This year, the art world is pulling out all the stops, from epic retrospectives to cutting-edge installations that’ll make you rethink everything you know about, well, everything.

Let’s start with New York, the city where art never sleeps. Museums like the Met, the Guggenheim, and MoMA have planned some truly exciting exhibitions.

Plus, the Frick Collection and Studio Museum in Harlem are finally reopening after long renovations, so there’s even more to see and explore.

But wait: it’s not only NYC giving us exciting shows––museums and galleries all over the world are showcasing incredible work this year, so, yes, we’re in for a treat.

In Paris, you’ll find a celebration of Black artists who changed the art scene.

In London, the Tate Modern is putting Emily Kam Kngwarray’s paintings on display, and Amsterdam is pairing the legendary Van Gogh with the bold and dramatic works of Anselm Kiefer.

And there’s a whole lot more, so take a look at this list of the best exhibitions coming this year; they’re the kind that will, more than likely, give us the best art moments of 2025.

January 2025

Nick Cave: Amalgams and Graphts

• Location: Jack Shainman Gallery, TriBeCa, NYC
• Opening Date: January 10, 2025

Nick Cave, the celebrated American artist and dancer, is known for his larger-than-life, colorful, and intricate “Soundsuits.”

These wearable sculptures blur the line between performance art, fashion, and fine art.

And you won’t want to miss Cave’s new exhibition, Amalgams and Graphts, at Jack Shainman Gallery.

This show is particularly special because it will be the inaugural exhibition for the gallery’s brand-new flagship location in TriBeCa.

So, you can expect to see new sculptures and mixed-media pieces that continue to explore themes of identity, social justice, and resilience.

The gallery itself is worth a visit. And art experts have described its thoughtful design and modern feel as “stunning.”

Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300–1350

• Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
• Closing Date: January 26, 2025

If you haven’t yet caught Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300–1350 at The Met, now’s the time.

The exhibition offers a rare glimpse into the golden age of painting in Siena, Italy, a period that profoundly influenced the development of European art.

Interestingly, it gives us an insight into the extraordinary creativity of early Sienese painters, including works by renowned artists like Duccio di Buoninsegna and Simone Martini.

It explores how these artists developed new approaches to storytelling, perspective, and color, all of which set the stage for the Italian Renaissance.

You’ll see altarpieces, panels, and illuminated manuscripts that bring the religious, cultural, and political life of Siena to vivid detail.

The exhibit is, without question, a fascinating look at how art can shape and reflect the spirit of a city during a time of incredible innovation.

February 2025

Christo and Jeanne-Claude: The Gates and Unrealized Projects for New York City

• Location: The Shed, Hudson Yards, NYC
• Opening Date: February 12, 2025
• Tickets: Free (reservations required)

Relive one of New York’s most iconic public art projects and discover what could have been.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude, the legendary artist duo behind The Gates—7,503 orange-draped gates that took over Central Park in 2005—are celebrated in this innovative exhibition at The Shed.

The centerpiece is an animated recreation of The Gates set over a detailed map of Central Park, designed by technology studios Dirt Empire and Pixels Pixels.

Beyond this, you’ll explore plans and digital renderings for other never-realized projects the artists envisioned for New York City.

These include ambitious installations that were either rejected or logistically impossible but reveal the boundless creativity and vision of Christo and Jeanne-Claude.

This exhibition is a perfect blend of technology, storytelling, and art history.

Make sure to reserve your free tickets early—this is bound to be a popular show!

A Century of The New Yorker

• Location: Stephen Schwarzman Building, New York Public Library, NYC
• Opening Date: February 22, 2025

This exhibition at the New York Public Library celebrates 100 years of one of the world’s most influential magazines. So, it’s a must-see for anyone interested in literature, art, and publishing.

You can jump into rare archives from The New Yorker, including handwritten manuscripts, early drafts, and correspondence with some of the magazine’s most iconic contributors, such as Vladimir Nabokov and J.D. Salinger.

The exhibit also highlights the magazine’s long tradition of stunning visuals, with original artwork from renowned contributors like cartoonist Charles Addams and painter Kara Walker.

Caspar David Friedrich: The Soul of Nature

• Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
• Opening Date: February 8, 2025

Caspar David Friedrich, one of the most influential painters of the Romantic era, finally gets his first comprehensive U.S. exhibition at The Met.

