Must-See Art Exhibitions and Biennials This Winter 2025
As the chill of winter 2025 sets in, the global art world heats up with an extraordinary lineup of exhibitions and biennials that promise to captivate, challenge, and inspire. From introspective retrospectives honoring trailblazing artists to expansive group shows tackling pressing themes like ecology, migration, and cultural identity, this season's offerings reflect a dynamic interplay between historical reflection and contemporary urgency. Museums across continents are spotlighting underrepresented voices, from Indigenous Australian creators to African photographers, while biennials in cities like Kochi and Sharjah push boundaries with innovative curatorial approaches. Whether you're drawn to the raw emotional depth of Tracey Emin's installations or the sublime abstractions of Gerhard Richter, these events invite viewers to engage deeply with art's power to interrogate the past and envision the future. With over 36 notable shows highlighted in recent previews, winter 2025 emerges as a pivotal moment for art enthusiasts to explore how creativity intersects with societal shifts.
This new article draws from diverse sources to curate a selection of must-see highlights, blending established masters with emerging talents. Expect themes of healing, environmental awareness, and decolonization to recur, as curators respond to global challenges. Plan your visits accordingly—many run through spring, offering ample time to immerse yourself in these transformative experiences.
Major Retrospectives: Honoring Icons and Innovators
Winter 2025 features several landmark retrospectives that delve into the oeuvres of influential artists, shedding new light on their contributions.
One standout is the Ruth Asawa retrospective at SFMOMA in San Francisco, running from April 5 to September 2, 2025, before traveling to MoMA in New York and beyond. This comprehensive survey showcases over 300 works, including her iconic hanging looped-wire sculptures that evoke organic forms and fluidity. Asawa, a Japanese American artist who endured internment during World War II, blended modernism with personal advocacy for arts education. The exhibition recreates elements of her home studio, featuring sketchbooks and collaborations with figures like Josef Albers. It's a testament to her resilience and innovation in sculpture, challenging traditional boundaries between craft and fine art. For more on Asawa's legacy
Gerhard Richter's sweeping retrospective at Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, open through March 2025, spans six decades of the 93-year-old German painter's experimentation. Known for his abstract works created with squeegee techniques and photorealistic paintings, Richter deconstructs art history, as seen in his reimaginings of Titian's Annunciation. The chronological display highlights his shifts from grayscale photo-paintings to vibrant abstractions, exploring memory, trauma, and perception post-World War II. This show affirms Richter's status as a living legend, with over 100 works inviting viewers to ponder the fluidity of representation. Check the Fondation Louis Vuitton site for tickets.
Tracey Emin's "A Second Life" at Tate Modern in London, from February to August 2025, marks her largest exhibition yet, covering 40 years of provocative work. Featuring paintings, sculptures, installations, videos, and neons, it includes new pieces post her 2020 cancer diagnosis alongside classics like the infamous My Bed (1998), a raw depiction of personal turmoil with stained sheets and debris. Emin's art confronts intimacy, vulnerability, and feminism with unflinching honesty, blending autobiography and universal themes of loss and rebirth. This show celebrates her evolution from YBA sensation to mature provocateur.
Anselm Kiefer's dual exhibition "Sag mir, wo die Blumen sind" at the Stedelijk Museum and Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, March 7 to June 9, 2025, pairs his monumental works with Van Gogh's masterpieces. Kiefer's large-scale installations and paintings, often incorporating ash, lead, and straw, grapple with German history, mythology, and destruction. This show includes new spatial pieces and a 24-meter staircase installation, emphasizing his dialogue with the past. It's a profound meditation on memory and renewal.
Emily Kam Kngwarray's solo show at Tate Modern, July 10, 2025, to January 11, 2026, brings her vibrant abstract paintings and batiks from Australia to the UK. As an Anmatyerre elder, Kngwarray's works capture ceremonial connections to land through bold dots and lines, produced in her late career from the 1980s to 1990s. This exhibition features rarely seen pieces outside Australia, highlighting her role in Indigenous art. For insights, see the Tate page.
