Space, stadiums, poses and prizes: the best art and architecture of autumn 2025

This article is a seasonal preview of the best art and architecture exhibitions opening in autumn 2025, primarily in London and other UK venues. It highlights major shows including Mona Hatoum's dialogue with Giacometti at the Barbican, a Picasso exhibition at Tate Modern, Kerry James Marshall's first major European retrospective at the Royal Academy, and the Turner Prize 2025 at Cartwright Hall Art Gallery in Bradford. Other featured exhibitions cover Hilary Lloyd's work on Dennis Potter, Marie Antoinette's image through art and fashion at the V&A, Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme's new commission at Nottingham Contemporary, and a Lee Miller retrospective at Tate Britain.

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The Diriyah Biennale Foundation has announced the artist list for the third edition of the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, opening January 30 in the JAX District of Diriyah, near Riyadh. Titled “In Interludes and Transitions,” the biennale is curated by Nora Razian and Sabih Ahmed and features over 65 artists, including more than 20 new commissions. Participants range from historic figures like Pacita Abad and Etel Adnan to emerging voices such as Raven Chacon and Dineo Seshee Bopape, working across painting, installation, film, sound, architecture, and publishing.

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The Turner Prize 2025 exhibition has opened at Cartwright Hall Art Gallery in Bradford, England, featuring four nominated artists: Mohammed Sami, Nnena Kalu, Rene Matić, and Zadie Xa. Critics have largely rallied behind Sami, a Baghdad-born, London-based painter whose large-scale works obliquely address war and memory, with several reviewers calling him a shoo-in for the award. The only major dissenter is Adrian Searle of the Guardian, who favors Kalu's sculptural works made from tape, fabric, and cable ties. The show has received mixed to positive reviews, with some critics noting the shortlist's focus on identity and diversity.

parties badass art women awards project for empty space

Project for Empty Space celebrated its 15th anniversary with the annual Badass Art Woman Awards at the Angel Orensanz Foundation in Manhattan. The event honored Dr. Deborah Willis, Ebony L. Haynes, and Helen Toomer, and featured performances by Mia X, Marcy De Pina, and Armana Khan, with a crowd of artists, curators, and scholars including Mickalene Thomas, Derrick Adams, and Legacy Russell.

In Minor Keys: how Venice's international exhibition was brought to life after the death of artistic director Koyo Kouoh

The 61st Venice Biennale's international exhibition, titled "In Minor Keys," was realized after the sudden death of its artistic director, Koyo Kouoh, in May 2025. A team of five of Kouoh's collaborators, known as "la squadra di Koyo Kouoh," worked with her before her death and finalized the exhibition's themes, artist list, and scenography. The exhibition features 111 invited artists, duos, collectives, and artist-led organizations, with the team emphasizing that this remains Kouoh's vision rather than a replacement.

UAE art guide: 12 museum and gallery exhibitions to see, including Gallery Isabelle's 20th anniversary show

The UAE art scene is currently hosting a diverse array of exhibitions across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah, despite regional disruptions. Key highlights include a major Picasso retrospective at Louvre Abu Dhabi, a 10th-century anniversary celebration at 421 Arts Campus titled 'Rays, Ripples, Residue,' and the inaugural photography exhibition at Sharjah Art Foundation’s new Al Manakh venue. These shows range from historical surveys of the human form to contemporary explorations of UAE’s urban development and climate change.

Theme and artists announced for British Art Show 10

The 10th edition of the British Art Show, titled 'A Chorus of Strangers,' has announced its theme and a roster of over 30 participating artists. Curated by Ekow Eshun and organized by Hayward Gallery Touring, the exhibition will explore the relationship between the individual and the 'other' through three thematic lenses: 'Moments of Being,' 'Ways of Living,' and 'States of Nature.' The show is scheduled to launch in Coventry on October 2, 2025, before touring to Swansea, Bristol, Sheffield, and Newcastle Gateshead.

‘There’s no fudging. She deserves to win’: critics react as Turner Prize 2025 opens

The Turner Prize 2025 exhibition opened on 23 September at Bradford's Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, featuring nominees Nnena Kalu, Rene Matić, Mohammed Sami, and Zadie Xa. Kalu, a learning disabled Scottish artist, is nominated for her contributions to the Conversations exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool and her work at Manifesta 15 in Barcelona. Her practice, supported by ActionSpace, includes suspended sculptures and vortex drawings. The exhibition runs from 27 September to 22 February 2026 as part of the UK City of Culture festival.

