The article examines the resilience of the high-end art market amid rising geopolitical tensions and shrinking public funding for culture. It notes that while sales at major auction houses like Sotheby's and Christie's have rebounded, political forces in the US and Europe are increasingly prioritizing military spending and exerting pressure on cultural institutions, drawing parallels to the rise of fascism in the early 20th century.
The Kanal-Centre Pompidou, a major new modern and contemporary art museum in Brussels, will open on November 28. Housed in a converted 1930s Citroën garage, the €230m institution will launch with ten exhibitions, including a 350-work show drawn from the Centre Pompidou's collection in Paris and installations by artists like Otobong Nkanga.
Beirut-born artist and composer Tarek Atoui has been selected to create the next Hyundai Commission in Tate Modern's Turbine Hall, running from 13 October 2026 to 11 April 2027. Known for his innovative musical performances with intricately engineered instruments, Atoui will transform the vast space into a multisensory environment exploring sound and vibration. His previous works include performances at Tate Modern's South Tank in 2016 and a presentation at the 2019 Venice Biennale. The announcement comes amid reports that Tate chair Roland Rudd floated offering naming rights to the Turbine Hall for £50m, though a Tate spokesperson called that hypothetical.
London galleries are launching a packed week of late-January exhibitions, featuring solo shows by Jessica Rankin at White Cube (embroidered paintings and works on paper), R. Crumb at David Zwirner (a survey of his six-decade career in countercultural drawing), Alexandra Christou at Sadie Coles HQ (rarely seen 1990s paintings of Greek life), Christina Mackie at Goldsmiths CCA (interdisciplinary installation), and a group show 'Geometry in Motion' at Stephen Friedman Gallery (exploring geometry and seriality).
The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, has announced Brooklyn-based artist Kameron Neal as the winner of its 2025 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition. Neal was honored for his two-channel video installation *Down the Barrel (of a Lens)* (2023), which incorporates surveillance footage from the 1960s and 70s obtained during his residency at New York City’s Department of Records. The work explores the relationship between police and protesters, displaying footage of Vietnam War protesters, the Black Panthers, Martin Luther King Jr., and John F. Kennedy alongside images of police filming. Neal receives $25,000 and a commission to create a portrait for the museum’s permanent collection. Second prize went to photographer Jared Soares, and third prize to painter David Antonio Cruz; the exhibition featuring all 35 finalists runs from January 24 to August 30, 2025.
Ghanaian artist Amoako Boafo will open his first solo exhibition in Italy at the Museo di Palazzo Grimani in Venice this spring, timed to coincide with the 61st Venice Biennale (9 May–22 November 2026). The show, co-organized by Gagosian Gallery, will feature new and recent works inspired by the Renaissance atmosphere of the palazzo and the Venetian portrait tradition. Boafo is creating a series of new pieces specifically for the exhibition, directly referencing the historical context and unique architecture of the museum.
The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art in Connecticut has announced the 40 participating artists for its first-ever Aldrich Decennial, a survey exhibition titled "I am what is around me." Opening June 7 and running through January 10, 2027, the show focuses on artists living and working in Connecticut who have never had a solo museum exhibition in the state. Notable participants include painter Dominic Chambers, multimedia artist Arghavan Khosravi, and novelist-poet Renee Gladman. The exhibition draws its title from a 1917 poem by Wallace Stevens, a longtime Connecticut resident.
The Denver Art Museum (DAM) will present "Conversation Pieces: Stories from the Fashion Archives" in spring 2026, an exhibition drawn from its permanent fashion collection. Curated by Jill D’Alessandro, the show pairs historic and contemporary garments—such as an 1896 House of Worth ballgown with a Rick Owens piece from Spring/Summer 2020—to highlight fashion as an artistic discipline. It also features a section on the little black dress, including a 1926 Chanel shift dress, and an interactive installation by Denver-based KaraKara Blooms. The exhibition precedes a blockbuster show, "DIVA," organized with the V&A Museum in London, which will have its exclusive U.S. venue at DAM in fall 2026.
