London Art Exhibitions Not To Miss Opening Autumn 2025

London's major museums and galleries are preparing a packed autumn 2025 season with blockbuster exhibitions. Highlights include 'Radical Harmony: Helene Kröller-Müller’s Neo-Impressionists' at the National Gallery, 'Theatre Picasso' at Tate Modern, a Kerry James Marshall retrospective at the Royal Academy of Arts, Peter Doig at the Serpentine, Gilbert & George at the Hayward, and 'Encounters: Giacometti x Mona Hatoum' at the Barbican. The Barbican show pairs historic works by Alberto Giacometti with new and existing pieces by Mona Hatoum, including several UK debuts and site-specific large-scale sculptures.

15 Outstanding Artworks from the May 2025 New York Art Fairs

Artsy's editorial team curated a selection of 15 outstanding artworks from the seven art fairs taking place in New York during May 2025, including TEFAF, NADA, Esther II, Future Fair, Independent, and 1:54. The article highlights specific works such as Brandon Morris's "Teapot (Desire for No Tomorrow)" at Esther II, and notes that the fairs range from blue-chip offerings at TEFAF to emerging art at NADA, all compressed into a single week.

art must see 2026 museum shows

Cultured magazine has published a preview of must-see museum shows for 2026, highlighting exhibitions across the United States. Featured shows include a survey of the late Los Angeles artist Noah Davis at the Philadelphia Art Museum, the first solo New York institutional exhibition in over 35 years for Pat Oleszko at SculptureCenter, a Carol Bove survey at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Whitney Biennial 2026, a comprehensive Raphael exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a Lucas Samaras photography show at the Art Institute of Chicago, a Ming Smith exhibition at the Portland Museum of Art, and a Bruce Conner film showcase at the Marciano Art Foundation.

overlooked no more jack whitten ascends with a stellar retrospective at moma

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) has opened "Jack Whitten: The Messenger," a major posthumous retrospective featuring nearly 200 objects, mostly paintings, by the late artist Jack Whitten. Curated by MoMA's curator at large Michelle Kuo, the exhibition occupies MoMA's top-floor gallery and is arranged largely chronologically, highlighting Whitten's experimental techniques such as using dried acrylic tesserae and extruding paint through screens. The show includes early works from the 1960s and later mosaic compositions, offering a comprehensive view of his career.

With new Costume Institute exhibition and galleries, the Met makes powerful statement about fashion's place in museums

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has opened a major new Costume Institute exhibition titled "Costume Art," which runs until January 10, 2027, in the newly designed Condé M. Nast Galleries by Peterson Rich Office. Curated by Andrew Bolton with Stephanie Kramer, Ayaka Iida, and Emily Mushaben, the show features nearly 400 objects from all 19 of the museum's collecting departments, organized around body typologies such as the "Classical Body" and "Aging Body." The exhibition marks a significant institutional commitment to fashion as a central curatorial concern, with the 12,000-square-foot space adjacent to the Great Hall.

Venice Biennale Special 2026—podcast

This episode of The Art Newspaper's podcast is a Venice Biennale special, covering the opening week of the 2026 edition. Host Ben Luke, along with Louisa Buck and Jane Morris, reviews the main exhibition "In Minor Keys," curated by the late Koyo Kouoh and realized by five collaborators. The podcast features interviews with artists Gabrielle Goliath, whose work for the South African pavilion was cancelled and is instead staged in a Venice church, and Lubaina Himid, showing in the British pavilion. It also includes conversations with writer Saidiya Hartman and Daniella Kaliada of Belarus Free Theatre about their collateral projects. The episode concludes with a focus on two restored Tintoretto paintings at the Basilica of San Giorgio Maggiore, funded by Save Venice.

