10 Chicago art exhibitions we’re most excited about in spring 2026

Chicago’s major cultural institutions have unveiled a diverse lineup of exhibitions for the spring 2026 season, ranging from historical retrospectives to pop-culture crossovers. Highlights include the U.S. debut of the Pokémon Fossil Museum at the Field Museum, a rare display of Henri Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes at the Art Institute of Chicago, and an immersive recreation of Anne Frank’s Secret Annex at the Griffin Museum of Science & Industry. Other notable shows explore the intersection of contemporary art and Caribbean music genres at the MCA Chicago and a site-specific residency by Brendan Fernandes at the Driehaus Museum.

A brush with… Danh Vo—podcast

Conceptual artist Danh Vo discusses his multifaceted practice in a new podcast interview, exploring how his work weaves together personal autobiography, queer identity, and his experience as a Vietnamese immigrant. The conversation delves into his collaborative methods, his use of found objects ranging from religious sculptures to household items, and his upcoming exhibitions at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam and White Cube in New York.

Van Gogh visited Georges Seurat's studio the day he left for Provence

The Courtauld Gallery in London is hosting a major exhibition of Georges Seurat’s work, highlighting the profound influence the Neo-Impressionist leader had on Vincent van Gogh. Historical records reveal that Van Gogh visited Seurat’s studio on February 19, 1888—the very day he departed Paris for Arles—to view masterpieces like 'A Sunday on La Grande Jatte.' This meeting underscores the deep respect Van Gogh held for Seurat’s scientific approach to color, even as he prepared to embark on his most famous creative period in Provence.

Rose Wylie: ‘It’s very, very fragile where a painting ends. All the time it sits on a precarious edge’

British artist Rose Wylie is currently the subject of a major career survey at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, titled "The Picture Comes First." At 91 years old, Wylie is the first woman painter to occupy the institution's main galleries, showcasing over 90 works that span her idiosyncratic career. The exhibition highlights her signature style of large-scale, exuberant figurative paintings that draw from a vast range of influences, including cinema, celebrity culture, and art history.

New York Historical receives gift of 150 works by Indigenous artists

The New York Historical has received a landmark gift of 150 contemporary and historical works by Indigenous artists from Agnes Hsu-Tang, the chair of its board of trustees, and her husband Oscar Tang. The collection features major figures such as Fritz Scholder, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, and Cara Romero, spanning various media including ceramics and textiles. This acquisition represents the most significant gift of Native art to a New York institution since the founding of the Museum of the American Indian.

12 must-see exhibitions in and around Los Angeles during Frieze

Los Angeles is hosting a series of major exhibitions to coincide with the Frieze Los Angeles art fair, highlighting both historical activism and contemporary social critiques. Key shows include Judith F. Baca’s exploration of her iconic 'Great Wall of Los Angeles' mural at Jeffrey Deitch, a massive survey of time-based media from the Julia Stoschek Foundation at the Variety Arts Theater, and a collaborative project between MOCA and The Brick titled 'Monuments' that recontextualizes removed Confederate statues through the lens of contemporary Black artists.

New York Galleries: Openings and Closings (02/16-02/22)

20 shows to see beyond India Art Fair

The article highlights 20 art exhibitions across India running concurrently with the India Art Fair, focusing on six key shows. Atul Dodiya presents 'The Gatecrasher' at Vadehra Art Gallery in Delhi, featuring 12 large-scale oil paintings that weave pop culture, art history, and personal memory. Sudarshan Shetty's 'A Breath Held Long' at GallerySKE explores the intersection of voice, body, and urban life through film and steel sculptures. Bikaner House hosts 'Typecasting: Photographing the People of India 1855-1920,' a critical exhibition of colonial ethnographic photographs. The Kolkata Centre for Creativity presents 'Convergences: A Shared Ground' examining artistic and architectural practices from eastern and northeastern India. Nilaya Anthology in Mumbai showcases a retrospective of architect Pinakin Patel, 'The Turning Point,' featuring 11 signature pieces.

'Still young and going strong': Berlin's pioneering contemporary art space Hamburger Bahnhof turns 30

Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin's pioneering contemporary art museum, is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Co-directors Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath, who arrived in 2022, are using the milestone to reflect on the institution's legacy and future direction, emphasizing its role as a site of artistic production and experimentation. They are also organizing an international fundraising gala on March 14 to help shape its next chapter.

