These are the 30 best museum exhibits in NYC right now

New York City’s cultural landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, anchored by the grand reopening of the New Museum in its expanded 60,000-square-foot building designed by OMA. The inaugural exhibition, "New Humans: Memories of the Future," features over 200 contributors exploring the intersection of technology and humanity. Simultaneously, major institutions are launching blockbuster shows, including a massive Raphael retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the 2026 Whitney Biennial, which focuses on artificial intelligence, climate grief, and geopolitical power.

V&A Pulls Catalog Materials Due to Chinese Censorship Laws

The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London has admitted to removing maps and images from two exhibition catalogs following censorship demands from a Chinese printing firm. Documents revealed that C&C Offset Printing flagged content in the catalogs for the exhibitions "Music Is Black" and "Fabergé: Romance to Revolution" as violating Chinese law. The censored items included a 1930s map of British trade routes and a photograph of Vladimir Lenin, which the printer claimed could not be produced under Beijing’s strict regulations.

Is Chinese Censorship Reaching Inside Britain’s Museums?

London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) has come under fire following reports that it altered exhibition catalogues to comply with Chinese government censorship. To reduce production costs, the museum utilized printers in China, which are subject to Beijing’s General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) regulations. Consequently, the museum removed historical maps and an image of Vladimir Lenin from publications for the "Music is Black" and "Fabergé: Romance to Revolution" exhibitions after they were flagged by Chinese authorities.

Large Roman Villa Uncovered in the U.K. During Wind Farm Survey

Archaeologists conducting surveys for an offshore wind farm project in Norfolk, England, have discovered a significant Roman villa dating back to the 1st through 3rd centuries C.E. The expansive estate, which measures over 100 feet in length, featured a bathhouse, a covered porch, and ancillary buildings for crop processing. Excavations also yielded high-status artifacts including an ornate bronze door handle, a lion-headed furniture foot, and imported pottery, alongside evidence of a Roman road and two lost medieval villages.

Our Critics Disagree on MoMA PS1’s Greater New York, a Wide-Ranging Survey Defined by a Fascination with Fragility

MoMA PS1 has launched the sixth edition of Greater New York, its signature quinquennial survey featuring 53 artists living and working across the city's five boroughs. Marking the institution’s 50th anniversary, this iteration was organized entirely by the museum’s internal curatorial staff rather than outside contributors. The exhibition moves away from the introspective, surrealist themes of the pandemic-era 2021 edition, focusing instead on the social fabric of the city and the systemic challenges facing its residents.

2026 Guggenheim Fellowships Go to Sonya Clark, John Miller, and American Artist

The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation has announced its 101st class of fellows, awarding 223 scholars and artists across 55 disciplines for 2026. Selected from a pool of nearly 5,000 applicants, the new cohort includes prominent visual artists such as Sonya Clark, John Miller, American Artist, and Kota Ezawa. The fellowships provide significant financial grants to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts.

Tokyo Architect Kengo Kuma Beats Out Renzo Piano and Selldorf to Design National Gallery’s £350 M. New Wing

The National Gallery in London has appointed Tokyo-based architect Kengo Kuma to design a new £350 million wing as part of its ambitious £750 million "Project Domani" expansion. Kuma, known for the V&A Dundee, beat out high-profile Pritzker Prize winners Renzo Piano and Norman Foster for the commission. The project involves the demolition of St. Vincent House to create 15,000 square feet of new exhibition space dedicated to 20th and 21st-century art, along with new pedestrian zones and a roof garden.

The New Museum’s ‘New Humans’ Reckons With Human-Machine Relations in the Workplace

The New Museum has inaugurated its recently renovated space with 'New Humans: Memories of the Future,' a sprawling exhibition featuring over 700 works across four floors. The show explores the historical and evolving relationship between humanity and labor, tracing the narrative from ancient Mesopotamian myths to the industrial age and the rise of robotics. Key sections like 'Mechanical Ballets' highlight how artists have historically responded to the dehumanization of the workforce through the lens of early 20th-century avant-garde movements.

Inez & Vinoodh Handpick 6 Defining Works From Their New Retrospective

The Dutch photography duo Inez & Vinoodh have launched a major retrospective titled "Can Love Be a Photograph" at the Kunstmuseum Den Haag. Spanning their career since 1986, the exhibition features 150 works that blur the lines between fashion photography, celebrity portraiture, and fine art. To mark the opening, the artists highlighted six defining works—including the digitally manipulated "Thank You Thighmaster" series—that prioritize conceptual depth and psychological mutation over the glossy celebrity culture they are often associated with.

