🔗 Share this article

Spanning Renaissance masters and contemporary icons, modern visionaries alongside a major Latin American director, galleries as well as galleries throughout the United States are preparing some spectacular shows on the horizon in 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

Announced several years ago during 2023, now merely a placeholder listing on a major museum's website, this expansive survey of a central creators of the Pop Art era comes with some pretty heavy anticipation. The museum will be drawing on its long-held holdings of nearly 500 works from Lichtenstein, in addition to, one would imagine, numerous loans from collections around the world. Dates to be announced 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

Bay Area sister institutions, one prestigious venue along with another, will be centering the Floating City through two interconnected shows: one location presents a exploration of the city as a source of artistic inspiration throughout the centuries, while the other zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet made of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself felt intimidated by the prospect of painting Venice – a subject that had inspired the most revered artists for centuries – but he eventually rose to the task, creating some 37 paintings, among them the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and Spring into Summer.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Marking the quarter-century of his groundbreaking debut film, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to more than a million feet of footage that never made it into the released movie, creating an art installation that doubles as a love letter to film. Reportedly the director dug deep into the archives to create what he called “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of a cherished films. It's possible the installation will instil some of the hope that runs through Iñárritu’s film despite the pain he also chronicles. Late Winter through Summer.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

A major New York museum will give the multidisciplinary sculptor creator a comprehensive retrospective, starting with her early works and progressing through to a fresh series of pieces made from scrap metal and steel tubing. Inspired by “the 60s” and minimalism, Bove often takes her materials straight from the city environment, creating intriguing and unusual sculptures that have been displayed in some of the country’s most notable venues. With major shows at the MoMA and the Palais de Tokyo, Bove’s three decades of work are ready for a thorough survey. 5 March–2 August.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Anyone who know the book *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s cut-out *Icarus* – this is actually one of 20 cut-paper works that he combined with text and published as a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, a Midwestern museum exhibits the complete set of Matisse’s preparatory models – the first such showing since the museum acquired the works in 1948 – as well as some 50 of Matisse’s other works. The cut paper works represented a prolific final chapter for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

The great painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned masters of the Italian Renaissance – but he has rarely received a large-scale exhibition on US soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum seeks to change that with this landmark show. Raphael is well-known for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. Featuring works from throughout Europe and more than 200 works total, this is poised as a major event. Late March through June.

Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love

A New York queer art museum presents a major, large-scale film-based work by Taiwanese-American artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in new media art. In keeping with most of her work, Cheang in this piece explores the daily struggles of transgender existence. The installation is designed as a highly interactive experience, with audience members encouraged to interact with the four moveable screens that display the central film. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston showcases new work from this artist, who was forced to flee her native Uganda when her identity was revealed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is recognized for deconstructing unconventional materials to make elaborate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. This exhibition showcases recent pieces based on the theme of queer weddings. It extends her ongoing project of employing reclaimed materials as a symbolic act of defiance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Expanding upon the foundational research of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how men and women are socialized to use physical space differently, this show examines how non-verbal communication shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s research spanned art as old as 2000 BC. Here, Wex’s explorations are displayed and juxtaposed with the work of contemporary diverse artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

And more …

Early in the year, the Seattle Art Museum celebrates the evocative silhouette art of Samantha Yun Wall. Starting 5 March, an art gallery is highlighting the work of rising Black artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. In the summer months, the Crystal Bridges Museum reexamines 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring through a show of his sculptural works. In September, the Detroit Institute of Arts presents a collection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architectural studies. Simultaneously, an Arizona venue exhibits the colorful work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.