Known for his breathtaking landscapes that capture the spiritual connection between humanity and nature, Friedrich’s work is haunting yet awe-inspiring.

The exhibition features iconic pieces like Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog and The Sea of Ice, as well as lesser-known works that delve deeper into Friedrich’s fascination with the sublime and the natural world.

If you’ve ever wanted to experience the quiet majesty of his paintings in person, this is your chance.

Christine Sun Kim: All Day All Night

• Location: Whitney Museum of American Art, NYC
• Opening Date: February 8, 2025 (Runs through July)

Christine Sun Kim’s groundbreaking work takes center stage at the Whitney with her first major solo museum exhibition.

A Berlin-based, California-born artist, Kim explores sound, language, and the complexities of communication, often drawing from her own experiences as a member of the Deaf community.

All Day All Night features over 90 works spanning murals, videos, sculptures, and performance documentation.

Expect to see recurring elements like musical notation, infographics, and language-based art that tackle themes of identity, family, and cultural marginalization with humor and poignancy.

This is an essential exhibition for anyone interested in art that challenges conventions and pushes boundaries.

Recasting the Past: The Art of Chinese Bronzes, 1100–1900

• Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
• Opening Date: February 28, 2025

Explore the rich history of Chinese bronzes in this groundbreaking exhibition at The Met.

Recasting the Past examines how this ancient art form evolved over eight centuries, highlighting the incredible craftsmanship and cultural significance of these objects.

Expect to see ceremonial vessels, intricate figurines, and rare artifacts that provide insight into China’s political, social, and artistic history.

The exhibition also delves into how these bronzes were reinterpreted during later periods, offering a fascinating look at how art connects past and present.

March 2025

Monstrous Beauty: A Feminist Revision of Chinoiserie

• Where: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
• Opening Date: March 24, 2025

This exhibition takes a fresh and feminist look at Chinoiserie, the European artistic style borrowed heavily from Chinese aesthetics.

Historically, Chinoiserie has been celebrated for its decorative beauty, but this exhibition asks deeper questions: How did these works reinforce stereotypes about Asian women? How did they shape European women’s identities?

Through a collection of porcelain, furniture, and textiles, Monstrous Beauty explores how fragile materials like porcelain were linked to ideas about femininity and exoticism.

The exhibition also uncovers the racial and cultural stereotypes embedded in these works–like a modern critique of a long-admired style.

Anselm Kiefer: Sag mir, wo die Blumen sind (Tell Me Where the Flowers Are)

• Where: Stedelijk Museum & Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
• Opening Date: March 7, 2025 (Through June 9, 2025)

German artist Anselm Kiefer is known for his large-scale, thought-provoking works that often reflect on history and memory.

In Sag mir, wo die Blumen sind, Kiefer’s art is presented in two parts across the Stedelijk and Van Gogh Museums in Amsterdam.

At the Van Gogh Museum, you’ll see works that connect Kiefer’s art to Vincent van Gogh, who inspired much of Kiefer’s creative process.

The exhibition pairs Kiefer’s pieces with some of Van Gogh’s most famous paintings, highlighting shared themes of nature, loss, and renewal.

Over at the Stedelijk Museum, the focus shifts to Kiefer’s deep engagement with German history.

You’ll see all the Kiefer works in their collection, alongside recent large-scale installations, including a stunning 24-meter-long painting near the museum’s historic staircase.

Paris noir: Artistic Movements and Anti-Colonial Struggles, 1950–2000

• Where: Centre Pompidou, Paris
• Opening Date: March 19, 2025 (Through June 30, 2025)

This groundbreaking exhibition celebrates the contributions of Black artists who worked in Paris between 1950 and 2000.

Paris Noir illuminates how these artists influenced key movements like Surrealism, Modernism, and Postmodernism while also engaging in anti-colonial activism.

The show includes works by legendary figures like Aimé Césaire, Beauford Delaney, and Guido Llinás, many of which have never been exhibited in France before.

It’s interesting how these works challenge traditional narratives and reflect major political shifts from African independence to the fall of apartheid.

To add a contemporary twist, the exhibition features four installations by modern Black artists—Valérie John, Nathalie Leroy Fiévee, Jay Ramier, and Shuck One—who offer fresh perspectives on how this history shapes Paris today.

