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.

These are the 30 best museum exhibits in NYC right now

New York City’s cultural landscape is undergoing a significant transformation with the 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 landmark shows, including a massive Raphael retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the 2026 Whitney Biennial, which focuses on artificial intelligence and climate grief.

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.

Notes from New York: Rotting Meat

Artist Jen Liu’s solo exhibition 'Pound of Flesh' at Silverlens New York explores the dehumanizing nature of digital labor through visceral imagery of raw meat. The show features paintings where human consciousness is replaced by butcher-shop cuts and an animated video based on Liu’s research into microworkers—individuals who perform repetitive, low-paid tasks to train AI models. By juxtaposing the biological reality of the body with the clinical extraction of data, Liu highlights the physical and psychological toll of the 'Agentic Age.'

American Artist, Penny Arcade Among 2026 Guggenheim Fellowship Cohort

The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation has announced its 101st class of fellows for 2026, awarding 223 individuals across 55 disciplines. This year’s cohort includes a significant number of visual artists and art professionals, such as American Artist, John Ahearn, Sonya Clark, and Fia Backström, alongside scientists, writers, and scholars. The fellowships provide varying monetary awards, typically ranging from $30,000 to $45,000, to support the recipients' ongoing creative and intellectual projects.

Art Gallery / Museum Information – Recommended Exhibitions in April 2026

Major Japanese institutions have announced a diverse lineup of exhibitions for April 2026, ranging from historical retrospectives to contemporary explorations of technology. Highlights include a significant showcase of Lithuanian symbolist M. K. Čiurlionis alongside Hokusai at the National Museum of Western Art, and a ten-year commemorative retrospective of Natsuyuki Nakanishi at the National Museum of Art, Osaka. Other scheduled shows focus on urban sociology, the sensory impact of photography in the age of AI, and the folkloric legacy of Lafcadio Hearn.

At the New Museum, Parallel Visions of Humanity’s Future Emerge

The New Museum's latest exhibition explores the evolving definition of humanity through the lens of technological advancement and ancestral wisdom. The show juxtaposes the anxieties of modern machine labor—exemplified by Simon Denny’s Amazon worker cage—with Indigenous epistemologies and animist traditions that offer alternative ways of inhabiting the world. By featuring artists like Jaider Esbell and Santiago Yahuarcani, the exhibition highlights how hybridity and relationality can resist the rigid hierarchies of Western modernity.

Mapping the Exhibitions to See in Rome During the Easter Period 2026

Mappatura delle mostre da vedere a Roma durante il periodo di Pasqua 2026

Rome's cultural institutions are presenting a diverse lineup of exhibitions for the Easter 2026 holiday period. Major shows include 'Treasures of the Pharaohs' at the Scuderie del Quirinale, a Hokusai retrospective at Palazzo Bonaparte, 'Flowers. From the Renaissance to Artificial Intelligence' at the Chiostro del Bramante, 'Bernini and the Barberini' at the Gallerie Nazionali Barberini Corsini, a show on Roman villas and gardens at Palazzo Braschi, and 'Impressionism and Beyond' at the Museo dell'Ara Pacis.

Humans, Machines, and Possible Futures: The Last 100 Years at New Museum

HUMANS MACHINES AND POSSIBLE FUTURES THE LAST 100 YEARS AT NEW MUSEUM

The New Museum has launched "New Humans: Memories of the Future," a massive exhibition spanning its entire building and featuring over 200 international contributors. The show traces a century of artistic, scientific, and social evolution, pairing 20th-century masters like Constantin Brâncuși and Salvador Dalí with contemporary commissions from artists such as Hito Steyerl and Wangechi Mutu. By exploring themes of automated labor, artificial intelligence, and mechanized warfare, the exhibition frames the relationship between humanity and technology as a series of cyclical leaps and reversals rather than linear progress.

The Tensions Seething Beneath the Surface of the 2026 Whitney Biennial

The 2026 Whitney Biennial has quickly generated a consensus among critics, prompting a deeper analysis of its underlying themes. The exhibition features a notable tension between works exploring artificial intelligence, such as Zach Blas's maximalist installation and Cooper Jacoby's emotionally resonant sculptures, and a contrasting trend of delicate, nostalgic art focused on domesticity and ecology, exemplified by artists like Kelly Akashi and Jasmin Sian.