Sotheby's and Christie's held a series of high-profile auctions in New York in late 2025, generating a combined $2.2 billion from major collections including the Leonard A. Lauder collection, the Cindy and Jay Pritzker collection, and the Robert F. and Patricia G. Ross Weis collection. Star lots included Gustav Klimt's portrait of Elisabeth Lederer ($236.4m), a Vincent van Gogh still life ($62.7m), a Frida Kahlo self-portrait ($54.7m), and a Mark Rothko abstract ($62.2m). Despite these strong results, the total was still 30% below the equivalent sales in 2022, and the article notes a growing number of contemporary gallery closures in 2025.
The article examines the current state of the art market, which is in its third consecutive year of contraction. It traces how low interest rates fueled speculative price inflation, leading to a boom in ultra-contemporary art that has now burst, with collectors shifting toward Old Masters. Dealers like Larry Gagosian are now advocating for lowering primary market prices, while private sales stall due to sellers' 'anchoring' to peak valuations. The piece highlights the disconnect between high prices and long-term value, using examples such as auction records being manipulated (e.g., Patrick Drahi's anonymous bidding on a Francis Bacon triptych) and the reality that most artworks in even celebrated collections depreciate.
A trio of major museum openings is expected in Los Angeles in 2026: the expansion of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Lacma) with its new David Geffen Galleries designed by Peter Zumthor opening in April; the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, founded by filmmaker George Lucas and designed by Ma Yansong, opening on 22 September; and the digital artist Refik Anadol's Dataland, the first museum devoted to AI-generated art, opening in spring. Additionally, the Victoria and Albert Museum opens V&A East in London on 18 April, and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, opens an expansion on 6 June.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the nonprofit Alliance for Young Artists & Writers have opened the seventh annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards: New York City Regional Exhibition at The Met’s Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education. Running through May 21, 2021, the free exhibition features over 200 works of art and writing by New York City-based Gold Key recipients in grades 7–12, selected from more than 10,000 submissions across 28 categories. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the works are displayed as framed prints to ensure equitable access.
The 18th edition of Surreal Salon, an annual international exhibition celebrating Pop-surrealism and Lowbrow art, will open at Baton Rouge Gallery – center for contemporary art (BRG) from January 2 to 25, 2026. Curated by special guest juror Swoon (Caledonia Curry), the multimedia show features over 60 artists from the U.S. and abroad, selected from nearly 800 submissions through a blind jurying process. The exhibition is free and presented in partnership with Louisiana State University’s School of Art, with additional events including a talk by Swoon on January 26 and a costume soiree on January 24.
The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) in Chicago is presenting "Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind," a major retrospective of the artist's work that runs from October 18, 2025, to February 22, 2026. The exhibition features over 200 works spanning Ono's career, including interactive installations like "Wish Trees" and "Mend Piece," as well as iconic performances such as "Cut Piece." The show, which originated at the Tate Modern in London and will travel to The Broad in Los Angeles, highlights Ono's role in the Fluxus movement and her pioneering use of instruction-based art, film, and mixed media. The article also notes Ono's connection to Chicago through her permanent public sculpture "Sky Landing" in Jackson Park.
The global art market continued to contract in 2025, with prominent galleries such as Blum, Clearing, Sperone Westwater, Tilton, Kasmin, TJ Boulting, Project Native Informant, Nir Altman, and Altman Siegel closing due to challenging macroeconomic conditions. However, a rebound emerged at the top end by autumn, driven by Sotheby's white-glove sale of the Pauline Karpidas collection, strong VVIP sales at Art Basel Paris, and New York's November auctions, where Klimt's *Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer* (1914-16) sold for $236.3 million and Frida Kahlo's *El Sueño (la cama)* (1940) for $54.7 million. Christie's and Sotheby's reported increased sales from 2024, with second-half auctions up 26% year-on-year, though recovery remains uneven and concentrated in classic secondary-market tastes.
