Berlin Art: What Exhibitions Are on Now?

Berlin’s spring art season features a diverse array of exhibitions ranging from established international names to local prize winners. Key highlights include Yalda Afsah’s spiritual film installation at CCA Berlin, Jim Lambie’s psychedelic vinyl floor works at Konrad Fischer Galerie, and the 10th Neukölln Art Prize exhibition at Galerie im Saalbau, which honors artists like Va-Bene Elikem Fiatsi. The city's programming spans non-profit institutions, commercial galleries, and experimental spaces, covering themes from folk traditions to gender identity.

‘As an artist I have a duty to reflect the times’: photographer Misan Harriman explores protests and solidarity in new London show

Photographer and filmmaker Misan Harriman has opened a permanent installation titled 'The Purpose of Light' at London's Hope 93 gallery. The exhibition features over 100 black-and-white photographs taken over seven years at protests in the UK, US, and South Africa, including demonstrations related to Black Lives Matter, Gaza, and other social justice movements. The project debuted as a solo show last summer and, due to significant public response, has now been established as a long-term fixture with support from private collectors.

Social Malpractice in the Age of Cultural Compliance

Artist Ed Woodham reflects on the evolution and co-option of socially engaged art, using his own projects like 'The Keepers' protests and the Art in Odd Places initiative as examples. He describes a troubling trend where the language and strategies of social practice art, once used to challenge systems, are now being adopted by developers, corporations, and institutions for branding, place-making, and community engagement initiatives that often operate within the very economic structures driving displacement and eroding public space.

YBCA exhibitions spotlight identity, history and community in San Francisco

The Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) in San Francisco recently celebrated the opening of two major exhibitions, "Diedrick Brackens: gather tender night" and "Conjuring Power: Roots & Futures of Queer & Trans Movements." The event drew over 1,000 attendees and featured leadership from the institution alongside the featured artists and curators.

MEXICAN CURATOR ANNOUNCED FOR LIVERPOOL BIENNIAL 2027

The Liverpool Biennial has appointed Lucía Sanromán and Aimee Harrison as Co-curators for its 2027 edition. Sanromán, Chief Curator at Mexico City's MUAC, brings an international perspective on socially engaged art, while Harrison, a long-time Biennial staffer, provides deep local knowledge and experience in community-focused projects. The festival will run from June 5 to September 12, 2027, utilizing historic buildings, galleries, and unexpected spaces across the city.

After Going Through the Darkness Part 1: Kōta Takeuchi Exhibition "Nononononomatsuri" @ Ichihara Lakeside Museum

暗闇をくぐってみたら Part1 竹内公太展「のののののまつり」@ 市原湖畔美術館

The Ichihara Lakeside Museum, currently under renovation since late 2025, will partially reopen on May 1, 2026, with a theater-style series of solo exhibitions titled "Kōta Takeuchi: Nononononomatsuri" as its first installment. Artist Kōta Takeuchi, born in 1982 in Hyogo Prefecture and based in Fukushima, presents new video installations created during a four-month residency in Ichihara, where he visited over 70 stone monuments across the city—including horse-headed Kannon statues, Koyasu statues, and war memorials—to explore themes of parallel bodies and possession. The exhibition features works such as "Disassembly of the Sansha-za" (2013–2023), "Cement Thief" (2024), and "Sigh of the Ground" (2022), with a map showing the locations of the documented stone monuments.

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.

tarek atoui turbine hall commission tate modern 1234771159

Artist Tarek Atoui has been selected for the next Hyundai Commission in Tate Modern's Turbine Hall, opening October 13 and running into April 2027. The Beirut-born, Paris-based artist is known for complex installations with specially designed instruments incorporating glass, water, or ceramics, activated by touch, breath, or motors. Curators Nabila Abdel Nabi and Dina Akhmadeeva will oversee the exhibition. Atoui has previously shown at S.M.A.K., Luma Westbau, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, and won the Suzanne Deal Booth/FLAG Art Foundation Prize in 2022.

Sotheby's, SAM, and Siong Leng: Singapore art events

Sotheby's is holding a major auction in Singapore on January 25, featuring works by Indonesian Romantic painter Raden Saleh, German painter Walter Spies, and British artist David Hockney, among others. The auction includes Raden Saleh's 'The Eruption Of Mount Merapi, By Day' (1865), expected to fetch between $700,000 and $1.3 million, and Walter Spies' 'Die Schlittschuhlaufer (The Ice Skaters)' (1922), estimated at $980,000 to $1.8 million. Concurrently, the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) is presenting 'Nafasan Bumi – An Endless Harvest' from January 16 to May 31, featuring Indonesian artists Elia Nurvista and Bagus Pandega, whose works use nickel and palm materials to explore the environmental and social impacts of Indonesia's palm oil and nickel industries.