Rashid Johnson's "A Poem for Deep Thinkers" at the Guggenheim in New York, April 18, 2025, to January 18, 2026, surveys 30 years with 90 works exploring Black identity, alienation, and escapism. His mosaics, black-soap paintings, and installations like the Anxious Men series use materials like shea butter and ceramic to address social themes. Site-specific elements and community events enhance the experience.
Thematic Group Shows: Exploring Contemporary Issues
Group exhibitions this winter tackle timely topics, from anti-colonial struggles to environmental concerns.
"Paris noir: Artistic movements and anti-colonial struggles 1950–2000" at Centre Pompidou in Paris, March 19 to June 30, 2025, celebrates Black artists like Beauford Delaney and Aimé Césaire who shaped Surrealism and modernism in the French capital. With over 200 works, it challenges dominant narratives through paintings, installations, and contemporary interventions. Visit Centre Pompidou for more.
"Ideas of Africa: Portraiture and Political Imagination" at MoMA in New York, December 2025 to July 2026, features over 100 photographs by Seydou Keïta and Malick Sidibé, capturing Pan-African solidarity during decolonization. It emphasizes imagination and movement across borders.
"The Stars We Do Not See" at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., October 18, 2025, to March 1, 2026, presents 200 works by Indigenous Australian artists like Emily Kam Kngwarray and Brook Andrew, tracing pre-colonial roots to modern media. This touring show is the largest of its kind internationally.
"Dreamworld: Surrealism at 100" at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, open through February 2025, marks the centenary with 200 works by Joan Miró and Leonora Carrington, focusing on exile and radical imagination.
Biennials and Triennials: Global Platforms for Dialogue
Biennials dominate the season, offering platforms for international discourse.
The Kochi-Muziris Biennale in India, December 2025 to March 2026, curated by Nikhil Chopra and HH Art Spaces, emphasizes durational performances and ecosystems, with artists like Tino Sehgal and Sandra Mujinga. It's a living dialogue on coexistence. Visit Kochi Biennale.
Sharjah Biennial in the UAE, February 6 to June 15, 2025, adopts an open-ended format with five curators exploring hybridization and rituals. Artists include Akinbode Akinbiyi and Yhonnie Scarce. See Sharjah Art Foundation.
Bukhara Biennial in Uzbekistan, September 5 to November 20, 2025, debuts with a healing theme, featuring Antony Gormley and Binta Diaw. Details at Bukhara Biennial.
Hawai‘i Triennial across islands, February 15 to May 4, 2025, themed "ALOHA NŌ," explores interconnectedness with artists like Teresita Fernández. Visit Hawai‘i Triennial.
Made in L.A. 2025 at the Hammer Museum, October 5, 2025, to March 1, 2026, showcases local talents amid recent wildfires, emphasizing resilience. See Hammer Museum.
2025 California Biennial at OCMA, focusing on adolescence and social themes, runs through the season. Details at OCMA.
FAQ
What are the key themes in winter 2025 art exhibitions? Common themes include ecology and environmental awareness, as seen in Earth Day-inspired shows; cultural identity and decolonization in exhibitions like "Ideas of Africa"; and personal introspection in retrospectives of artists like Tracey Emin and Gerhard Richter.
How do biennials differ from museum exhibitions? Biennials are recurring, large-scale events often with international artists and thematic focuses, held every two years (or three for triennials), emphasizing contemporary issues. Museum exhibitions are typically more focused on historical surveys or specific artists.
Which exhibitions are best for families or beginners? Shows like the Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden (February to April 2026) blend art with nature, or Ruth Asawa's retrospective at SFMOMA, with its accessible sculptures, are great entry points.
Are there any free or low-cost options? Many biennials like Liverpool Biennial offer free public access, and museums such as the National Gallery of Art have no admission fees for exhibitions like "The Stars We Do Not See."
How can I stay updated on art events? Follow sites like Artsy or ARTnews for previews, and subscribe to museum newsletters for ticket alerts.