The Artsy AI Survey 2026: What Galleries Really Think About AI in the Art World

Artsy has released its 2026 AI Survey, capturing the perspectives of over 1,000 galleries worldwide on the integration of artificial intelligence into the art ecosystem. The report details how galleries are currently using AI tools for operations, marketing, and sales, while also revealing their cautious optimism and significant concerns about its impact on artistic authorship and market dynamics.

The Fruitful Dialogue Between AI, Knowledge, and Creation in a Free Festival at the BnF

Le dialogue fécond entre IA, savoir et création dans un festival gratuit à la BnF

The Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) is hosting the inaugural edition of "Noûs," a free festival exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence, archival knowledge, and artistic creation. Located in the hall of the François-Mitterrand site, the event features eight artistic projects that utilize the library's vast catalog to reveal hidden histories rather than generate falsehoods. Highlights include Audrey Large’s 3D-printed sculptures exploring suppressed female knowledge, Justine Emard’s immersive digital cave of AI-generated sirens, and the collective Obvious’s speculative botanical frescoes based on historical scientific plates.

What can 160-million-year-old clay tell us about AI and ethics? Inside Es Devlin’s tech and pottery summit

Artist and stage designer Es Devlin convened a diverse group of AI researchers, tech experts, and academics at the Oxford Kilns for a unique summit blending pottery with ethical debate. Participants engaged in the tactile process of shaping 160-million-year-old Jurassic clay while discussing the moral implications of artificial intelligence, ranging from the Turing test to Isaac Asimov’s laws. This collaborative workshop serves as a precursor to Devlin’s upcoming installation, "360 Vessels," created in partnership with composer Nico Muhly.

Birmingham museum opens exhibition on death and grief

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery has launched a community-led exhibition exploring the universal experiences of death, dying, and grief. Curated in partnership with the local collective BrumYODO, the showcase features traditional mourning rituals alongside contemporary inquiries into how artificial intelligence might manage bereavement. The exhibition serves as the centerpiece for the annual "A Matter of Life and Death" festival, incorporating interactive workshops, clay-making sessions, and even a themed comedy night to engage the public with a typically taboo subject.

Community Exhibition Explores Death, Grief and Rituals at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery has launched a community-led exhibition exploring the universal themes of death, grief, and mourning rituals. Part of the annual "A Matter of Life and Death Festival 2026," the showcase combines historical artworks from the museum’s permanent collection with contemporary perspectives, including the role of artificial intelligence in grief management. The program features interactive workshops led by artists Bianca Beneduzi and Jemma Mellor, as well as a comedy night designed to spark open dialogue about mortality.

In the Tech Heart of Texas, an Art Show Built on Data, Code and A.I.

The Austin Museum of Art is hosting a landmark exhibition focused on the intersection of technology and creativity, featuring works driven by real-time data, complex algorithms, and artificial intelligence. The showcase highlights interactive installations that evolve throughout the day, challenging traditional notions of static art and inviting viewers to participate in the creative process through digital engagement.

Is There an Ethical Path for AI Art?

An exhibition at Rice University's Moody Center for the Arts, titled 'Imaging after Photography', presents work by seven contemporary artists who use artificial intelligence in ethically considered ways. The show argues we are in a post-photographic moment where AI disrupts the link between photorealism and reality, and features artists who train their algorithms on their own images or public domain datasets to avoid plagiarism.

Comment | All hail the rise of the art internship

Sotheby's auction house and Sotheby's Institute of Art, through their parent company Edconic, have launched a formalized, paid fellowship program. The initiative places 20 master's students from the Institute's New York program into 12-week paid internships at the auction house, with plans to expand to London and eventually involve 60 students. The program aims to provide practical, credit-earning work experience directly within the art market.

