5 essential old masters shows for 2026

Artnet News has published a preview of five essential Old Masters exhibitions scheduled for 2026, spanning museums from Amsterdam to New York. The shows include a blockbuster presentation of Ovid's *Metamorphoses* at the Rijksmuseum and Galleria Borghese, a monographic survey of Swedish sculptor Johan Tobias Sergel at the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm and the Morgan Library & Museum in New York, and other exhibitions that connect classical art with contemporary appeal. The article highlights how these exhibitions spotlight both household names like Raphael and lesser-known figures, while also exploring themes from Ovid's myths to tarot imagery.

ilana savdies shapeshifting worlds

Artist Ilana Savdie, known for her electrically colorful and biomorphic paintings, presents a new series titled "Glottal Stop" at White Cube in New York. The exhibition explores themes of camouflage, animal mimicry, and the physical toll of global discord, featuring works that use pigmented beeswax, oil, and acrylic to create nearly sentient surfaces. Savdie draws from horror films, Baroque painting, and anatomy books, incorporating suspended painted latex sheets into an immersive, maze-like installation.

leonor fini

On the 100th anniversary of Surrealism, the article highlights the belated recognition of Leonor Fini (1907–1996), a self-taught artist who rejected labels such as 'Surrealist' or 'woman artist.' Despite her insistence on being seen simply as an artist, her sensual, mythological paintings are gaining renewed attention. Fini debuted in 1929, was featured in the 2022 Venice Biennale, and had a solo exhibition at Kasmin gallery in New York. Her market high came in 2021 when a self-portrait sold for $2.3 million at Sotheby's, and her work is now included in the centennial surrealist show 'Imagine!' at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Belgium.

From The Mandalorian and Grogu to Dear England: your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead

This article is a weekly entertainment guide from The Guardian, covering cinema, gigs, art, stage, streaming, games, albums, and brain food. In the art section, it highlights three upcoming exhibitions: Hulda Guzmán's first major European show at Turner Contemporary in Margate (23 May to 13 September), featuring her lush, mystical tropical paintings exploring Caribbean identity; Lewis Hammond's exhibition of dark, old master-inspired portraiture at The Hepworth in Wakefield (23 May to 1 November); and Joanna Piotrowska's show at The Common Guild in Glasgow (23 May to 18 July).

reefline underwater art project miami beach leandro erlich

The Reefline, a non-profit eco-art initiative, has launched its first phase of a seven-mile underwater sculpture park and artificial reef along Miami Beach. The project debuted with 'Concrete Coral' by Argentinian artist Leandro Erlich, a submerged sculpture depicting a traffic jam designed to provide a habitat for marine life. Future phases include works by Carlos Betancourt, Alberto Latorre, and Petroc Sesti, all overseen by the architecture firm OMA and founder Ximena Caminos.

donald locke spike island exhibition review

A major survey of Donald Locke's work, titled "Resistant Forms," has opened at Spike Island in Bristol, England, in collaboration with Ikon Gallery in Birmingham and Camden Art Centre in London. Featuring over 80 works spanning five decades, the exhibition includes early biomorphic ceramics, monochromatic black paintings from the 1970s, collage paintings, mixed-media sculptures, and personal writings and photographs. Highlights include the black paintings series addressing colonial subjugation, such as "The Cage" (1976–79), and later whimsical works like "Reconstructed Bottle with Pearls #11 (Pearls for Mahalia)" (2008). The show traces Locke's journey from his birth in Guyana, his time in the UK as part of the Windrush Generation, and his eventual move to the US, where he lived until his death in 2010.

solange pessoa brazilian sculptor aspen art museum glasgow

Brazilian sculptor Solange Pessoa is the subject of a solo exhibition at the Aspen Art Museum, featuring her evolving installation *Bags – Aspen version* (1994–2025). The work, originally created in 1994, consists of burlap sacks filled with organic materials such as coffee beans, seeds, feathers, dried peppers, and records by Brazilian musicians, arranged in towers on a dirt-covered floor. Pessoa, who has long been based in Belo Horizonte, has recreated the piece in various locations over three decades, and this iteration marks one of her few solo museum shows outside Brazil.