April 2025

The New Art: American Photography, 1839–1910

• Where: Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
• Opening Date: April 11, 2025

This fascinating exhibition dives into the early days of photography in America, showcasing how the medium evolved between 1839 and 1910.

The New Art explores photography’s profound impact on American culture, identity, and history during this transformative era.

Thus, you will see works by pioneers like Mathew Brady, whose Civil War photography forever changed the way people saw conflict, as well as portraits, landscapes, and experimental techniques that pushed the boundaries of the new medium.

This exhibit is perfect for anyone who wants to see how photography shaped America’s sense of itself as an art form and a cultural phenomenon.

The Roof Garden Commission: Jennie C. Jones, Ensemble

• Where: Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
• Opening Date: April 15, 2025

Every spring, The Met unveils a stunning new installation on its rooftop, and this year’s commission is by none other than Brooklyn-based artist Jennie C. Jones.

Known for her unique approach to sound and visual art, Jones will create a piece inspired by the strings of acoustic instruments.

Set against the backdrop of New York City, this installation will invite visitors to reflect on the intersection of art, music, and space.

Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers

• Where: Guggenheim Museum, NYC
• Opening Date: April 18, 2025 (Through January 18, 2026)

Rashid Johnson, one of the most influential contemporary artists, takes over the Guggenheim’s iconic rotunda with A Poem for Deep Thinkers.

This expansive exhibition features over 90 works, including his signature black-soap paintings, text-based pieces, and films.

One of the highlights is a new site-specific installation at the top of the museum’s spiral ramp.

Titled Sanguine, it incorporates a piano as part of the artwork and will host live musical performances throughout the exhibition’s run.

Johnson’s work tackles themes like social alienation, rebirth, and escapism, so you’ll probably leave with a lot to think about.

Sargent and Paris

• Where: Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
• Opening Date: April 27, 2025

This exhibition explores the decade John Singer Sargent spent in Paris, and it shows his portraits, drawings, and paintings that highlight his role in the art world of 19th-century France.

Sargent and Paris dive into his connections with Parisian contemporaries and the cultural influences that shaped his work.

One standout is Madame X, Sargent’s controversial yet iconic painting that became one of his most celebrated works.

You’ll also see works by artists he admired, offering a broader look at Parisian society at the time.

The Frick Collection Reopening

• Where: The Frick Collection, NYC
• Reopening Date: April 2025
• Special Event: Weeklong music festival in late April

After five years of renovations, The Frick Collection is reopening its Fifth Avenue mansion with a fresh look and exciting updates.

For the first time, visitors will have access to the second floor, which includes 10 newly designed gallery spaces.

To celebrate, the museum will host a weeklong classical and chamber music festival in one of its elegant galleries, recreating the charm of its original opening in 1935.

The reopening also includes a special Vermeer exhibition, with works from its collection as well as loans from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

Ruth Asawa Retrospective

• Where: SFMOMA, San Francisco
• Opening Date: April 5, 2025 (Through September 2, 2025)

This major retrospective celebrates the life and work of Ruth Asawa, a Japanese-American artist known for her intricate wire sculptures and dedication to public art.

The exhibition features over 300 pieces, including her looped-wire forms, paintings, drawings, and archival materials that span her six-decade career.

A one-of-a-kind section recreates Asawa’s Noe Valley home and studio, and it brings to life what her creative process and personal life were like.

The section includes personal items, tools, and sketches that reveal the inspiration behind her organic and nature-inspired forms.

The exhibition also includes works by artists she admired, such as Josef Albers and Peggy Tolk-Watkins, offering a broader context for her art.

Five Friends: John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Cy Twombly

• Where: Museum Brandhorst, Munich
• Opening Date: April 10, 2025 (Through August 17, 2025)

This landmark exhibition celebrates the collaboration and friendship between five of the most influential artists of the 20th century.

Five Friends showcases over 150 works, from Robert Rauschenberg’s dynamic stage props to Jasper Johns’ iconic Flag on Orange Field.

The exhibition also includes archival materials, scores, and photographs that highlight the creative synergy between these artists.

Visitors will even have the chance to experience live dance performances inspired by the legendary partnership between choreographer Merce Cunningham and composer John Cage.

May 2025

Superfine: Tailoring Black Style

• Where: Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
• Opening Date: May 10, 2025

This exhibition at The Met’s Costume Institute explores the rich history and cultural significance of Black menswear.

