockney, Patrick Caulfield, and Howard Hodgkin, created in response to the legacy of the English landscape painter John Constable, marking his bicentenary. The exhibition, timed for the 250th anniversary of Constable's birth, runs through February 27, 2026.

yoko ono art mca chicago review 1234769626

Yoko Ono's retrospective "Music of the Mind" at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago showcases over 200 works, including word scores, ephemera, and performances from the 1960s and early '70s. Central to the show is Ono's aesthetic of refusal, exemplified by pieces like *Strip Tease for Three* (1966), where empty chairs await a dancer who never arrives, and *Smoke Painting* (1961), which instructs viewers to burn a canvas. The exhibition, which first appeared at Tate Modern in 2024 and travels to the Broad in Los Angeles after closing in Chicago on February 22, challenges viewers to find meaning in absence and denial.

erwin olaf freedom retrospective stedelijk 1234760428

The Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam has opened "Erwin Olaf—Freedom," a major retrospective of the late Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf, who died in 2023 at age 64. The exhibition spans over a dozen rooms, showcasing his diverse output from subcultural documentation and commercial work to staged tableaux, self-portraits, and club ephemera, alongside video and sculpture. It juxtaposes formally refined portraits, such as Queen Máxima, with provocative early works like "Joy" (1985), refusing to impose a single narrative on his career.

canceled samia halaby exhibition recreated qatar 1234759416

Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Qatar has mounted a presentation of seven works by Palestinian artist Samia Halaby that were originally slated for a canceled survey at Indiana University’s Eskenazi Museum of Art in December 2023. The university cited “safety reasons” for the cancellation, which Halaby criticized as occurring amid the massacre of Palestinians in Gaza. The works are displayed in the first gallery of the exhibition “we refuse_d,” curated by Vasif Kortun, which also includes pieces by other artists whose shows were canceled, such as Jumana Manna. Halaby’s paintings span 1980 to 2024 and include the previously unseen “Worldwide Intifadah” (1989) and “Massacre of the Innocents in Gaza” (2024).

'The museum is not a space for the elite': Portuguese building firm’s new museum puts workers first

A new museum called Muzeu—Thought and Contemporary Art DST has opened in Braga, northern Portugal, housed in a former courthouse and built by the DST Group, a Portuguese industrial conglomerate. The inaugural exhibition, titled "Let Us Be Realistic, Let Us Demand the Impossible," features over 100 works by 96 artists including Alex Katz, Francesco Clemente, Franz West, and Nan Goldin. The museum prioritizes workers, opening first exclusively for company employees on 24 April, then to the public on Freedom Day (25 April), with free admission for the first week and closure on International Workers' Day (1 May).

art ambera wellmann company hauser and wirth

Ambera Wellmann is preparing for two concurrent New York exhibitions opening on September 5, one at Company gallery and her debut at Hauser & Wirth's Wooster Street space. The shows mark a new joint representation model where the artist works with both a smaller, queer-focused gallery and a mega-gallery simultaneously. Wellmann's hallucinatory, collage-like paintings feature bodies, sex vignettes, and semi-mythic imagery, though she recently considered moving away from figuration due to frustrations with the "queer figuration" trend and its market co-optation.

rauschenberg air and space museum 2737729

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum will reopen its newly renovated Flight and Arts Center in July 2026 with a major exhibition devoted to Robert Rauschenberg. Titled “The Ascent of Rauschenberg: Reinventing the Art of Flight,” the show features 30 works by the American Pop artist, some never before exhibited, tracing how aviation and space exploration themes permeated his six-decade career. Highlights include his lithograph *Sky Garden (Stoned Moon)*, inspired by the Apollo 11 mission, and works from his “Combines” series. The exhibition draws loans from the Hirshhorn Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Gallery of Art, and the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation.

