46 Museum Shows and Biennials to See This Summer

ARTnews has published a guide to 46 museum shows and biennials to see this summer, highlighting major exhibitions across the globe. Featured artists include Laure Prouvost at Paris's Grand Palais with a quantum physics-themed show, Carsten Höller at Beijing's UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, Tomás Saraceno at Munich's Haus der Kunst, and a retrospective of Ana Mendieta at Tate Modern. The article also covers biennials such as the Venice Biennale and Manifesta in Germany's Ruhr region, as well as new biennial-style launches in the Northeastern US. Specific exhibitions detailed include Akinsanya Kambon's survey at SculptureCenter and CARA in New York, Cao Fei's European survey at Kunstmuseum Basel, and the group show "Youth Palace" at Rockbund Art Museum in Shanghai.

This week's openings in Parisian galleries

Les vernissages cette semaine dans les galeries parisiennes

This week's openings in Parisian galleries feature a wide range of exhibitions across the Marais, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and other districts. Highlights include Galerie Alain Margaron's group show "Du modèle à l'autoportrait" exploring the body in works by André Derain, Jean Hélion, Fred Deux, and Zoran Mušič; Kim Myoung Nam's first solo show at Galerie UNIVER / Colette Colla, presenting perforated paper pieces; and Galerie Wagner's collective exhibition dedicated to Latin American artists Milton Becerra, Olga Luna, and Claudia Lavegas. Other notable shows include Louis Pion's ink-on-envelope series at Galerie Incognito Artclub, Léonore Chastagner's raw ceramics at Galerie Anne-Sarah Bénichou, and solo presentations by Quentin Gouevic and Jérôme Zonder at Galerie Nathalie Obadia.

Detroit’s MOCAD Reopens with a New Vision and a New Kind of Leadership

The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) has reopened after an eight-month renovation, marking its 20th anniversary with a new vision centered on artists and community. Co-directors Jova Lynne and Marie Madison-Patton have titled this new chapter "A Practice of Multiplicity," emphasizing the wholeness of artists' lives beyond their work. The renovation includes infrastructural upgrades like an HVAC system, a new Learning Studio, a transformed café for programming, and a facade that opens to the street. Two inaugural surveys highlight Detroit artists Olayami Dabls and Carole Harris, whose practices explore the city's history, culture, and social transformation.

Jack Leigh and Parker Stewart exhibit opens in Savannah

An exhibition titled "Jack Leigh & Parker Stewart: In Place" has opened at Laney Contemporary in Savannah, featuring black-and-white photographs by Jack Leigh (1948–2004) and Parker Stewart (b. 1992). Both artists document the landscape and communities of the coastal South, with Leigh known for his work on oystermen, shrimp boat crews, and Gullah Geechee communities, and Stewart focusing on tidal landscapes of coastal Georgia and the Savannah River Basin. The show includes serendipitous parallels, such as nearly identical photographs of a water tower taken by each artist decades apart. Co-curated by Stewart and gallerist Susan Laney, it marks the first time Leigh's work has been exhibited alongside a living photographer in nearly a decade.

Multidisciplinary Exhibition Opens at The Parrish

A multidisciplinary solo exhibition titled "Sanford Biggers: Drift" has opened at the Parrish Art Museum in Watermill. The exhibition was organized by Chief Curator Corinne Erni and Curator Scout Hutchinson, and was marked by a public conversation between artist Sanford Biggers and Erni. The discussion focused on Biggers' use of textiles, symbolism, and layered cultural references.

Opening Conversation: International Surrealism from Tate

The Frist Art Museum in Nashville will host "Opening Conversation: International Surrealism from Tate" on May 21, 2026, from 6:30 to 7:30 PM. The event features a discussion with Dr. Matthew Gale, exhibition curator; Michael J. Ewing, Frist Art Museum associate curator; and Caroline Yates, Susan H. Edwards Curatorial Fellow, focusing on the exhibition "International Surrealism from Tate: Fifty Years of Dreams." The exhibition, drawn from the Tate's collection in the United Kingdom, presents a broad selection of paintings, photographs, sculptures, publications, and archival material that traces the long trajectory and global reach of surrealism. A live musical performance in the Grand Lobby precedes the conversation from 5:15 to 6:15 PM, and the museum remains open until 9:00 PM for gallery visits.

Phoenix Art Museum to offer nostalgic new exhibit highlighting vintage automotive posters and fashion

Phoenix Art Museum will debut 'Modern Treads: The Discount Tire Poster Collection' in June 2025, featuring over a dozen oversized vintage automotive posters from Discount Tire's collection, dating from 1900 to 1930. The collection, started by founder Bruce Halle in the 1980s and now comprising over 500 posters, highlights developments in the automobile and tire industries at the turn of the 20th century. The exhibition also includes two period fashion ensembles from the museum's collection, showing how early drivers dressed for protection. Co-curated by Susan Driver of the Discount Tire Collection, the show runs through January 2027 in the Lower-Level Katz Wing.

major exhibition of rare paintings and archives honors zaha hadid ten years after her passing

A major exhibition titled 'I Think There Should Be No End to Experimentation' has opened at LUMA Arles, marking the sixth chapter of the Hans Ulrich Obrist Archives. Curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Arthur Fouray, the show honors the late Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid on the tenth anniversary of her passing. It features rarely exhibited paintings, early calligraphic drawings, personal notebooks, and previously unseen video interviews from 2001 to 2013, alongside tribute posters by peers such as Sir Peter Cook, Stefano Boeri, Sumayya Vally, Iwan Baan, and Lina Ghotmeh. The exhibition is presented in the Tower building designed by Frank Gehry and unfolds across the Cherry Tree Gallery and Archives Gallery, with exhibition furniture conceived by Kazuyo Sejima.

Sandro Miller’s Golden Tribute

Photographer Sandro Miller's exhibition "Steppenwolf 50: Through the Eye of Sandro Miller" is on view at the Art Center Highland Park through June 13. The show features a series of portraits and composites created in 2012 that celebrate 50 years of Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Works include large-scale composites like "Orgasmic Theatre" with 25 actors, a tribute to the late John Mahoney, and a collaboration with the late artist Tony Fitzpatrick. The exhibition also presents a grid of 45 black-and-white photographs capturing raw emotional moments from rehearsals and performances, along with diptychs and individual framed portraits of Steppenwolf actors.