The New Museum in New York has reopened after two years with a major expansion designed by OMA / Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas, doubling its size to 60,000 additional square feet. The inaugural exhibition, “New Humans: Memories of the Future,” curated by Massimiliano Gioni, features over 800 objects by more than 200 artists, scientists, and designers across three main floors. The show explores how concepts of the human have evolved in response to technological innovation over the past century, with thematic chapters such as “Reproductive Futures” and a site-specific sculpture by Klára Hosnedlová in the new Atrium Stair.
This reopening matters because it marks a transformative moment for the New Museum, asserting its continued commitment to adventurous, thematic exhibitions and theoretically minded curation at a time of geopolitical upheaval and the dawn of the A.I. era. The expansion not only enhances the museum’s physical capacity but also reinforces its role as a vital institution for engaging with modern visual culture, offering a nuanced counterpoint to fatalistic parallels between the 20th and 21st centuries.