m f husain museum qatar 2723322

Qatar has unveiled a new museum dedicated entirely to the late Indian Modernist artist M.F. Husain, titled Lawh Wa Qalam: M.F. Husain Museum. Located in Doha's Education City, the museum houses over 150 artworks spanning from the 1950s to his death in 2011, including paintings, poetry, photography, tapestries, sculptures, and installations. The museum, opened on November 28 by the Qatar Foundation chaired by Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, fulfills a long-held dream of the artist, who was granted Qatari citizenship in 2010 after self-imposed exile from India. The building was designed by architect Martand Khosla based on a sketch Husain himself created for his envisioned museum.

harriet tubman river raid exhibition 2658336

A new exhibition at the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, South Carolina, titled “Picturing Freedom,” highlights Harriet Tubman’s role in the Combahee River Raid of 1863, where she guided Union troops to free 756 enslaved people in a single night. The show features works by Jacob Lawrence, Aaron Douglas, Elizabeth Catlett, and Faith Ringgold, alongside contemporary artists, and includes multimedia elements such as audio interviews with descendants, a video reenactment, and landscape photographs by J. Henry Fair. Guest curated by Vanessa Thaxton-Ward of Hampton University Museum, the exhibition is based on Edda L. Fields-Black’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book "COMBEE."

‘An open letter to the nation’: National Gallery of Art reckons with America at 250

The National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. has launched "Dear America: Artists Explore the American Experience," a major exhibition marking the United States' 250th anniversary. Featuring over 100 works on paper by 95 artists, the show eschews traditional patriotic tropes in favor of a nuanced, self-critical look at the nation's history. Organized around the themes of land, community, and freedom, the exhibition juxtaposes iconic imagery from artists like Roy Lichtenstein and Thomas Moran with provocative contemporary perspectives from Zanele Muholi and Carrie Mae Weems.

2026 Venice Biennale pavilions: your go-to list [Updated]

ArtReview has compiled a running list of national pavilions for the 61st Venice Biennale, running from 9 May to 22 November 2026. The Biennale was set to be curated by Koyo Kouoh, who died on 10 May 2025. Recent announcements include Haitham Al Busafi representing Oman, Genti Korini representing Albania with a three-channel video installation titled 'A Place in The Sun (still)', and Matías Duville representing Argentina with an interactive salt-and-charcoal installation. The Australia Pavilion will feature artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino, who were initially dropped due to controversy over Sabsabi's 2007 film 'You' but later reinstated. Florentina Holzinger will represent Austria with a water-themed performance.

The Angel of History Is Stuck in Jerusalem

The Jewish Museum in New York's exhibition 'Paul Klee: Other Possible Worlds' is missing its central artwork, Paul Klee's 'Angelus Novus' (1920). The original, owned by Walter Benjamin and normally housed at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, is absent due to "current conditions affecting international transport," a likely reference to the Israel-Hamas war. A reproduction stands in its place, alongside Benjamin's famous 'Angel of History' text, which interprets the angel as a figure witnessing the catastrophic pile-up of history.

art international artists to watch 2026 biennials

Cultured magazine has published a preview of artists to watch in 2026, focusing on the upcoming biennial season. The article features insights from a dozen industry insiders, including Diya Vij of Powerhouse Arts, who highlights Guadalupe Maravilla's healing-focused practice; Allan Schwartzman, who champions Yoko Ono's underrecognized legacy; Hans Ulrich Obrist, who anticipates Koo Jeong A's multisensory exhibitions; and Victoria M. Rogers, who spotlights Akinsanya Kambon's politically charged ceramics. Major events in 2026 include the 61st Venice Biennale (opening after the death of commissioner Koyo Kouoh), new Art Basel and Frieze fairs in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, and expansions at LACMA and the New Museum.

ben schonzeit imaginary friends louis k meisel 2633885

American artist Ben Schonzeit, a pioneer of Photorealism, presents his current solo exhibition "Ben Schonzeit: Imaginary Friends" at Louis K. Meisel Gallery in New York, on view through May 3, 2025. The show marks a significant evolution in his practice, bringing sculpture to the forefront alongside his paintings, and features imaginary characters that depart from his earlier still-life Photorealism. In an interview, Schonzeit discusses how his process has shifted from predetermined goals to intuitive exploration, influenced by New York City's street life and fashion.