The article analyzes the art market in 2025, describing a year of divergence rather than a single trend. While aggregate sales remained below post-pandemic peaks, the year ended with a billion-dollar New York auction week, a record-setting Klimt portrait, and strong demand for exceptional works. Segments like Old Master auctions and the $1 million–$10 million band saw growth, while the ultra-contemporary segment struggled. Key events included the May marquee auctions in New York, the second edition of Art Basel Paris, and November sales at Christie’s and Sotheby’s, which demonstrated a split-level market with record highs at the top and discipline elsewhere.
Wes Anderson has recreated Joseph Cornell's legendary studio inside Gagosian Paris for an exhibition titled 'The House on Utopia Parkway: Joseph Cornell’s Studio Re-Created by Wes Anderson.' The show, curated by Jasper Sharp and running from December 16, 2025, to March 14, 2026, reconstructs the artist's basement workspace in Queens, New York, complete with over three hundred objects from Cornell's own collection, alongside iconic box constructions such as 'Pharmacy' (1943) and 'A Dressing Room for Gille' (1939). Exhibition design is by Cécile Degos.
The Whitney Museum of American Art has announced the 56 artists, duos, and collectives participating in the 2026 Whitney Biennial, the 82nd edition of the landmark U.S. contemporary art survey. Co-curators Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer have chosen not to give the exhibition a thematic title, instead letting conversations with artists guide the selection. The roster includes well-known figures like Andrea Fraser, Kamrooz Aram, Precious Okoyomon, Pat Oleszko, and Julio Torres, alongside emerging talents and historical or overlooked figures such as Carmen de Monteflores, José Maceda, and Kimowan Metchewais. The exhibition opens March 8, 2026, occupying most of the Whitney's Manhattan building with performances, public events, and online programming.
The Art Newspaper has published its annual 'Year in Review' for 2025, a roundup of the most significant stories, trends, and developments in the international art world over the past twelve months. The article serves as a comprehensive digest covering major exhibitions, market shifts, institutional changes, and key figures that shaped the visual arts landscape in 2025.
Edinburgh's City Art Centre has announced its 2026 exhibition programme, featuring five distinct shows. Highlights include a multimedia installation by Edinburgh-based Mona Yoo exploring the building's history as a former newspaper production site; a retrospective of Jean F. Watson's bequest showcasing over 1,000 acquired Scottish artworks; a photography exhibition by Sandra George, a black female photographer and community worker; a new moving-image commission by Rachel McBrinn and Jonathan Webb responding to the North Bridge restoration; and a display of recent acquisitions to the city's fine art collection.
Several artists with ties to Baltimore have released new art books just in time for the holiday season. The featured publications include a debut monograph on Derrick Adams from Phaidon's Monacelli imprint, a book by rising painter Jerrell Gibbs titled 'No Solace in the Shade' published by Rizzoli, the exhibition catalogue for Amy Sherald's retrospective 'American Sublime' at the Baltimore Museum of Art, and Jackie Milad's debut art book 'Shabtis Gather' produced in partnership with BmoreArt. The article also recommends gifting a subscription to BmoreArt magazine.
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.
Art Basel Miami Beach (ABMB) opens amid a still-sluggish global art market, with sales at live events yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels. Director Bridget Finn expresses optimism following strong sales at Art Basel Paris in October, noting that gallerists and collectors were energized. The fair introduces structural changes, including relocating the Nova and Positions sections to the east entrance to spotlight emerging galleries, and launching Zero 10, a platform for digital art. Seven local Miami galleries are participating, with Nina Johnson making her ABMB debut. Despite a few longtime exhibitors withdrawing, Finn attributes this to galleries being more selective across Art Basel's five global fairs, including a new Qatar edition in 2026.