15 Art Shows to See in Los Angeles This Spring

Los Angeles art institutions are presenting a diverse slate of spring exhibitions. Highlights include a major retrospective of conceptual artist Michael Asher at the Museum of Contemporary Art, a sprawling group show on Chicanx photography at the Riverside Art Museum and the Cheech, and an exploration of the Black Arts Movement through photography at the Getty. Other notable shows feature Arshile Gorky's road trip-inspired works at Hauser & Wirth, an audiovisual film exhibition at the Variety Arts Theater, and a presentation of Steven Arnold's queer baroque aesthetics at Del Vaz Projects.

Fifteen Standout Exhibitions to Catch This Winter

Boston Art Review (BAR) has published a curated list of fifteen standout exhibitions to visit this winter, highlighting a diverse range of contemporary art shows across Boston and beyond. The selection includes both local gallery presentations and major museum exhibitions, offering readers a guide to the season's most compelling visual art experiences.

Must-see New York City museum openings and exhibitions in 2026

The article previews major New York City museum exhibitions opening in 2026, including a Carol Bove survey at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (March 5–August 2), the first U.S. Marcel Duchamp retrospective since 1973 at the Museum of Modern Art, the New Museum's inaugural show in its OMA-designed expansion titled "New Humans: Memories of the Future," and a Goya exhibition at the Hispanic Society Museum & Library tied to the 250th anniversary of the United States. Each show highlights significant artistic milestones, from Bove's scrap-metal sculptures to Duchamp's readymades and Goya's war commentaries.

New Rules: The Artists to Watch for 2026

The article profiles three emerging artists to watch in 2026: Lebanese artist Dala Nasser, who creates politically charged works using materials like salted water and cyanotypes; Chinese-born, Berkeley-based artist Connie Zheng, whose work maps plantation economies and resource extractivism through painterly and symbolic compositions; and New York-based artist Nina Hartmann, who creates resin works inspired by DIY plaques and memorials, exploring hidden histories and Freemason symbolism. Each artist is highlighted for upcoming exhibitions or new series in 2026.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art to Present First Museum Survey of Lorna Simpson’s Paintings

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will present "Lorna Simpson: Source Notes" from May 19 to November 2, 2025, the first museum survey dedicated entirely to the New York-based artist's painting practice. Featuring over 30 works, the exhibition traces Simpson's shift from conceptual photography to paintings that explore gender, race, identity, and history, including pieces from her 2015 Venice Biennale debut and her "Special Characters" series, alongside recent sculptures and collages. The show is funded by the Ford Foundation and supported by Jim and Irene Karp and John and Amy Griffin.

Observer’s 2025 Art Market Recap: Recovery After a Year of Recalibration

After a turbulent start marked by gallery closures and market contraction, the art market in 2025 rebounded decisively, driven by a secondary-market surge in high-quality consignments. Major auction houses reported strong year-end results: Sotheby's projects $7 billion in consolidated sales (up 17%), Christie's expects $6.2 billion (up 7%), and Phillips reported $927 million (up 10%). Key sales included the $272 million Leonard & Louise Riggio collection at Christie's, the $527.5 million Lauder collection at Sotheby's (led by a $236.4 million Gustav Klimt), and the $136 million Karpidas sales. The year began quietly but gained momentum after summer, with deep bidding and strategic pricing driving a 26% increase in Sotheby's auction revenue and an 11% overall rise in fine art sales across Old Masters, Impressionist, Modern, Post-War and Contemporary categories.

At SLAM, Anselm Kiefer’s Material Transformations

The Saint Louis Art Museum (SLAM) is presenting "Anselm Kiefer: Becoming the Sea," an exhibition of 40 works by the German artist dating from the 1970s to the present, including 20 recent pieces and five monumental site-specific paintings. Curated by museum director Min Jung Kim, the show features Kiefer's characteristically vast, heavy works built from materials like tar, melted lead, and steel, displayed without stanchions and with minimal labels to encourage immersive viewing. The exhibition was inspired by a conversation between Kim and Kiefer about the confluence of rivers—the Rhine in his native Germany and the Mississippi and Missouri in St. Louis—and makes use of SLAM's grand 1904 World's Fair building.