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.

teamlab abu dhabi

Japanese art collective teamLab is opening its first custom-built museum on April 18 in Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Cultural District, near the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the forthcoming Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. The 183,000-square-foot waterfront building, designed with MZ Architects, features a new series titled "Phenomena" that harnesses wind, water, and light to create immersive, kinetic environments. Highlights include installations like "Morphing Continuum," where floating silver balls form tornado-like formations, and a "wet zone" with glowing ovoids that respond to touch. The museum represents teamLab's most ambitious and technically challenging artworks to date.

At Home at Hong Kong Art Week

During Hong Kong Art Week, beyond the dominant Art Basel Hong Kong fair, a series of intimate interventions and installations across the city explore the boundaries between art, design, and everyday life. One notable event is a 'Listening Session' organized by Guangzhou's Vitamin Creative Space in a private home in the New Territories, where Lebanese artist-composer Tarek Atoui debuted two new 'instruments' that transform the living room itself into an interactive sound sculpture. The gathering of about 30 people, mostly in town for art week, blurred the lines between performance, installation, and domestic space.

aardman immersive lightroom experience

Aardman Animations is set to celebrate its 50th anniversary with a major immersive exhibition titled "Larger Than Life: Starring Wallace & Gromit, Shaun and More" at London’s Lightroom venue. Opening in October 2026, the 50-minute experience will utilize 36-foot-high projections to showcase the studio's claymation legacy, featuring archival footage, original sets, puppets, and newly created animation sequences. The show will be narrated by co-founders Peter Lord and David Sproxton alongside various voice actors, tracing the studio's history from its school-day origins to its status as an employee-owned powerhouse.

For Fashion Iconoclast Iris van Herpen, ‘Nature Is the Best Artist’

The Brooklyn Museum has opened "Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses," a major exhibition surveying two decades of the Dutch designer's avant-garde fashion. Curated by Matthew Yokobosky and Imani Williford, the show features over 140 of van Herpen's biomorphic couture pieces, including designs worn by Lady Gaga and Björk, alongside works by contemporary artists like Agostino Arrivabene and Tara Donovan. The exhibition, which originated at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris in 2023, highlights van Herpen's use of cutting-edge technology such as 3D printing and magnetic sculpting, as well as her deep inspiration from natural phenomena like fossils, coral, and water.

This Spring’s Must-See Contemporary Art Exhibitions in London

London's spring art season is anchored by several major institutional surveys, most notably Tracey Emin’s comprehensive exhibition "A Second Life" at Tate Modern. Other significant showcases include Hurvin Anderson’s exploration of Caribbean diaspora at Tate Britain, David Hockney’s new works at Serpentine North, and Cecily Brown’s long-awaited institutional homecoming at Serpentine South. The season also features diverse media, from Chiharu Shiota’s immersive yarn installations at the Hayward Gallery to Isaac Julien’s filmic explorations at the Cosmic House.

15 of the Most Anticipated Museum Exhibitions Around the World in 2026

Major museums worldwide have announced their flagship exhibitions for 2026, featuring a diverse array of artists and historical periods. Highlights include a Frida Kahlo retrospective at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, exploring her rise to icon status; a survey of Ovid's influence on art from Caravaggio to Louise Bourgeois at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum; a centennial exhibition for Mary Cassatt at the National Gallery of Art; and the largest career survey to date for Tracey Emin at Tate Modern. Other key shows feature Carol Bove at the Guggenheim Museum, Korean national treasures at the Art Institute of Chicago, and exhibitions at the Whitney Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Louvre.

10 Must-See Shows during Frieze London 2025

Frieze London 2025 has arrived, bringing with it a sprawling public sculpture exhibition and two art-packed tents in Regent's Park, including the historically focused Frieze Masters. Alongside the main fair, London's galleries are hosting a mix of shows ranging from established favorites to emerging talents, with many exhibitions featuring ambitious sculptural works made from unconventional materials like furniture and driftwood. Notable highlights include Sonia Gomes and Kudzanai-Violet Hwami showing bronze sculptures for the first time, Cai Guo-Qiang's controversial gunpowder canvases at White Cube, and Danielle Fretwell's sumptuous oil paintings at Alice Amati. Artsy has curated a list of 10 must-see gallery exhibitions taking place during the fair.