Bologna Prepares for the Major Children's Publishing Festival: The Director Speaks

Bologna si prepara al grande festival di editoria per l’infanzia. Parla la direttrice

The Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF) has announced the details for its 63rd edition, scheduled to take place from April 13 to 16, 2026, at BolognaFiere. This upcoming iteration will feature Norway as the Guest of Honor under the theme "What if?" and will host 1,500 exhibitors from 90 countries. The fair continues to evolve beyond traditional publishing, integrating transmedia narratives, licensing, and discussions on artificial intelligence alongside major anniversaries for figures like Carlo Collodi, Agatha Christie, and Mitsumasa Anno.

This art exhibit takes climate change seriously

Ceramicists Savannah Jacob and Abby Jo Elle are co-curating "Respect Your Mother," a group exhibition at Patina Gallery dedicated to climate change and environmental activism. Opening in honor of Earth Day, the show features works from over 50 artists across various mediums, including sculptures, collages, and paintings, with a strict prohibition on artificial intelligence to emphasize human-centric craft.

Artnet and Artsy Come Together Under Shared Leadership

Artnet and Artsy, two of the most influential digital platforms in the art world, have merged under a single leadership structure following a series of acquisitions by Beowolff Capital. Jeffrey Yin has been appointed CEO of the unified company, while Beowolff founder Andrew Wolff will serve as chairman. Despite the shared management, both entities will maintain their distinct branding, with Artnet focusing on market data and journalism while Artsy continues its emphasis on art discovery and e-commerce.

Iconic ‘Star Trek’ Costumes and Props Beam Into London’s Science Museum

London's Science Museum has opened a free exhibition titled 'Star Trek Warp Trail' to celebrate the franchise's 60th anniversary. The display features iconic costumes, props, and models from various Star Trek series and films, including uniforms worn by characters like Captain Pike and Jean-Luc Picard, the prototype android B-4 prop head, and a model of the U.S.S. Enterprise.

Massive Cache of 42,000 Pottery Shards Reveals Daily Life in Ancient Egypt

Archaeologists from the University of Tübingen and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities have unearthed a massive collection of over 42,000 inscribed pottery shards, known as ostraca, at the ancient site of Athribis. The shards, dating from the 3rd century B.C.E. to the 11th century C.E., contain tax receipts, religious texts, school exercises, and personal notes written in Demotic, Greek, Hieratic, Coptic, and Arabic scripts, offering an unprecedented window into the daily lives of ordinary people.

MCA Australia accepts NFTs as payment for entry to exhibition on Art and Artificial Intelligence

The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) has announced it will accept Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) as a form of payment for entry to its upcoming exhibition focused on the intersection of art and artificial intelligence. This experimental initiative allows visitors to utilize digital assets to gain access to the museum, marking a significant integration of blockchain technology into the physical museum experience.

How to Survive AI

Two documentaries premiering at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival directly confront the discourse surrounding artificial intelligence. Valerie Veatch's 'Ghost in the Machine' traces the racist, eugenicist origins of AI research, linking it to a history of American techno-fascism, while Daniel Roher and Charlie Tyrell's 'The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist' offers a more measured, personal exploration of public anxieties about the technology.

We Don't Need New Museums (We Need New Museum Forms!)

Non abbiamo bisogno di nuovi musei (abbiamo bisogno di nuove forme museali!)

The Museum of Artificial Intelligence and Immersive Art (MAIIA) has announced the opening of a second location in Palermo, signaling a growing international interest in Italy's contemporary art scene. While the expansion is welcomed, critics warn that such developments often prioritize real estate investment over genuine cultural production, potentially leading to neighborhood gentrification rather than authentic community enrichment.

Biennale Tecnologia Begins in Turin: Five Days of Theater, Performance, Artificial Intelligence, and Distorted Futures

A Torino inizia la Biennale Tecnologia. Cinque giorni tra teatro, performance, intelligenze artificiali e futuri distorti

The Biennale Tecnologia has launched in Turin, featuring over 120 events across 20 venues, including lectures, exhibitions, and a significant performing arts program. The festival utilizes theater and audiovisual performances to translate complex technological themes—such as artificial intelligence, environmental infrastructure, and ethics—into accessible narratives. Key highlights include Marco Paolini’s exploration of the Po River at OGR Torino and the play 'Retrofuturo,' which uses a comedic time-travel premise to critique societal reliance on algorithms.