Lost John Constable Painting Rediscovered in Texas Bound for Auction

Lost John Constable Painting Rediscovered in Texas Bound for Auction

A long-lost, large-scale oil study by John Constable for his famous painting *The Cornfield* has been rediscovered and authenticated after decades in a rural Texas museum. Scientific analysis, including pigment tests and infrared reflectography, confirmed the materials and techniques match Constable's own, leading experts to declare it the largest known study for the 1826 masterpiece. The work, which had been mistakenly cataloged as a copy, will now be auctioned by Heritage Auctions in Dallas this June.

Remembering Nathan Farb, Thomas Zipp, and Christine Ruiz-Picasso

The art world mourns the loss of several influential figures, including photographer Nathan Farb, known for his large-format captures of the Adirondacks and 1960s Manhattan, and Christine Ruiz-Picasso, who was instrumental in establishing the Museo Picasso Málaga. Other notable passing include German interdisciplinary artist Thomas Zipp, prolific art forger William "Billy The Brush" Mumford, and Hassen Soufy, the last living member of the L'École de Tunis movement.

Art Problems: How Do I Get Gallery Representation?

Art Problems: How Do I Get Gallery Representation?

Paddy Johnson, in a Hyperallergic advice column, demystifies the process for artists seeking gallery representation. She explains that galleries primarily seek artists with proven sales records to mitigate their own high financial risks, such as exorbitant rent and operational costs. Johnson advises artists to build this track record independently by selling work themselves or securing spots in low-pressure group shows, then aggressively promoting those exhibitions to demonstrate market potential to dealers.

Metropolitan Opera and MoMA Together Put Kahlo at Center Stage

The Metropolitan Opera and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) have launched a rare cross-disciplinary collaboration centered on the life and work of Frida Kahlo. The project features a new operatic production at the Met, complemented by a specialized exhibition at MoMA conceived by the opera's set designer to provide visual and historical context.

A Thomas J Price Bronze Opens Door to London’s V&A East

British artist Thomas J Price has unveiled a monumental bronze sculpture at the entrance of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s new outpost, V&A East, in Stratford, East London. The large-scale work depicts an anonymous Black figure, continuing Price's practice of utilizing the traditional language of monumental sculpture to celebrate everyday individuals who are often marginalized in public spaces.

MoMA Survey Shows How Marcel Duchamp Changed the Art Game

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) has launched a comprehensive survey of Marcel Duchamp’s work, highlighting the artist's revolutionary impact on the definition of art. The exhibition traces Duchamp's transition from traditional painting to his radical 'readymades,' which prioritized intellectual concepts over aesthetic craftsmanship.

WALTER OTERO A TROPICAL GALLERIST IN AMERICA S ECOSYSTEM

A new book titled "Walter Otero: un galerista tropical" is being published this March. It features an interview by curator Omar-Pascual Castillo with Puerto Rican gallerist Walter Otero, chronicling his journey from personal assistant to painter Arnaldo Roche Rabell to founding his influential San Juan gallery, Walter Otero Contemporary Art (WOCA). The book details the gallery's history, its roster of artists, and Otero's adaptation to the digital age and crises like Hurricane Maria.

$120 Raffle Ticket Nets $1.2 Million Picasso

Ari Hodara, a 58-year-old software engineer from Paris, has won Pablo Picasso’s 1941 painting 'Head of a Woman' through a charity raffle. Hodara purchased a single €100 ticket for the '1 Picasso for €100' lottery after seeing an advertisement in a restaurant, eventually beating out 120,000 other participants to claim the work valued at approximately $1.2 million.

Rirkrit Tiravanija to Assemble “A Gathering of Remarkable People” for Qatar Pavilion at Venice Biennale

Thai artist Rirkrit Tiravanija will headline the Qatar Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale with a collaborative project titled “Untitled (a gathering of remarkable people).” Curated by Tom Eccles and Ruba Katrib, the exhibition will be housed in a temporary tent in the Giardini on the site of Qatar’s future permanent pavilion. The presentation features a multidisciplinary roster including filmmaker Sophia Al-Maria, sound artist Tarek Atoui, sculptor Alia Farid, and chef Fadi Kattan, blending live performance, cinema, and Middle Eastern culinary traditions.

Weekly News Roundup: March 13, 2026

The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art has commissioned artist Nalini Malani for a collateral exhibition at the 2026 Venice Biennale, titled 'Of Woman Born'. Art Collaboration Kyoto announced a shift from a single director to a seven-member leadership committee. Australian artist Datsun Tran won the 2026 Glover Prize for his landscape work 'The giants are falling'. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani appointed Diya Vij as commissioner of the city's Department of Cultural Affairs.