Modern Art to open a new 4,700-sqft Art Space.

Modern Art, the London-based gallery founded by Stuart Shave in 1998, will open a new 4,700-square-foot space at 8 Bennet Street, St James’s, London SW1, on 14 November 2025. The inaugural exhibition, titled 'Polygrapher', will feature new watercolour-on-gessoed-canvas paintings by American artist Joseph Yaeger, marking his first show with the gallery. The Bennet Street location will become Modern Art’s principal London gallery, while its existing spaces on Helmet Row and Bury Street are set to close in early 2026. The gallery also maintains a location in Paris.

Exhibition of Emirati art in Seoul becomes a relic of pre-war UAE life

An exhibition titled 'Proximities,' featuring over 110 works by 47 UAE-based artists, opened at the Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) in December and closed on March 29. The show, co-curated by Maya El Khalil and SeMA's Eunju Kim, aimed to present nuanced, everyday perspectives of life in the UAE through sections organized by artist-curators like Farah Al Qasimi and Mohammed Kazem, moving beyond stereotypes of gilded excess.

Defying Soft Power: “Proximities” at SeMA

The Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) is hosting "Proximities: Contemporary Art from the United Arab Emirates," a major survey featuring over 110 works by 47 artists. Co-curated by Maya El Khalil and Eunju Kim in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF), the exhibition eschews traditional chronological narratives in favor of a dense, non-linear exploration of Emirati identity. The show is organized into thematic chapters led by artist-curators, featuring works ranging from Shaikha Al Mazrou’s precarious sculptures to Raja’a Khalid’s olfactory installations.

Lawh Wa Qalam: M. F. Husain Museum Doha Review

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The Lawh Wa Qalam: M. F. Husain Museum has opened in Doha, Qatar, dedicated to the prolific career of the late Indian modernist Maqbool Fida Husain. Commissioned by Sheikha Moza bint Nasser and designed by architect Martand Khosla based on a sketch by the artist himself, the 32,300-square-foot blue-mosaiced structure houses 150 works including paintings, films, and sculptures. The museum traces Husain’s journey from the 1950s through his final years in Qatar, highlighting his cross-cultural explorations of faith, science, and history.

Riyadh Art Extends Its Citywide Permanent Collection

Riyadh Art, a public art initiative led by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, is expanding its Permanent Collection with 115 new installations planned through 2026 and beyond, adding to the 75 works already installed across the Saudi capital. The collection includes works by international artists such as Alexander Calder, Anish Kapoor, Jeff Koons, Giuseppe Penone, and Ugo Rondinone, alongside Saudi practitioners like Zaman Jassim and Mohammed Al Saleem, with recent additions including Calder's 'Janey Waney' and Nobuo Sekine's 'Phase of Nothingness'.

Tate announces 2025 Turner Prize shortlist

The Tate has announced the shortlist for the 2025 Turner Prize, which will be held in Bradford as part of the UK City of Culture festival from September 27 to February 22, 2026. The four nominees are Iraqi artist Mohammed Sami, known for his solo exhibition 'After the Storm' at Blenheim Palace; British artist Rene Matić, whose work addresses race, gender, and political rhetoric; Scottish-born Nnena Kalu, nominated for her contributions to exhibitions at the Walker Art Gallery and Manifesta 15; and London-based Canadian artist Zadie Xa, recognized for her installation at the Sharjah Biennial 16. The winner will be announced on December 9, receiving £25,000, while the other shortlisted artists will each receive £10,000.

Four artists shortlisted for Turner Prize 2025

Four artists—Nnena Kalu, Rene Matić, Mohammed Sami, and Zadie Xa—have been shortlisted for the Turner Prize 2025. The winner will be announced on 9 December 2025 at a ceremony in Bradford, with an exhibition of their work running from 27 September 2025 to 22 February 2026 at Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, as part of the Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture celebrations. The prize, now in its 41st year, awards £25,000 to the winner and £10,000 to each of the other nominees.

Salvator Mundi Museum of Art Opens New Exhibition: THE ORB SHOW - All About Balls

The Salvator Mundi Museum of Art has launched a new exhibition titled "THE ORB SHOW - All About Balls." This unconventional presentation focuses on the recurring motif of the sphere in art, drawing inspiration from the crystal orb held by Christ in the museum's namesake painting, the Salvator Mundi.

