Artist Rene Matić discusses their multidisciplinary practice and cultural influences in the latest episode of the ArtReview Podcast. The conversation explores Matić’s background as a second-generation skinhead of St Lucian heritage, their status as the youngest-ever Turner Prize nominee, and the upcoming commission for the grand opening of the V&A East Museum in April 2026.
Chicago's cultural institutions are preparing a diverse slate of exhibitions and openings for 2026. Highlights include the Art Institute of Chicago presenting Henri Matisse's complete 'Jazz' book of cutouts for the first time, a survey of Dominican artist Firelei Báez at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the National Museum of Mexican Art exploring the history of Mexican railroad workers, and a costume design exhibition featuring Paul Tazewell's work at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. The year also features the grand opening of the Obama Presidential Center and a Barbara Nessim survey at the DePaul Art Museum.
Private galleries and pop-ups are collaborating with venues and brands to bring immersive experiences during Miami Art Week 2025. Highlights include the launch of CONTRA, a private events platform, with a VIP grand opening at Wyncatcher in Wynwood featuring DJ sets and an installation by Daniel Allen Cohen. The NFL returns with an expanded Artist Replay experience, including debut artworks from active player Marco Wilson and legend Martellus Bennett. Opera Gallery Miami presents “In Dialogue with Color: Mid-20th Century to Now” with works by Roy Lichtenstein, Yayoi Kusama, and others. London-based SLAWN debuts “Heroes, Villains, and Violence” at The Art of Hip Hop, while artists Amanda Linares and Lee Pivnik install site-specific works for the City of Miami Beach’s “No Vacancy 2025” program at hotels.
British artist Alexander James presents *Dissecting the Square*, a new exhibition at Phillips Gallery in Hong Kong, running until 31 May 2026. The show features a series of paintings, sculptures, and installations that explore the square as a geometric form, inspired by a moment when sunlight dissected an empty canvas in his studio. James divides canvases into quadrants, creating works that balance order and disruption. The exhibition also includes Josef Albers’ *Homage to the Square: In Time* (1967) and a sculpture by Sean Scully, placing James’s practice in dialogue with art historical precedents.
London’s art scene prepares for a major influx of high-profile exhibitions in May 2026, headlined by a comprehensive survey of Francisco de Zurbarán at the National Gallery and the grand opening of the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration in Clerkenwell. Other significant highlights include a sprawling outdoor installation of Henry Moore’s monumental bronzes at Kew Gardens, the debut of the 'Rising Voices' contemporary art exhibition at the newly opened V&A East, and a rare European retrospective of James McNeill Whistler at Tate Britain featuring the iconic 'Whistler's Mother'.
Denver’s art scene is preparing for a busy spring and summer season with a series of exhibition openings, market events, and institutional announcements. Key highlights include the selection of six fellows for the 2026 Clyfford Still Museum Institute Residential Fellowship, a nationwide open call for the Dairy Arts Center’s 2027 season, and several new gallery shows featuring artists such as Stacey Steers, Kim Dickey, and Deanne Gertner. Local advocacy is also in focus as the RiNo Art District supports Colorado Senate Bill 26-133, which aims to establish a formal legal structure for artist-led companies.
The article reviews the art world in 2025, highlighting a mixed year of declining sales values and cautious buyers, yet punctuated by record-breaking auctions and dramatic events. Fine art auction sales in the first half of 2025 totaled $4.7 billion, an 8.8% drop from 2024, with the average lot price falling to a decade-low of $24,224, indicating a shift toward lower-value works and younger collectors. Major sales included Gustav Klimt's Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer, which sold for $236 million at Sotheby's, becoming the second most expensive artwork ever auctioned, and Frida Kahlo's El sueño, which set a new auction record for a female artist at $55 million. The market was also unsettled by U.S. trade tariffs and economic uncertainty, while a daring heist and debates around AI art captured public attention.
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, has announced a historic expansion, increasing its size by 50 percent to 114,000 square feet, with a grand opening scheduled for June 6 and 7, 2026. The expansion, designed by Safdie Architects, includes fully reimagined galleries and is celebrated by two landmark gifts: 18 major works by women artists donated by chairperson Olivia Walton and her husband Tom Walton, and 200 artworks by over 100 artists donated by collectors Candace and Michael Humphreys. The Walton gift features artists such as Yayoi Kusama, Alice Neel, and Njideka Akunyili Crosby, while the Humphreys gift introduces many new artists to the museum's holdings.
Jeffrey Deitch is reviving his celebrated Art Parade for a special Los Angeles edition on June 20, 2026, to mark the grand opening of the David Geffen Galleries at LACMA. Originally held in New York’s SoHo from 2005 to 2008, the large-scale public procession invites artists, performers, and students to create floats and spectacles that will transform Museum Row into a living gallery.
