From Renaissance masters to contemporary icons, modern visionaries alongside a major Mexican director, art museums as well as galleries throughout the United States are preparing a series of dazzling exhibitions on the horizon in 2026.
The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein
Announced all the way back in 2023, now just a mostly empty page at a major museum's website, this major retrospective of a central creators of the pop art movement carries some pretty heavy expectations. The institution will be drawing on its decades-old collection of close to 500 works from Lichtenstein, in addition to, one would imagine, dozens loans from collections globally. TBD 2026.
Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet
San Francisco sister institutions, the Legion of Honor along with deYoung, will focus on Venice with two linked shows: the former museum presents a celebration of the city as an engine of high art throughout the centuries, and the latter will focus on what the Impressionist Claude Monet made of the romantic city of canals. The artist was daunted by the prospect of depicting Venice – a subject that had captivated the world’s most esteemed artists for hundreds of years – but he eventually met the challenge, producing approximately 37 canvases, among them the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and Spring into Summer.
Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu
Celebrating the quarter-century of his groundbreaking debut film, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits over 1m ft of footage that was left out into the final cut, crafting an art installation that doubles as a love letter to celluloid. Reportedly the director dug deep into the vaults to create what he described as “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of one of his most beloved films. Perhaps the exhibit will instil some of the hope that runs through Iñárritu’s film despite the hardship he also chronicles. 22 February-26 July.
The Sculptural World of Carol Bove
The Guggenheim is dedicating the mixed media sculptor creator a major career survey, starting with her initial pieces and progressing through to a new series of works fashioned from scrap metal and industrial materials. Drawing from “the 1960s” and minimalism, Bove often sources her materials directly from the city environment, creating intriguing and unusual sculptures that have appeared in prestigious art spots. With significant exhibitions in Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, her three decades of work are ready for a thorough overview. 5 March–2 August.
Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color
Those who know the book *The Body Keeps the Score* will be familiar with French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – it’s in fact one of 20 paper compositions that he paired with text and published as a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, a Midwestern museum will display all 20 of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – an unprecedented exhibition since the museum obtained the works in 1948 – as well as around 50 of Matisse’s other works. The cut paper works represented a late stage flowering for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.
Raphael: Sublime Poetry
Italian master painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned titans of the Italian Renaissance – but he has rarely received a large-scale exhibition on American soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum aims to rectify that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is famous for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. Featuring loans from all across Europe and over 200 works in all, this is poised as a major event. 29 March–28 June.
Shu Lea Cheang's *Lover Love*: An Interactive Vision
NYC’s queer art museum will host a significant and immersive video installation by transmedia artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in digital art. As with most of her work, Cheang here explores the daily struggles of transgender existence. The installation promises to be a very engaging piece, with audience members encouraged to play around with the multiple movable screens that show the core footage. 2 April–January 2027.
Leilah Babirye
A Boston contemporary art center showcases new work from this artist, who was forced to flee her native Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is recognized for deconstructing discarded objects to make intricate, LGBTQ+-themed sculptures. This exhibition highlights new work based on the concept of queer weddings. This continues her longstanding practice of using found items as a meaningful gesture of resistance. 27 August–18 January 2027.
Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power
Expanding upon the pioneering work of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how genders are conditioned to use physical space differently, this show investigates how body language influences unconscious interaction. Wex’s research included art as old as ancient sculptures. In this presentation, Wex’s explorations are both exhibited and put into conversation with the work of modern Black, queer, and feminist artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.
And more …
Early in the year, a Pacific Northwest institution showcases the evocative shadow-based work of an emerging artist. Beginning 5 March, a prominent gallery is featuring the work of up and coming Black artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. In the summer months, the Crystal Bridges Museum reexamines iconic pop artist Keith Haring through a show of his three-dimensional works. Come fall, a Michigan museum presents a collection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architectural studies. And also in September, the Phoenix Art Museum displays the vibrant work of artist Kim Chong Hak.