'Stray Birds': An art exhibition

Indrapramit Roy and Mark Cazalet are coming together for a duo exhibition titled 'Stray Birds' at the Shridharani Gallery in New Delhi. Curated by Jyotirmoy Bhattacharya and organized by Art Magnum, the show explores the parallel trajectories of two artists who met during their formative years in Baroda under the mentorship of Gulam Mohammed Sheikh. The exhibition features works that document lived experiences, memory, and movement through drawing and painting, often rooted in their personal sketchbooks and visual journals.

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The Kochi-Muziris Biennial, South Asia's largest contemporary art biennial, has announced the 66 artists from over 20 countries participating in its 2025 edition, titled “For The Time Being.” Running from December 12 to March 31 across venues including Aspinwall House and Pepper House in Kochi, India, the event features around 50 new commissions and a theme centered on the body, memory, and temporality. The announcement comes after the 2023 edition was marred by controversy, with more than half of its 90 artists signing a public letter alleging communication breakdowns, unpaid fees, and production issues, as well as the Kerala government reportedly pulling out of a deal to acquire the main venue.

First Impressions of a Venice Biennale Torn Apart by the Present

The 61st Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys," opens amid turmoil: its curator Koyo Kouoh died of cancer during planning, and the festival jury resigned after a controversial statement about excluding Israel and Russia from prizes, replaced by a Eurovision-style people's choice award. The main exhibition, completed by a team of five collaborators using Kouoh's plans, features over 110 artists and collectives, with highlights including works by Big Chief Demond Melanchon, Tammy Nguyen, Guadalupe Maravilla, Ayrson Heráclito, and a section focused on Michael Armitage's Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute.

Theme and Artists Revealed for Ekow Eshun–Curated British Art Show 10

Organizers of the British Art Show have unveiled the theme and artist list for its tenth edition, titled "A Chorus of Strangers." Curated by Ekow Eshun, the quinquennial exhibition will launch in Coventry on October 2, 2025, before touring to Swansea, Bristol, Sheffield, and Newcastle Gateshead through 2028. The show features a diverse roster of contemporary artists including Turner Prize winner Jasleen Kaur, Alvaro Barrington, and Precious Okoyomon, organized around three conceptual pillars: psychological, sociological, and ecological.

Rediscovering Bilgé, the Quiet Master of American Minimalism

Turkish-American artist Bilgé (Bilgé Civelekoğlu Friedlaender), a largely overlooked figure in American Minimalism, is the subject of a new institutional exhibition in New York titled “Torn Time: Bilgé” at the Institute for Arab and Islamic Art (IAIA). The show, curated by IAIA Founding Director Mohammed Rashid Al-Thanion and on view through October, highlights works from the two decades following her 1972 deep-sea dive in the Bahamas, which sparked a period of prodigious creation using delicate paper interventions. Bilgé studied at the Istanbul Academy of Fine Arts and NYU, exhibited at Betty Parsons Gallery and Kornblee Gallery in 1974, and was included in the Smithsonian’s “Paper as Medium” (1978), the International Istanbul Biennial (1989), and the International Biennial of Paper Art (1992). The exhibition draws from her estate, represented by Sapar Contemporary.

Why the inaugural Art Week Riyadh was a fair in everything but name

The inaugural Art Week Riyadh (AWR), organized by Saudi Arabia's Visual Arts Commission, took place from April 6-13 in the Jax district of Diriyah. Though officially billed as a non-commercial curated exhibition, the event functioned much like an art fair, with 32 galleries displaying available works, price lists visible on stands, and sales conducted throughout the week. The main exhibition, titled "At The Edge," was curated by Vittoria Matarrese with associate curators Basma Harasani and Victoria Gandit Lelandais, featuring galleries from Saudi Arabia and the wider region. Standout presentations included works by Ayesha Sultana, Mohamed Bourouissa, Mohammed Al Resayes, and Miramar Al Nayyar, alongside a moving image section and a satellite program of open studios and gallery shows.

The Biennale of Quiet Tones

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The 61st Venice Biennale's main exhibition, titled "Gardens, Processions, Art as Expression of Lived Realities," places humanity at its center. Curators revealed minimal biographical details for the 111 participating artists, only noting the oldest (Marcel Duchamp, born 1887) and youngest (Mohammed Z Rahman, born 1997), signaling a deliberate shift away from individual fame toward collective experience.