Superfine: Tailoring Black Style traces the evolution of Black men’s fashion from the 18th century to today, examining how clothing has been used as a powerful tool for self-expression, identity, and resistance.

Expect to see an incredible array of suits, coats, and other garments that highlight the creativity and influence of Black designers and wearers.

The exhibition also dives into how fashion reflects broader cultural movements, from the Harlem Renaissance to the hip-hop era, showcasing iconic styles like zoot suits, tailored streetwear, and modern haute couture.

The exhibition opens just after The Met Gala, which is themed around this show, making it one of the Costume Institute’s most anticipated events of the year.

Lorna Simpson: Source Notes

• Where: Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
• Opening Date: May 19, 2025

This is the first major exhibition to focus solely on the painting practice of Lorna Simpson, a trailblazing artist known for exploring themes of identity, race, gender, and history.

While Simpson is celebrated for her photography and multimedia works, Source Notes highlights her unique approach to painting.

The exhibition features various works, including her large-scale acrylic pieces that blend collage, abstract elements, and figurative imagery.

These paintings often draw on historical archives, found objects, and personal narratives, creating layered visuals that encourage viewers to think deeply about representation and storytelling.

This show provides a comprehensive view of Simpson’s career and shows how she uses art to challenge conventional ideas about who tells history and how it’s told.

Michael C. Rockefeller Wing Reopening

• Where: Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
• Reopening Date: May 31, 2025

After years of renovation, The Met’s Michael C. Rockefeller Wing reopens with a stunning redesign.

This 40,000-square-foot wing is home to the museum’s collections of art from Africa, Oceania, and the Ancient Americas, featuring more than 1,800 works from five continents and countless cultures.

The newly reimagined galleries will emphasize these regions’ unique identities and traditions while creating connections to neighboring galleries.

Visitors can expect a fresh presentation of iconic works, including ceremonial masks, textiles, sculptures, and pottery, alongside contemporary pieces that reflect the ongoing vitality of these cultures.

One of the highlights of the reopening is an interactive experience that dialogues these works with global history, demonstrating their influence on art movements and aesthetics worldwide.

Summer 2025

Emily Kam Kngwarray

• Where: Tate Modern, London
• Opening Date: July 10, 2025 (Through January 11, 2026)

Emily Kam Kngwarray was one of Australia’s most important artists. She was celebrated for her bold and vibrant paintings, which express a deep connection to her homeland.

This exhibition at the Tate Modern will be her first major solo presentation in Europe, offering a rare opportunity to engage with her stunning body of work.

Born in 1910, Kngwarray was an Anmatyerr woman and a custodian of women’s Dreaming sites in Alhalkere, Australia.

She began painting in her late seventies and produced over 3,000 works in just eight years before her death in 1996.

Her paintings are known for their intricate patterns and use of dots and lines to depict the spiritual and ceremonial connection to her land.

This exhibition will feature her most celebrated works, including her iconic Big Yam Dreaming and Earth’s Creation series.

The show will also include textiles and works on paper demonstrating her artistic evolution and connection to the Utopia Women’s Batik group she co-founded.

Jenny Saville: The Anatomy of Painting

• Where: National Portrait Gallery, London
• Opening Date: June 20, 2025 (Through September 7, 2025)

Jenny Saville is widely regarded as one of our time’s most important figurative painters.

Known for her large-scale, raw, and often confrontational portraits of the human form, her work challenges traditional notions of beauty and the body.

This exhibition, The Anatomy of Painting, is Saville’s first major solo museum show in the UK and offers a comprehensive look at her career.

It features over 50 works, ranging from early pieces that established her reputation in the 1990s to her most recent paintings.

Saville’s paintings are instantly recognizable for their thick, textured layers of paint and their focus on the human body.

She often depicts subjects in vulnerable or intimate poses, exploring themes of identity, gender, and the physical experience of being human.

Highlights of the exhibition include her monumental nudes and her recent works that examine the blurred boundaries between the physical and virtual worlds.

The exhibition also includes a section dedicated to her sketches and preparatory drawings, which gives visitors insight into her creative process and how she creates her dynamic and emotive images.