David Klein Gallery, a prominent contemporary art space in Michigan, is relocating to a new 3,000-square-foot headquarters at 678 Livernois Ave. in Ferndale. The move consolidates its previous Birmingham and Detroit operations into a renovated warehouse with natural lighting and dedicated parking. A grand opening celebration is scheduled for July 11-12, 2025, featuring an evening reception with wine and music, followed by an open house and artist talk. The inaugural exhibition will showcase new works by Ferndale-based artist Susan Goethel Campbell and Detroit-based ceramicist Ebitenyefa Baralaye, with both shows running through August 23.
UNESCO's executive board has nominated Khaled El-Enany Ezz as its sole candidate for the next director-general, following a decisive vote during the organization's meetings at United Nations High Week. El-Enany, a 54-year-old Egyptian professor of Egyptology and former minister of tourism and antiquities, previously oversaw the construction and renovation of more than 20 museums, including the Grand Egyptian Museum. He will be the first Arab to lead UNESCO, replacing outgoing director-general Audrey Azoulay.
The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Giza has received another 163 artifacts from the tomb of King Tutankhamun, transferred from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo's Tahrir Square. This delivery includes the pharaoh's ceremonial chair, gilded footstool, canopic shrine, and jewelry, bringing the museum closer to staging the first-ever complete display of the boy king's treasures. The artifacts were transported with care and underwent condition reports at GEM's conservation labs. The final piece to arrive will be Tutankhamun's funerary mask, ahead of the museum's long-awaited grand opening on July 3.
Kapopoulos Fine Arts is opening a new group exhibition at its Nicosia gallery on October 31, 2025, featuring works by internationally renowned artists including Damien Hirst, Salvador Dalí, Mr. Brainwash, and Richard Orlinski, alongside prominent Greek creators such as Alekos Fassianos and Yannis Gaitis. The three-day opening event runs through November 2, with the exhibition continuing until November 17, showcasing paintings and sculptures sourced directly from artists' studios.
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) opened its new David Geffen Galleries, designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor in collaboration with SOM, for a summer preview before the building's official opening in April 2026. The 110,000-square-foot exhibition space, elevated on seven pavilions and made of concrete and glass, was opened to the public for three days with performances by 120 musicians. The preview also includes outdoor sculptures, commissioned artworks by Mariana Castillo Deball and Sarah Rosalena, and new dining and retail spaces.
The historic mansion at 1040 East Broad Street in Columbus’s Olde Towne East neighborhood is being transformed into a new fine art photography gallery. Spearheaded by local photographer and developer Matthew Barnes, the space aims to provide a dedicated venue for high-end photographic works within a restored architectural landmark.
Two major gifts from Louisa Stude Sarofim and The Anschutz Foundation, part of Princeton University's Venture Forward campaign, will name the Wilmerding Pavilion and the Anschutz Galleries in the new Princeton University Art Museum. The pavilion honors the late John Wilmerding, a pioneering American art historian and professor at Princeton, while the galleries within it will showcase the museum's American art collections. The museum opens on October 31, 2025, and the new space will allow a nearly five-fold increase in displayed works, including a broader definition of American art encompassing Spanish Colonial and Native American art.
Opera Gallery has officially opened its first Texas location in Houston’s River Oaks district, marking the 16th global space for the Singapore-founded network. The inaugural exhibition, running through April 19, 2026, features a high-caliber selection of Modern and Post-War masterworks by Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, and Marc Chagall alongside contemporary pieces by Yayoi Kusama and Kehinde Wiley. The gallery is free to the public and intends to host several curated exhibitions annually.
Three major art exhibitions are debuting in the Washington, D.C. area, headlined by Nick Cave’s largest-ever single-artist commission at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The immersive installation, titled "Mammoth," features a 70-foot illuminated table and bronze sculptures. Other significant openings include a survey of American masters at Glenstone and a massive showcase of female artists from the Shah Garg Collection at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.
Opera Gallery has officially opened its 14th international location in Houston’s River Oaks District, marking a significant expansion of its global footprint. The new space debuted with a high-profile presentation featuring masterworks by Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, and Marc Chagall, alongside contemporary pieces by Yayoi Kusama and Kehinde Wiley. Led by Director Gregory Lahmi and Deputy Director Kara Przybyl McIver, the gallery plans to host several curated exhibitions annually focusing on Modern and Post-War art.