Baltimore Museum of Art to Host Amy Sherald Show After Artist’s Smithsonian Withdrawal

Amy Sherald has moved her touring exhibition "American Sublime" to the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) after withdrawing it from the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) over censorship concerns. The show, previously at the Whitney Museum of American Art, will open at the BMA on November 3 and run until April 5, 2026. Sherald pulled the exhibition from the Smithsonian-affiliated NPG after she said the institution wanted to replace her painting "Trans Forming Liberty" (2024), which depicts the Statue of Liberty as a trans woman, with a video providing context on transgender issues. The BMA, which had already planned to honor Sherald with its "Artist Who Inspires" award, will feature works including her portrait of Michelle Obama, "Breonna Taylor" (2020), and the contested painting.

9 Highlights to Look Out for at This Year’s Armory Show

The Armory Show returns to New York City's Javits Center from September 5–7, 2025, with a VIP preview on September 4. Under new director Kyla McMillan, the fair features over 230 galleries from more than 30 countries, including curated sections such as Solo, Presents, Platform (titled "My Art Is the Evidence of My Freedom," curated by Raina Lampkins-Fielder), and a new Function section exploring art and design, curated by Ebony L. Haynes. Highlights include presentations by Gee’s Bend Quiltmakers at Nicelle Beauchene Gallery, Thornton Dial from Souls Grown Deep Foundation, and a monumental sculpture by Kennedy Yanko at James Cohan.

On View: 'Amy Sherald: American Sublime' at Whitney Museum of American Art in New York Charts Artist's Two-Decade Career

The Whitney Museum of American Art in New York has opened "Amy Sherald: American Sublime," the largest exhibition of the artist's work and her first solo museum show in the city. Featuring over 40 paintings created between 2007 and 2024, the exhibition includes iconic portraits of Michelle Obama and Breonna Taylor, as well as works inspired by Alfred Eisenstaedt's famous photograph and filmmaker Wes Anderson. The show is organized chronologically, beginning with the rarely seen "Hangman" (2007), and includes "If You Surrendered to the Air, You Could Ride It" (2020), shown for the first time since its acquisition by the Whitney five years ago.

8 Must-See Solo Gallery Shows in June

Galerie magazine has curated a list of eight must-see solo gallery shows across the United States for June, featuring artists from New York to Los Angeles. Highlights include Will Cotton's fantasy paintings of cowboys and mermaids at Templon in New York, Salman Toor's narrative works depicting gay South Asian diaspora life at Luhring Augustine, and Beverly Fishman's hybrid sculptural paintings addressing the pharmaceutical industry at Miles McEnery Gallery.

Exhibition Walkthrough: ‘Pat Steir. Song’

Hauser & Wirth Zurich is hosting a guided tour of 'Pat Steir. Song' coinciding with Zurich Art Weekend, led by Corinne Erni, Chief Curator at the Parrish Art Museum. The event includes a preview of 'Ed Clark. Paint is the Subject' on the ground floor. Erni, who joined the Parrish in 2016, has curated numerous exhibitions including works by Shirin Neshat, Nina Yankowitz, Sanford Biggers, and Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, and leads the Dorothy Lichtenstein ArtsReach Fund.

Art and authoritarianism in Auckland

Auckland Art Gallery is presenting 'Forever Tomorrow: Chinese Art Now,' a major survey of Chinese contemporary art featuring 67 works by 42 artists, running from May 2 to August 23, 2026. The exhibition includes Xiao Lu's iconic 1989 work 'Dialogue,' which she famously shot with a gun hours after its opening, an act later linked to the Tiananmen Square protests. Xiao Lu comments on the political resonance of the show in New Zealand amid global shifts in democracy and US-centric world order.

Sculptor Martin Puryear brings major exhibition to Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art has launched "Martin Puryear: Nexus," the first comprehensive survey of the influential American sculptor’s work in nearly two decades. The exhibition features approximately 50 pieces spanning over 50 years, including sculptures in wood, rawhide, and metal, as well as rarely seen drawings and models. Co-organized with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the show highlights Puryear’s unique blend of traditional craftsmanship, global cultural influences, and abstract forms.