Fall 2025

The Studio Museum Reopening

• Where: Studio Museum in Harlem, NYC
• Reopening Date: Fall 2025
• Features: Retrospective of Tom Lloyd and a refreshed permanent collection

After being closed since 2018 for a complete rebuild, the Studio Museum in Harlem is finally reopening its doors in a state-of-the-art new building.

The museum has long been a hub for celebrating artists of African descent, and its grand reopening promises to reaffirm its importance in the art world.

The reopening’s centerpiece is a retrospective of Tom Lloyd, a sculptor and engineer who explored the intersection of technology and art.

Lloyd was the subject of the Studio Museum’s first exhibition in 1968, and this retrospective will revisit his pioneering work with light-based sculptures and installations.

The museum will also showcase its permanent collection in new ways, featuring over 200 works from artists like Dawoud Bey, Faith Ringgold, Norman Lewis, and Jordan Casteel.

The new building itself, designed to reflect the spirit of the community it serves, is worth seeing.

With modern gallery spaces and community-focused programming, it promises to be a cultural cornerstone in Harlem for years to come.

Ruth Asawa Retrospective

• Where: Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), NYC
• Opening Date: October 19, 2025

The Ruth Asawa retrospective is one of the most highly anticipated exhibitions of the year, so if you can’t make the San Francisco dates, it’s making another appearance in NYC this October.

Let’s have a little recap of what you can expect.

Asawa, a Japanese-American artist, is celebrated for her intricate wire sculptures, which challenge traditional ideas about art and craft.

The exhibition will feature more than 300 works spanning six decades of her career.

In addition to her signature looped-wire sculptures, the retrospective will include paintings, drawings, and archival materials that showcase her range as an artist.

The exhibition also explores her lesser-known work as an educator and advocate for the arts in public schools.

A highlight of the exhibition will be a recreation of Asawa’s home and studio, offering visitors an intimate look at her creative process. This section includes personal items, tools, and sketches that reveal the inspiration behind her organic and nature-inspired forms.

If you’re a fan of modern art, this is a can’t-miss opportunity to experience Asawa’s work on an unprecedented scale.

The Stars We Do Not See

• Where: National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
• Opening Date: October 18, 2025 (Through March 1, 2026)

This groundbreaking exhibition celebrates the largest international presentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art ever shown in North America.

The Stars We Do Not See brings together 200 works by more than 130 Indigenous Australian artists, and it offers a deep exploration of culture, storytelling, and artistic innovation.

Highlights include conceptual map paintings from the Central and Western deserts, ocher bark paintings, experimental weavings, and cultural artifacts.

The exhibition also features contemporary new media works incorporating video, sound, neon, and photography, showing how these traditions continue to evolve.

One of the stars of the exhibition is Emily Kam Kngwarray’s vibrant canvases, which celebrate her deep spiritual connection to her ancestral land.

Other featured artists include Gulumbu Yunupiŋu, who uses celestial imagery to depict visible and invisible stars, and Brook Andrew, whose work challenges perceptions of colonial history.

November 2025

Turner and Constable

• Where: Tate Britain, London
• Opening Date: November 27, 2025 (Through April 12, 2026)

This blockbuster exhibition brings together two of Britain’s most celebrated landscape painters, J.M.W. Turner and John Constable.

Born just a year apart, Turner and Constable were rivals who pushed each other to new heights, ultimately reshaping how nature was depicted in art.

The exhibition offers a rare chance to see their masterpieces side by side, and it shows their contrasting approaches.

Turner’s dramatic, light-filled paintings capture the sublime power of nature, while Constable’s works focus on familiar rural scenes, and that gives it a more intimate perspective.

Perhaps the best works are Turner’s The Decline of the Carthaginian Empire and Constable’s beloved cloud studies, which showcase his meticulous attention to the ever-changing sky.

Not to mention the show also includes personal sketchbooks and letters that reveal how these artists influenced and challenged each other.

Don’t Miss These Once-in-a-Lifetime Art Experiences

Don’t miss out on these once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Head to the official websites of your favorite museums and galleries to learn more about their schedules, featured exhibits, and special events.

Keep in mind that many of these incredible shows have limited dates or require you to book in advance.

Plus, tickets might sell out fast, so securing yours early means you’ll have your spot guaranteed.

Take the time to explore what’s happening, book your tickets, and get ready for a year full of art, culture, and creativity.

These are one-of-a-kind experiences you won’t want to miss!