Planning to travel this year and keen on catching some art? The most anticipated exhibitions of the year tackle themes like love, abortion, the manosphere, the '90s, and crystals. We've got a roundup of the must-sees for you.
The New York-based platform Artsy, which focuses on connecting art with collectors and art enthusiasts, has published predictions for this year, particularly about planned exhibitions in museums and galleries. According to Artsy, galleries worldwide might take a more cautious approach to programming in 2026, mainly due to ongoing political and economic turmoil. They'll likely focus on major retrospectives of established and well-known figures, who themselves were once seen as radicals and experimenters in their fields.
The British magazine Dazed sees this as an opportunity for inspiration or an escape from our daily reality, a chance to immerse ourselves in someone else's world. Beauty, provocation, reflection, social issues, change, and successes are the main themes of exhibitions in the UK this year. So, what should you check out?
Tracey Emin: A Second Life
When: February 27, 2026 – August 31, 2026
Where: Tate Modern, London
One of the year's most anticipated exhibitions opens its doors at the end of February at Tate Modern in London. This retrospective of British artist Tracey Emin showcases 40 years of her career, with curation done in collaboration with the artist herself. Expect a mix of iconic works from the '90s alongside newer and previously unseen pieces, like large-scale acrylic paintings, sculptures, and stitched blankets. The exhibition weaves together themes of love, rejection, abortion, sexual violence, aging, and death. Yet, it aims to end not on a depressing note, but as a celebration of life and survival. Among the pieces exhibited at Tate Modern, there will be works featuring Emin's realist portrayals of her own body post-cancer, including scars and a stoma bag, showcasing her openness and honesty after 40 years in the art world.
The main drive was that sewing was considered "women's work" or "craft," holding much less value than painting or sculpture.
Tracey Emin is a feminist icon known for bold, open art. Even in the '70s, she broke taboos by bringing themes like menstruation, abortion, dirty underwear, rape, unwanted pregnancy, or drunk sex into galleries. She used different artistic media from her male colleagues, creating embroidered quilts with aggressive, vulgar, or painful messages. The main drive was that sewing was considered "women's work" or "craft," seen as less valuable than painting or sculpture. In her work, Emin claims ownership of her body and sexuality through drawings and paintings depicting her nude body—not to please the male gaze.
Manosphere – Masculinity Now
When: April 18, 2026 – August 2, 2026
Where: Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
The group exhibition Manosphere – Masculinity Now explores the radical changes in perceptions of "being a man" in our digital age. It examines the gap between online rhetoric and everyday reality, delving into the dark corners of the internet where young men's opinions are shaped. The exhibition highlights social media algorithms that are more likely to support rather than block online toxicity. Archetypes like Sigma Male, Alpha Male, or Chad are displayed, along with influencers like Andrew Tate, who advocate for a return to male dominance and control over women.
The exhibition does not aim to celebrate the manosphere. Instead, it points out that this tough masculinity is often just a mask or performance. It gives space to artworks showing men as vulnerable beings capable of crying, men in queer relationships, or men seeking intimacy and closeness. The result is a multimedia exhibition combining painting, sculpture, video art, and installations.
Paul Cézanne: Cezanne
When: January 25, 2026 – May 25, 2026
Where: Fondation Beyeler, Basel
An oasis of calm, blending architecture with nature and featuring the soothing art of Paul Cézanne that evokes monumental silence. That's what the exhibition, opening in January, promises to be. It explores the most intriguing aspects of the artist's later work, showcasing 80 pieces, including oil paintings and watercolors from around the world. Themes of landscapes, fruit still lifes, or figures in landscapes offer peace and a chance to pause.
Marina Abramović: Transforming Energy
When: May 6, 2026 – October 19, 2026
Where: Galleria dell’Accademia, Venice
The "mother" of performance art and one of the most significant artists of our time, Marina Abramović, turns 80 this year and has gifted herself several exhibitions across Europe, including Berlin and Venice, coinciding with the Art Biennale. Marina is notably the first living woman to have a major solo exhibition in an institution that once showcased only “old masters.” This marks a fundamental milestone for female artists and celebrates performative art.
The exhibition focuses on new work. Transforming Energy is a theme Marina has been exploring in recent years, particularly through objects like crystals, stones, or minerals, which she believes have the ability to transfer and change visitors' energy. When working with space, the artist also considers the history and energy of the past. Through her own objects and videos, she showcases art as living energy. The exhibition is not directly part of the Venice Art Biennale program but is closely linked to it.
THE 90s
When: October 8, 2026 – February 14, 2027
Where: Tate Britain, London
Former editor-in-chief of British Vogue, Edward Enninful, takes on the curatorial role for the upcoming THE 90s exhibition at Tate Britain, a sister gallery to Tate Modern. The exhibition maps the era of "Cool Britannia," when London rose to the forefront of high art, fashion, and music after years of grayness and recession. Key themes are optimism and rebellion, breaking hierarchies, and multiculturalism.
Given Edward's background and experience, fashion will be prominently featured, highlighting iconic figures like Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, and Hussein Chalayan. The exhibition will include legendary photos you might recognize from covers of Vogue, The Face, or i-D magazines. Additionally, it will focus on art, blending classic works within pop culture context, featuring Damien Hirst, Gillian Wearing, and Yinka Shonibare.