Claude Monet’s Market Triumph: 12 Record‑Smashing Paintings That Define an Era

Claude Monet's market dominance is analyzed through twelve record-breaking paintings sold at auction over the past decade, led by *Meules (Haystacks)* (1890), which achieved $110.7 million at Sotheby's New York in 2019—a record for any Impressionist work. The article highlights key sales including *Le Bassin aux Nymphéas* (1919) at $80.45 million, *Nymphéas* (1906) at $54 million, and *Le Pont du chemin de fer à Argenteuil* (1873–74) at $41.4 million, tracing how Monet's serene yet radical landscapes have consistently commanded top prices across Christie's and Sotheby's.

Whistleblower Complaint Alleges Misconduct at Palm Springs Art Museum, Where an Ex-Trustee Describes a ‘Shattered Moral Compass’

An anonymous whistleblower has filed a complaint alleging misconduct by leadership at the Palm Springs Art Museum, including improper movement of funds between accounts to address cash shortages, the forced resignation of a former director based on fabricated staff complaints, and a failure to properly interview external candidates for the director position. The complaint, forwarded to ARTnews, also references a $3 million discrepancy in the reported endowment value and the departure of several trustees, leaving the board below its required size. The museum has formed a special committee to investigate the allegations, which were first reported by the Los Angeles Times in November 2025.

$60 M. Lichtenstein Comes to the Block at Christie’s, Potentially Joining His Priciest Works at Auction

Christie’s will offer Roy Lichtenstein’s 1964 painting *Anxious Girl* from the collection of legendary New York collector-dealer Holly Solomon and her husband Horace, with an estimate of $40–60 million. If it reaches its high estimate, it will become the artist’s second-priciest work at auction, trailing only *Nurse* (1964), which sold for $95.4 million in 2015. The work leads Christie’s 20th-century evening sale on May 18, amid a flurry of high-value consignments as both Christie’s and Sotheby’s aim to sustain momentum after posting improved 2025 results.

Book uncovers the life of Barnett Newman, an artist who ran for New York mayor

A new biography titled "Barnett Newman: Here" by Amy Newman (no relation) explores the life of Abstract Expressionist painter Barnett Newman, revealing his little-known 1933 run for mayor of New York City at age 28 under a platform of cultural and environmental reforms. The book details his upbringing as the son of Jewish immigrants in the Bronx, his philosophical studies, and his eventual reinvention as a painter who pioneered the 'zip' painting style with works like Onement I, while also chronicling his combative personality and lifelong battles against political machines and critics.

What Is the Venice Biennale? Everything You Need to Know

The Venice Biennale returns for its 61st edition, running from May 9 to November 22, 2026. The event, often called the Olympics of the art world, comprises a central exhibition curated by an artistic director, national pavilions from dozens of countries, and officially approved Collateral Events. This year's edition was to be curated by Koyo Kouoh, a celebrated Cameroonian-born curator, but she died at 57 in May 2025 before announcing the title and theme, “In Minor Keys.” The Biennale organization has moved forward with a team of five curatorial advisers executing her vision. The event is overseen by president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco and is expected to draw over 800,000 visitors.

An Alexander Calder Retrospective in Paris Underscores His Inventiveness

A major retrospective of Alexander Calder's work is currently on view at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, marking the 100th anniversary of the artist's arrival in the city. The exhibition, running through August 16, 2026, presents a comprehensive overview of his career, featuring sculptures, drawings, archival material, and jewelry that highlight his innovative fusion of engineering and abstraction.

US National Gallery of Art gifted more than 1,200 Mitch Epstein photographs

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., has received a gift of 1,261 photographs from artist Mitch Epstein and his wife, Susan Bell. The donation, the largest institutional collection of Epstein's work, spans his five-decade career and includes major series such as 'American Power,' 'Property Rights,' and 'New York Arbor.'

Christie’s to Offer $35 M. Renoir Painting Owned by Whitney Family For Nearly a Century

Christie's will auction Pierre-Auguste Renoir's 1876-77 painting 'La femme aux lilas (Portrait de Nini Lopez)' in its 20th Century Evening Sale on May 18, with an estimate of $25 million to $35 million. The work has been owned by the Whitney Payson family since 1929 and is being sold from the collection of the late Lorinda Payson de Roulet, daughter of the original buyers, Joan Whitney Payson and Charles Payson.