Miami Art Week 2025 offers a wealth of free public art and events, from monumental installations to city-wide competitions. Highlights include Es Devlin's rotating sculpture 'Library of Us' on Miami Beach, Philippe Katerine's inflatable 'Mr. Pink Takes Flight' on Lincoln Road, and the juried hotel-art competition No Vacancy. Other free attractions include the immersive HIVE village in Wynwood, Katie Stout's fantastical 'Gargantua’s Thumb' in the Miami Design District, and the group exhibition CHROMA 2025 at Lucid Design District. The article serves as a budget-friendly guide for visitors.
Frieze has published a guide to seven must-see exhibitions during Miami Art Week 2025, highlighting a diverse range of shows across the city. Featured presentations include a solo exhibition of new works by artist Tschabalala Self at the Bass Museum of Art, a survey of Afro-Cuban abstraction at the Pérez Art Museum Miami, and a group show of emerging Latin American artists at the Rubell Museum. Other notable exhibitions include a site-specific installation by Olafur Eliasson at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, and a retrospective of the late painter Purvis Young at the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami.
An exhibition opening at Frankfurt's Städel Museum focuses on Max Beckmann's drawings, featuring 80 works that trace the emergence of his hard-edged signature style. Curated by Regina Freyberger, Stephan von Wiese, and Hedda Finke, the show spans from before World War I to the artist's final years in the US, including loans from major collections. It highlights how Beckmann's drawing evolved from preparatory studies to autonomous artworks, with key pieces like a 1928 portrait of his wife Quappi and the eerie watercolor 'The Murder' (1933).
Miami Art Week 2025 is set to take place December 3–7, headlined by Art Basel Miami Beach (public days December 5–7) and concurrent fairs including Design Miami (20th anniversary) and NADA Miami. The article highlights 16 must-see exhibitions across venues such as the Miami Beach Convention Center, Wynwood, and the Miami Design District. Featured galleries include Pace Gallery (presenting Alexander Calder, Elmgreen & Dragset, James Turrell), Locks Gallery (Louise Bourgeois, Isamu Noguchi), Southern Guild (debuting at Art Basel with Zizipho Poswa and others), and Leon Tovar Gallery (focusing on Latin American women modernists).
BYU students staged a runway show at the BYU Museum of Art, presenting fashion and makeup designs inspired by paintings from the exhibition "The Sense of Beauty: Six Centuries of Painting from Museo de Arte de Ponce." Students in a sewing class taught by Amber Williams created looks based on specific artworks, such as a dress evoking Dante Gabriel Rossetti's "The Roman Widow" and a contemporary two-piece inspired by Frederic, Lord Leighton's "Flaming June." Hair and makeup were done in collaboration with Theater and Media Arts students led by Jennine Hollingshaus. The exhibition, on view until Jan. 3, features works from the Museo de Arte de Ponce in Puerto Rico.
California-born artist Matt Mullican has created 'THAT NOTHING SHOULD EXIST: 55 Years of Work', the largest exhibition of his career, which will inaugurate the Roarington Art Center—a virtual museum in the metaverse. The museum, designed by Italian architect Benedetto Camerana, is embedded in the City of Roarington, a digital dreamland launched by Liechtenstein-based entrepreneur Fritz Kaiser through his non-profit The Classic Car Trust (TCCT). The exhibition is scheduled to open to the public in February next year, with viewers navigating the space like an immersive three-dimensional video game.
A new exhibition titled 'Resonant Histories' has opened at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) museum, running until 16 February 2026. It is the first show to focus on the relationship between Indian and Arab Modernism, featuring over 40 works lent by the Sharjah-based Barjeel Art Foundation alongside pieces from Mumbai's Jehangir Nicholson Art Foundation (JNAF). The exhibition highlights visual and thematic resonances between artists from both regions, such as Syrian painter Marwan Kassab-Bachi and Indian master Francis Newton Souza, and addresses shared post-colonial struggles through works by artists like Chittaprosad Bhattacharya, Krishen Khanna, Abdul Qader Al Rais, and Naim Ismail. It also explores direct cultural exchanges, for example Egyptian artist Nazek Hamdi's adaptation of Bengali folk-art.