Choreography Instead of Cartography

Choreografie statt Kartografie

The third edition of the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, titled "In Interludes and Transitions," has opened in the JAX District of Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. Featuring works by approximately 70 artists across five converted warehouses, the exhibition is curated by Nora Razian and Sabih Ahmed with a scenography designed by Formafantasma. Despite regional geopolitical tensions, the event showcases major installations by international artists such as Petrit Halilaj and Thao Nguyen Phan, emphasizing a "choreographic" rather than cartographic approach to global art.

Indrapramit Roy and Mark Cazalet art exhibition in New Delhi

An exhibition titled "Stray Birds: a journey together" in New Delhi brings together artists Indrapramit Roy and Mark Cazalet, curated by Jyotirmoy Bhattacharya. The show presents a dialogue between two distinct artistic voices, exploring narratives, techniques, and sensibilities shaped by their shared experiences studying under Professor Gulam Mohammed Sheikh at M.S. University in Baroda, including formative trips to the Ajanta and Ellora caves.

‘We craved external validation, but what's important has shifted’: Dubai gallery The Third Line celebrates 20 years

Dubai gallery The Third Line celebrates its 20th anniversary, marking two decades since its founding in 2005 by Sunny Rahbar, Lisa Farjam, and Claudia Cellini. Born from the anti-Arab sentiment after 9/11, the gallery began as an independent art space with a framing and novelty trading license, operating between a commercial gallery and an artists' space. It launched with a show of five Iranian photographers, later opened a short-lived Doha branch in 2008, and moved to Alserkal Avenue in 2016. To mark the anniversary, the gallery stages an exhibition organized by writer and curator Shumon Basar.

Saudi Arabia looks to its Modern art history as the art world eyes up the Gulf

Saudi Arabia is actively showcasing its Modern art history through major exhibitions and sales. The 'Beginnings of Saudi Art Movement' at the National Museum in Riyadh features over 250 works by 73 artists from the 1960s-1980s, highlighting pioneering figures like Mounirah Mosly and Safeya Binzagr. Simultaneously, the Desert X AlUla exhibition is displaying monumental, long-unseen sculptures by Modernist artist Mohammed AlSaleem.

A Story of South Asian Art: Mrinalini Mukherjee and Her Circle

The Royal Academy of Arts in London presents "A Story of South Asian Art: Mrinalini Mukherjee and Her Circle," a visually thrilling exhibition running from 31 October 2025 to 24 February 2026. Curated by Tarini Malik, the show pivots around the work of Mrinalini Mukherjee (1949-2015), placing her in dialogue with key figures of the Indian cultural scene, including her parents Benode Behari Mukherjee and Leela Mukherjee, as well as artists Gulammohammed Sheikh and Nilima Sheikh. The exhibition highlights Mukherjee's hemp sculptures like 'Adi Pushp II' (1998-99) and bronze works such as 'Forest Flame IV' (2009), and emphasizes the importance of art schools and places—Santiniketan, Baroda (Vadodara), and New Delhi—in shaping her practice.

The legacy of the Baghdad Modern Art Group is explored in first major US show

The Hessel Museum of Art at Bard College in New York State has opened "All Manner of Experiments: Legacies of the Baghdad Modern Art Group," the first major US survey of the influential Iraqi collective. Organized by curators Nada Shabout, Tiffany Floyd, and Lauren Cornell, the exhibition brings together 64 works by 30 artists—including Dia al-Azzawi, Jewad Selim, and Mohammed Ghani Hikmat—spanning from 1951 to 2023. Many pieces have not been publicly displayed in decades, and the show draws from private collections and major Arab institutions such as the Barjeel Art Foundation, the Dalloul Art Foundation, the Ibrahimi Collection, and Qatar Museums. The exhibition also addresses the devastating loss of modern Iraqi art during the Iraq War, with an estimated 85% of 8,000 works from the Saddam Arts Centre looted or damaged.

In Minor Keys: The 61st Biennale di Arte Venezia Opens Under Koyo Kouoh (1967–2025).

The 61st Biennale di Arte Venezia opens under the posthumous curatorial vision of Koyo Kouoh (1967–2025), the late Cameroonian-born curator who reshaped contemporary African and diasporic art discourse. The central exhibition, spanning the Giardini and Arsenale, features 111 participants including artists, collectives, and artist-led organizations from across the Global South, with works in textiles, film, sculpture, and performance that interrogate colonialism, migration, and ecological repair. The Biennale is also marked by a pronounced presence of African and diasporic narratives across national pavilions, including several first-time pavilions from the African continent.