Zurich’s controversial Bührle Collection is rehung, including five paintings by Van Gogh—plus one forgery

The Kunsthaus Zurich has unveiled a comprehensive new display of the Emil Bührle Collection, featuring 205 works including five significant paintings by Vincent van Gogh and one acknowledged forgery. This reinstallation marks a shift from previous thematic displays focused on provenance research to a denser presentation of the collection's breadth. Notable works on view include a 1887 self-portrait and the masterpiece 'The Sower at Sunset,' though one Van Gogh remains in conservation and another has been withdrawn due to Nazi-era ownership complications.

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Judy Chicago’s first major New York museum survey, "Herstory," has opened at the New Museum, marking a triumphant return for the 84-year-old feminist icon. The exhibition features a comprehensive look at her 60-year career, including her large-scale tapestries and "Rejection" drawings, alongside a curated "show-within-a-show" titled "City of Ladies." This section integrates Chicago’s work with pieces by over 90 historic women and non-binary artists, ranging from Hilma af Klint to Hildegard of Bingen, creating a visual dialogue across centuries of female creativity.

Marcel Duchamp at MoMA, Dorothea Tanning book, Leonora Carrington at the Freud Museum, London—podcast

The Museum of Modern Art in New York is launching the first major U.S. survey of Marcel Duchamp’s entire career in over fifty years, a landmark exhibition that will later travel to Philadelphia. Accompanying this resurgence of interest in avant-garde pioneers are two significant projects focused on women of the Surrealist movement: the publication of Alyce Mahon’s comprehensive new book on Dorothea Tanning and a specialized exhibition at London’s Freud Museum featuring Leonora Carrington’s 1940 painting 'Down Below'.

Philadelphia art museums celebrate America's 250th anniversary with blockbuster two-venue show

The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) have announced a massive collaborative exhibition titled "A Nation of Artists" to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Featuring over 1,000 works, the show spans from colonial-era masterpieces like Charles Willson Peale’s portrait of George Washington to contemporary Indigenous art and modern portraiture by Barkley L. Hendricks. The exhibition will also debut 120 works from the Middleton Family Collection, including significant Hudson River School and American Impressionist pieces.

A book exploring the evolution of J.M.W. Turner’s positions on slavery

Art historian Sam Smiles has released a comprehensive new book examining J.M.W. Turner’s complex relationship with the slave trade, expanding on his 2007 discovery of the artist's personal investment in a Jamaican cattle farm that utilized enslaved labor. The research traces Turner’s financial ties from his early patronage by wealthy plantation owners to his own speculative ventures, challenging the long-held perception of the artist as a straightforward abolitionist.

manet morisot cleveland legion of honor impressionism 1234779804

The Cleveland Museum of Art is hosting "Manet & Morisot," an exhibition that explores the deep artistic and personal relationship between Edouard Manet and Berthe Morisot. Moving beyond traditional narratives that cast Morisot as a secondary figure or mere muse, the show highlights her role as a peer who actively influenced Manet’s transition toward modernism. The exhibition features key works such as Morisot’s "View of Paris from the Trocadero" and Manet’s "The Railway," emphasizing their shared motifs and collaborative vision.

Keeping up with the Kleins: exhibition brings together Yves’s talented artist family

The Stedelijk Museum Schiedam in the Netherlands has opened an exhibition titled 'Yves Klein and His Artist Family,' which presents the work of the iconic French artist Yves Klein alongside that of his father Fred Klein, his mother Marie Raymond, and his widow Rotraut Klein-Moquay. The show features 30 works by Yves and over 40 pieces by his family members, highlighting their distinct artistic contributions within 20th-century Modernism.