Central Texas Museum Exhibitions Opening in Spring 2026

Central Texas museums and arts organizations, including the Blanton Museum of Art, the Visual Arts Center at the University of Texas at Austin, the San Antonio Museum of Art, and The Contemporary at Blue Star, have announced a slate of spring 2026 exhibitions. Highlights include the Georgetown Art Center's four-show season featuring Print Austin (a salon-style invitational for juried-exhibition rejects), Neo Geo: Geometry and Color by Larry Akers and Janet Brooks, Chris Ireland's photo-based Dead Letter Office, and Seeing Double – Two Views of Texas. The Blanton will present Contemporary Project 16: Tammy Nguyen (January 17–September 20), American Modernism from the Charles Butt Collection (March 8–August 2), and Run the Code: Data-Driven Art Decoded, a collaboration with the Thoma Foundation showcasing digital and AI-generated works by artists like Jenny Holzer.

Enrico David: ‘It’s as if the objects are there as an avatar for something that has gone’

Italian-born, London-based artist Enrico David is the subject of a major retrospective at the Castello di Rivoli Museo d'Arte Contemporanea near Turin, titled 'I'm Back Tomorrow.' The exhibition, his largest to date, spans three decades of his work and occupies the museum's 147-meter-long Manica Lunga gallery. David first gained attention in the late 1990s for his large embroideries featuring masked figures, many purchased by collector Charles Saatchi, but later shifted to creating psychologically charged sculptures of mutated humanoid forms. The show is arranged not thematically or chronologically but as a series of 'vertebrae' anchoring the space, with elements evoking trade fairs and commercial design—a language familiar from his father's neon-sign business.

Five forces that reshaped the art market in 2025

In 2025, the art market faced significant challenges, including gallery closures and unfavorable auction results in the first three quarters, driven by geopolitical pressures such as US President Donald Trump's tariffs. However, a rebound occurred in autumn, with buoyant fairs like Frieze London and Art Basel Paris, and strong November auctions in New York totaling over USD 2 billion, carrying momentum to Art Basel Miami Beach. Key events included Gustav Klimt's *Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer* selling for USD 236.4 million at Sotheby's, a record for a Modern work, and a Frida Kahlo self-portrait setting a new record for a work by a woman. Meanwhile, several galleries closed, including Blum, Venus Over Manhattan, Clearing, Kasmin Gallery, Tilton Gallery, and Perrotin and Pace's Hong Kong outposts, while others expanded, such as Thaddaeus Ropac in Milan and Hauser & Wirth in Sicily.

The 10 Most In-Demand Artists on Artsy in 2025, from David Lynch to Amy Sherald

Artsy has released its list of the 10 most in-demand artists of 2025, based on year-over-year surges in artwork inquiries on its platform from January to November. Topping the list is filmmaker and artist David Lynch, whose inquiries surged 2,940% following his death in January, followed by Spanish painter Guim Tió Zarraluki (1,350% increase) and British painter Danny Fox (1,210% increase). Other artists include Amy Sherald, whose inquiries rose 710% after her 2018 portrait of Michelle Obama. The article notes that demand often spikes due to major publications, institutional shows, art fairs, or career milestones.

10 Galleries That Had a Breakout Year in 2025

The article highlights 10 galleries that achieved significant growth and recognition in 2025, despite a challenging market environment marked by tariffs and trade uncertainty. Featured galleries include Tokyo's CON__, which gained global visibility through standout presentations at Frieze Seoul and NADA New York; Munich and New York-based LOHAUS SOMINSKY, which debuted at Art Basel Miami Beach and opened a Tribeca outpost; and Chicago's Hans Goodrich, which quickly established itself with a cross-generational exhibition program and international fair appearances.

Must-see art exhibitions in Hong Kong right now! (2025)

Hong Kong is hosting a vibrant array of must-see art exhibitions in December 2025, as highlighted in a curated guide. Key shows include 'Zao Wou-Ki: Master Printmaker' at M+, focusing on the artist's lithograph prints; 'Violet Veil' by Laura Zhang at The Extension, featuring meditative violet-hued works; 'Guan Yu vs. Wilson Shieh' at JPS Gallery, blending traditional gongbi painting with AI technology; and 'The Villepin House' at Villepin, celebrating the gallery's fifth anniversary with works by Zao Wou-Ki and Myo.