A shuttered Regal Cinema on Miami Beach's Lincoln Road may be transformed into the Superhuman Museum, an immersive institution led by Steve Berke, a comedian, cannabis entrepreneur, and former mayoral candidate. The Miami Beach Planning Board has approved a change-of-use permit for the project, which has backing from the Lincoln Road Business Improvement District. The museum is designed as a guided journey combining elements of theme parks, art museums, and experiential venues, featuring facial scans, timed rooms, wireless wristbands, and a mix of tech-forward installations and traditional artworks by artists like Keith Haring and Yaacov Agam. A soft launch is targeted for November 2026, with a grand opening during Miami Art Week.
Theaster Gates's first solo exhibition in his hometown of Chicago, 'Unto Thee,' opens at the Smart Museum of Art, featuring materials collected over his career that are tied to the University of Chicago. The show includes slate from Rockefeller Chapel, glass lantern slides from the art history department, and the 4,500-volume archive of a late colleague, all transformed into sculptural installations that explore the changing meaning of objects.
The Portland Art Museum will celebrate the opening of its major expansion and renovation with four days of free admission and activities from November 20 to 23, 2025. The centerpiece is the new Mark Rothko Pavilion, a nearly 22,000-square-foot transparent entrance that connects the museum's two campus buildings, adding nearly 100,000 square feet of new or upgraded public and gallery space. The transformed museum features a complete reinstallation of its collection with nearly 300 major new acquisitions by artists including Marie Watt, Simone Leigh, and Carrie Mae Weems, alongside thematic displays that emphasize place, community, and identity. Free tickets are available for reservation starting November 1, and the museum will also expand its regular hours beginning November 25.
Calder Gardens, a new art space dedicated to the work of Alexander Calder, opens this weekend in Philadelphia on Benjamin Franklin Parkway, across from the Rodin Museum. Designed by Herzog & de Meuron with gardens by Piet Oudolf, the building is mostly underground and emphasizes a multi-sensory experience, including curated scents, textured surfaces, and no wall labels. The space will display 50 years of Calder's mobiles, stabiles, paintings, and drawings, rotating works without a fixed schedule.
LACMA has released new images of the David Geffen Galleries, the centerpiece of its campus transformation designed by architect Peter Zumthor. The building, which is currently under construction, will house the museum's permanent collection and is part of a larger overhaul of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's campus.
The Maeck Sculpture Foundation opened in Burr Oak, Iowa, with a public tour led by artist Steven Maeck. The park features sculptures made from salvaged industrial materials like steel wheels and grain bins, transformed into balanced, lyrical forms. Maeck, who spent 25 years as an itinerant rug dealer before committing to sculpture full-time, described his work as modern sculpture rather than junkyard art, emphasizing form, rhythm, and spatial relationships over material origins.
Albany Center Gallery (ACG) celebrated the grand opening of its new location at 48 N Pearl Street on January 16, 2026, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by local officials, artists, and community members. The event featured the 21st Annual Members’ Show, juried by Kayla Carlsen of the Albany Institute of History & Art, showcasing work from 276 artists, with $2,000 in cash prizes awarded. The move from its previous Arcade Building location marks ACG's sixth relocation since 1977, expanding to a 6,600-square-foot space that includes flexible exhibition areas and a doubled youth education space.
The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) has postponed its official grand opening, originally scheduled for July 3, until the final quarter of this year. Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly cited "current regional developments" in a press conference, referencing recent conflict between Israel and Iran. The museum issued a statement explaining the delay stems from a sense of national responsibility, aiming to hold the event at a more auspicious time. This is not the first delay for the project, which has faced setbacks since its announcement in 1992 due to political unrest, the Covid-19 pandemic, and economic struggles. The GEM has partially opened, with 12 main galleries accessible since late October 2024.
Southern Guild, a Cape Town-based gallery, opened a permanent location in New York's Tribeca district on Friday, marking a major expansion for the gallery and a milestone for contemporary African art's international visibility. The inaugural exhibitions feature South African painter Mmangaliso Nzuza's "Ballad of the Peacock" and conceptual artist Usha Seejarim's "Used," both on view until May 17. Co-founder Trevyn McGowan described the 371m² space in a historic cast-iron building as both instinctive and strategic, following the closure of the gallery's Los Angeles outpost, which served as a testing ground for American audiences.
The Portland Art Museum has opened a new permanent gallery dedicated to Black artists, named for local artist, dancer, and educator Thelma Johnson Streat. The gallery, which opened on the first day of Black History Month, features a variety of works by Black Oregon artists, including multimedia installations, paintings, drawings, and a large photographic grid.
Adriana Groza Art Gallery & Studio is opening at 38 Spring Street in Princeton, New Jersey, in a space that formerly housed Kopp’s Cycle shop. The grand opening takes place on Tuesday, November 25, from 5:25 to 7:25 p.m., marking the 21st anniversary of Groza’s arrival in the United States. The gallery will showcase Groza’s original paintings and serve as a hub for workshops and community events, with weekend hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.