Our 5 Favorite Gallery Exhibitions to See This Spring in Paris

Nos 5 expos coups de cœur à voir en galeries ce printemps à Paris

Paris is experiencing a vibrant gallery season this spring, marked by the arrival of major international players and the rediscovery of overlooked artists. Highlights include the opening of Singapore’s Cuturi Gallery at the Palais-Royal with a cross-disciplinary show on decadence, and the London-based Waddington Custot establishing a new space in Saint-Germain-des-Prés with an exhibition bridging Nabis masters and contemporary painters. Other notable shows include a first-ever public look at the surrealist collages of Roland Sig and a dialogue between neo-impressionism and contemporary art at Galerie Pavec.

art criticism new york upper east side guide

The article presents a walking tour of art exhibitions on Manhattan's Upper East Side, led by a critic. It highlights Jeffrey Gibson's monumental bronze sculptures "The Animal That Therefore I Am" (2025) installed on the Metropolitan Museum of Art's façade, depicting four anthropomorphized Hudson Valley animals. The tour also covers Alix Cléo Roubaud's first solo show outside France, "Correction of perspective in my bedroom" at Galerie Buchholz, featuring intimate black-and-white photographs from 1979–1983, and Nancy Holt's work at Sprüth Magers, including a historic photograph of her in the Sun Tunnels.

Dutch Designer Iris van Herpen’s High-Tech Garments Are On View in a Mid-Career Retrospective at the Brooklyn Museum

The Brooklyn Museum is opening a mid-career retrospective titled “Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses,” showcasing the Dutch designer’s high-tech garments. The exhibition features over a decade of van Herpen’s work, including the first 3D-printed garment sent down a runway in 2010, pieces worn by celebrities like Lady Gaga, Björk, and Beyoncé, and new collaborations such as an algae dress grown from living microorganisms. Organized by senior curator Matthew Yokobosky, the show originated at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and has traveled internationally before arriving in Brooklyn, where it is augmented with objects from the museum’s collections in art, science, and natural history.

Garment, body and space merge in Iris van Herpen’s first major New York show

The Brooklyn Museum is hosting Iris van Herpen's first major New York exhibition, featuring over 140 haute couture looks from the Dutch fashion designer. Van Herpen, who founded her house in 2007, pioneered 3D printing in fashion and uses unconventional materials like upcycled marine debris and fermented fibers. The touring show, which originated at Paris's Musée des Arts Décoratifs, includes contemporary art, scientific objects, and natural-history specimens alongside her garments. Curated by Matthew Yokobosky, the Brooklyn iteration draws on the museum's own collections and loans from the American Museum of Natural History, the Staten Island Museum, and the Yale Peabody Museum. Highlights include a dress made with living bioluminescent algae and a re-creation of Van Herpen's atelier.

sleeping hermaphroditus louvre rijksmuseum

The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has secured a major loan of the ancient marble sculpture *Sleeping Hermaphroditus* from the Louvre in Paris. The work will be a centerpiece of the museum's upcoming exhibition "Metamorphoses," which opens on February 6, 2026, and explores themes of transformation drawn from Ovid's epic poem.

elephant sculptures migrate to art basel miami beach

A herd of 100 life-size elephant sculptures, handcrafted by 200 Indigenous artisans from South India, has arrived at Art Basel Miami Beach as part of "The Great Elephant Migration," a global public art and conservation project. The sculptures are made from lantana camara, an invasive plant, and are modeled after individual elephants from the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Organized by Ruth Ganesh and the Coexistence Collective, the installation aims to promote coexistence between humans and wildlife, with proceeds from sculpture sales funding 22 conservation NGOs. The elephants have toured the U.S., appearing in Newport, Rhode Island, Manhattan's Meatpacking District, and now Miami Beach, where they have drawn enthusiastic crowds—and even a reported incident of a couple having sex on one of the sculptures, prompting police patrols.

fondation cartier reopens paris

The Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain will reopen its new space at 2 Place du Palais-Royal in Paris on October 25, 2025, during Paris Art Week. Designed by architect Jean Nouvel, the building—originally constructed for the 1855 Exposition Universelle and later a hotel, department store, and antiques center—has been transformed with a modular system of five movable platforms, a glass canopy, and transparent ground-floor windows to create an open, flexible exhibition environment. The inaugural show, titled “Exposition Générale,” features nearly 600 works by over 100 artists from the foundation’s history.

What to See This Spring at Museums Across the U.S.