‘The Ballad of Sexual Dependency’: entire Nan Goldin series gets first-ever UK show

Gagosian gallery in London will present the first-ever UK exhibition of Nan Goldin's complete series 'The Ballad of Sexual Dependency' (126 prints, 1973-1986) at its Davies Street location from January 13 to March 21, 2025. Simultaneously, the gallery's Grosvenor Hill space will host 'Richard Avedon: Facing West,' featuring 21 portraits from Avedon's 'In the American West' series, including several unseen since 1985. Both exhibitions mark the 40th anniversary of the publication of the two landmark photography books.

New York Galleries: Openings and Closings of the Week (12/08—12/14)

In pictures: a sculptural celebration at Art Basel Miami Beach

Nora Lawrence, executive director of Storm King Art Center, curated a selection of her favorite three-dimensional works at Art Basel Miami Beach, highlighting sculptures by Thaddeus Mosley, Rashid Johnson, Mary Ann Unger, Paloma Varga Weisz, and Claes Oldenburg, as well as a painting by Saif Azzuz. The tour, published by The Art Newspaper, showcases works from galleries including Karma, Hauser & Wirth, Berry Campbell, Nicelle Beauchene Gallery, Konrad Fischer Galerie, and Paula Cooper.

New tech and old names drive sales at Art Basel Miami Beach

Art Basel Miami Beach (ABMB) saw strong sales and a cautiously optimistic mood, with Pace gallery reporting nearly $5 million in sales including a $1.1 million Sam Gilliam painting. The fair debuted a new digital art section, Zero 10, where a Beeple installation of robotic dogs excreting NFTs sold out within five hours for $1 million total, and generative art from Larva Labs sold for up to $45,000 each. However, the opening day crowd was thinner than in past years, and about 20 galleries did not return, replaced by a record 48 new exhibitors. Dealers noted a slower, quieter pace, with buyers more cautious than during the indulgent pre-pandemic era.

Omar Lopez-Chahoud’s fresh curatorial project debuts at Miami Produce

Curator Omar Lopez-Chahoud has launched his first independent project since leaving his role as artistic director of Untitled Art Miami Beach. Titled *Fragments of Displacement*, the group exhibition debuted on December 2 at Miami Produce, an open-air fruit and vegetable market in the Allapattah neighborhood. Co-organized with Eduardo Lopez, founder of Mexico’s FF Projects, the show features works by established artists including Jorge Méndez Blake, Helmut Lang, and Andrea Geyer, alongside emerging talents like Chantal Peñalosa Fong. The exhibition runs until March 1, 2026, and is designed to activate unconventional spaces and engage the local community.

10 Art Shows to See in Los Angeles This December

This December, Los Angeles presents a diverse array of art exhibitions that engage with contemporary social issues, cultural protest, and new possibilities. Highlights include Alan Luna's subversive reinterpretations of Mexican history and American modernism at the new La Plaza Projects, a group show at The Box featuring nearly 200 artists challenging normative sexuality, and Daniel T. Gaitor-Lomack's assemblages at Night Gallery that poetically repurpose discarded objects from LA streets. Other notable shows include Edith Dekyndt and Richard Long's dialogue on nature at Okey Dokey Konrad Fischer, and Sam Shoemaker's performance-based mushroom boat project at Fulcrum Arts.

Paris art exhibitions to see this month

Paris is hosting a diverse array of art exhibitions this month, ranging from Jeffery Gibson's first solo show in France at Hauser & Wirth to a retrospective on photographer Denise Bellon. Other highlights include 'Radical Making' at Carpenters Workshop Gallery, featuring designs by Charlotte Perriand and Jean Prouvé alongside contemporary artists; Gareth Mason's ceramic-focused exhibition at the same gallery; Inez & Vinoodh's 'Think Love' series at India Mahdavi's Project Room #21; and a major Art Deco centenary exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. The guide also notes ongoing photography shows following Paris Photo 2025.

Miami Art Week 2025: Your Essential Guide to the Fairs, Exhibits, and Chaos

Miami Art Week 2025 takes place December 2-7, transforming Miami Beach and Wynwood into a sprawling art hub anchored by Art Basel Miami Beach, which features 281 galleries from 43 countries. The week includes over a dozen major fairs such as SCOPE, NADA, UNTITLED, and Pinta, alongside off-program events like street art battles at the Museum of Graffiti, a collaborative mural by RETNA and El Mac at Wynwood Walls, and David LaChapelle's world premieres at VISU Contemporary. The event follows record-breaking New York auctions totaling over $1.5 billion, including a $236 million Gustav Klimt and a $55 million Frida Kahlo.