Ten Essential Shows During Frieze New York

Frieze magazine has published a curated list of ten essential exhibitions to see in New York City during the Frieze New York art fair. The recommendations highlight major institutional shows, including a Carol Bove exhibition at the Guggenheim, a Marcel Duchamp presentation at MoMA, and a Raphael-focused exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The Biggest Week of the Spring?

Hyperallergic's newsletter provides a comprehensive overview of a packed week in New York's art scene. Key events include the reopening of the New Museum after its OMA-designed expansion, the concurrent runs of the Affordable Art Fair and Outsider Art Fair, and the city-wide Asia Art Week. The publication also offers a critical assessment of the 2026 Whitney Biennial and a guide to upcoming spring art fairs.

New Museum unveils new OMA-designed building ahead of March 21st reopening.

The New Museum in New York has unveiled its major 60,000-square-foot expansion, designed by the architectural firm OMA, specifically Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas. The project, which took a decade from architect selection to completion, required a two-year closure and doubles the institution's gallery space. It debuts with new commissions by artists Tschabalala Self and Klára Hosnedlová ahead of its public reopening on March 21st.

David Novros’s Portable Murals

David Novros’s latest exhibition at Paula Cooper Gallery showcases his "portable murals," intricate multi-paneled paintings that challenge the traditional concept of art as a mere object on a wall. Utilizing oil and murano on canvas, Novros assembles monochromatic, L-shaped, and horizontal panels with precise intervals that incorporate the gallery wall into the composition. These works are designed to be experienced kinesthetically, responding to shifting natural light and the viewer's physical movement through the space.

New Museum Reopens in Downtown New York With OMA Expansion

The New Museum has officially reopened its downtown New York campus following a significant expansion designed by the architectural firm OMA. The renovation introduces a massive internal staircase that connects all four floors, resolving long-standing circulation issues previously caused by a reliance on elevators. To mark the reopening, the museum debuted a site-specific facade sculpture by Tschabalala Self titled "Art Lovers" and a massive inaugural group exhibition, "New Humans: Memories of the Future," featuring over 150 international contributors.

Locating Luigi Ghirri

Fashion photographer Alessio Bolzoni and film director Luca Guadagnino have collaborated on 'Felicità', a new book and exhibition at Thomas Dane Gallery featuring 45 previously unseen color photographs by the late Italian master Luigi Ghirri. The project is divided into two portfolios: the first focuses on intimate, abstract details of found objects and surfaces in Modena, while the second expands into larger vistas and populated spaces across Italy during the 1980s.

Thomas Zipp, artist with a sideways sense of history, 1966–2026

German artist Thomas Zipp, known for his dark, punk-infused explorations of history and science, has died at age 60. Throughout a career spanning painting, sculpture, and immersive scenographic installations, Zipp blended a Dadaist sensibility with a deep interest in politics, neuroscience, and the nuclear age. His work often challenged viewers with complex, opaque environments, such as his notable 2013 Venice Biennale installation that transformed a palazzo into a psychological sanatorium.

Joe Moss, Drones and Caspar David Friedrich

Artist Joe Moss presents his installation 'Automated Fantasy Procedure' at Matt's Gallery in London. The work features a squadron of choreographed drones, two-channel videos with actors portraying figures like a Caspar David Friedrich-inspired wanderer, and a Roman-style mosaic, all experienced in scheduled ten-minute replays designed to mimic the overwhelming sensation of scrolling through a smartphone.

The 5 Best Booths at ARCOmadrid 2026

Do you remember the last negative review you read?

« Vous souvenez-vous de la dernière critique négative que vous avez lue ? »

The traditional art of negative criticism is vanishing from mainstream media, replaced by a culture of polite consensus or violent but unprincipled social media attacks. Historically, critics like Baudelaire, Zola, and Huysmans used sharp, subjective arguments to defend avant-garde movements and challenge academicism, viewing the attack on certain artists as a necessary byproduct of championing others. Today, limited editorial space and a desire to support the arts have led French journalists to focus almost exclusively on praise, resulting in a loss of discernment and comparative analysis.

Thomas Gainsborough’s Portraits of Pride and Prejudice

A new exhibition at the Frick Collection, "Gainsborough: The Fashion of Portraiture," re-examines the 18th-century English painter's work. It focuses on how his portraits, from early Suffolk "conversation pieces" to later Bath society commissions, used landscape and lavish clothing to visually encode social status, ownership, and belonging.