A Trove of Vivian Maier’s Photographs Could Rewrite Her Market

A collection of 206 sold-out estate prints by photographer Vivian Maier is being offered as a single lot in Artnet's Important Photographs auction, with an estimate of $1–1.5 million. The trove, which includes gelatin silver and archival pigment prints from the 1950s to 1980s, represents a rare opportunity to acquire a comprehensive group of her work that is no longer available through primary market galleries.

Two Renoir exhibitions at Musée d’Orsay explore the joy of human connection

Two Renoir exhibitions at Musée d’Orsay explore the joy of human connection

The Musée d’Orsay in Paris is opening two concurrent exhibitions dedicated to Pierre-Auguste Renoir, titled 'Renoir and Love: A Joyful Modernity (1865-85)' and 'Renoir Drawings'. The shows focus on the first two decades of his career, featuring major works like 'Luncheon of the Boating Party' and rarely seen pieces from private collections, such as 'Confidence'. The exhibitions will later travel to the National Gallery in London and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

met museum cy twombly retrospective 1234776412

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is reportedly planning a major retrospective of the American artist Cy Twombly, scheduled for 2029. Evidence of the exhibition surfaced through a job posting for a researcher, which describes a comprehensive show featuring paintings, sculptures, and drawings that explore Twombly’s career across two continents and the influence of ancient myths and literature on his work. While the Met and the Cy Twombly Foundation have not yet officially confirmed the exhibition, the listing remains active on several professional platforms.

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Conservators at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum have successfully identified the original 17th-century upholstery for a set of 14 chairs in the Dutch Room, the site of the infamous 1990 art heist. Using a combination of AI colorization software called Palette and the discovery of a single faded thread, the team determined that the chairs were originally vibrant red with pink stripes, rather than the fabric used in a 1970s restoration. This discovery is part of a comprehensive three-year project to restore the room to the founder's original vision.

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Unionized staff at the Guggenheim Museum staged a rally outside the institution during a VIP preview for artist Carol Bove, demanding a more robust second contract. Members of UAW Local 2110, including conservators, archivists, and educators, are protesting recent layoffs that cut 7% of the workforce and left remaining employees with unsustainable workloads. The union is currently negotiating for higher wages, lower healthcare benefit costs, and improved job security following a grievance filed against the museum in February 2025.

lee krasner jackson pollock the met 2748325

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced a major joint exhibition titled "Krasner and Pollock: Past Continuous," scheduled for this fall. Featuring over 120 works, the show marks the first comprehensive joint presentation of Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner’s entire careers, rather than focusing solely on their years as a married couple. Curated by David Breslin and Brinda Kumar, the exhibition will utilize the Met’s deep holdings alongside significant international loans to trace the evolution of these two Abstract Expressionist titans from their early WPA days to their late-career innovations.

minor injuries michael joo sculpture damaged space zeroone 1234774349

A large-scale sculpture by Korean American artist Michael Joo collapsed during the opening reception of his solo exhibition at Space ZeroOne in Tribeca, New York. The artwork, titled 'Saltiness of Greatness' (1992) and composed of compressed salt blocks, reportedly fell after being disturbed by a visitor, resulting in minor injuries to four attendees including a curator, a gallerist, and a foundation board member. The gallery, operated by the Hanwha Foundation of Culture, has temporarily closed to review safety procedures following the incident.

Eugenio Viola, Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogotá

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The Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogotá (MAMBO) terminated the contract of its artistic director, Eugenio Viola, earlier this month. Viola claims his dismissal came after he raised concerns with the board in September 2025 about deteriorating working conditions at the museum, concerns he says were shared by other staff. The museum stated the decision resulted from a comprehensive review and that it has begun searching for a new artistic director.

quartet of masterpieces by monet signac degas and leger to headline sothebys spring modern contemporary sale in london 1234773068

Four major paintings by Claude Monet, Paul Signac, Edgar Degas, and Fernand Léger will be offered at Sotheby's Modern and Contemporary evening sale in London on March 4. The works have a combined high estimate of £24 million, led by Monet's rare Italian Riviera scene 'Maison de Jardinier' (1884) with an £8.5 million high estimate.