Major museums across the United States are preparing to launch a diverse array of exhibitions for the spring season. Highlights include a comprehensive Marcel Duchamp retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, an exploration of Etruscan civilization at the de Young Museum in San Francisco, and a major fashion-focused exhibition at the Phoenix Art Museum.

art pulled from print tishan hsu artist emergence

Tishan Hsu, a 74-year-old artist based in Brooklyn, is the subject of a feature article discussing his 40-year career exploring the boundary between the virtual and the physical. His current exhibition, "Emergence," at Lisson Gallery in New York (through Jan. 24), presents new biomorphic UV prints with silicone appendages that evoke fingers penetrating a computer screen. Hsu's interest in this territory began in the mid-1980s while working as a word processor on Wall Street, and his practice has consistently sought to give form to the paradox between bodily presence and virtual distance.

design miami 2025 brings out creatures and comfort

Design Miami 2025 preview drew a bustling crowd with over 70 exhibitors under the theme "Make Believe." Highlights included Katie Stout's whimsical carousel featuring marine animals, Roham Shamekh's biomorphic "Roots" sofa with integrated headphones, and ATRA's futuristic "Intelligence of Evolution" seating system upholstered in Hermès fabric. The Spanish silver brand Garrido showcased collaborations with Peter Marino, while the fair's 20th anniversary edition embraced a carnivalesque atmosphere with popcorn and mirrored walls.

Iris Van Herpen’s Groundbreaking Work Presented in New Exhibit at Brooklyn Museum

The Brooklyn Museum opens "Iris Van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses," a mid-career retrospective of the Dutch fashion designer known for pioneering 3D-printed garments. The exhibition, which originated at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris in 2023, features over a decade of van Herpen's work, including her first 3D-printed garment from 2010, pieces worn by celebrities like Lady Gaga, Björk, and Beyoncé, and new works such as an algae dress grown from 125 million living organisms. Organized by senior curator Matthew Yokobosky, the show spans eleven themes exploring van Herpen's fusion of traditional craftsmanship with technology, science, and nature.

Brilliant Things to Do This April

April 2026 marks a significant month for global art exhibitions, featuring major retrospectives and site-specific installations across Rome, Seoul, London, and Paris. Highlights include Gagosian Rome’s exploration of Francesca Woodman’s surrealist photography, a homecoming retrospective for video-art pioneer Nam June Paik in Seoul, and Senga Nengudi’s performance-based sculptures at London’s Whitechapel Gallery. Additionally, Isaac Julien will debut a new moving-image work at The Cosmic House, while the Fondation Louis Vuitton prepares a large-scale exhibition dedicated to Alexander Calder’s kinetic sculptures.

Pipilotti Rist: 4th Floor to Mildness

Pipilotti Rist's major installation *4th Floor to Mildness* has opened at the Portland Art Museum's Crumpacker Center in its West Coast premiere and only second U.S. exhibition. The immersive work features underwater film projected onto two biomorphic screens, a soundtrack by experimental musician Soap&Skin/Anja Plaschg, and raft-like beds for visitors to lie on while experiencing floating imagery and moving light circles. The exhibition was adapted from its original 2022 presentation at the New Museum in New York, with local production partners including Portland Garment Factory and Figure Plant contributing to the installation.

Spectral Birds Endemic to New Zealand Find New Life in Fiona Pardington’s Portraits

Spectral Birds Endemic to New Zealand Find New Life in Fiona Pardington’s Portraits

New Zealand artist Fiona Pardington will present her photographic series *Taharaki Skyside* in the Aotearoa New Zealand Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale. The large-scale, spectral portraits depict preserved specimens of endemic birds, including extinct and critically endangered species like the huia and the South Island Takahe, captured from within the country's natural history collections.

Exhibition | William Turnbull, 'Origins (1946–1959)' at Karma, Chelsea, New York, United States

Scottish artist William Turnbull (1922–2012) is the subject of a new exhibition titled 'Origins (1946–1959)' at Karma gallery in Chelsea, New York. The show surveys Turnbull's early career, focusing on the transformative period after World War II when he moved between Surrealist Paris and Abstract Expressionist New York. It features key works such as the sculpture 'Horse' (1946), inspired by a Parthenon marble at the British Museum, and 'Playground (Game)' (1949), reflecting his interest in phenomenology and movement. The exhibition traces his evolution from an illustrator and Slade School student to a sculptor and painter who engaged elemental forms like the horse, standing figure, and human head.