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Spanning Renaissance masters and contemporary icons, contemporary greats and even a major Mexican film-maker, galleries as well as galleries across the US are preparing some spectacular exhibitions on the horizon for 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

Announced all the way back in 2023, and currently just a placeholder listing on a major museum's website, this expansive survey of a pioneering figures of the pop art movement carries significant expectations. The museum will be drawing on its decades-old collection of close to 500 works from Lichtenstein, as well as, one would imagine, dozens borrowed works from institutions globally. TBD 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

San Francisco partner museums, the Legion of Honor along with another, will focus on the Floating City with two linked exhibitions: the former museum presents a exploration of the city as a source of high art for hundreds of years, and the latter zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet thought of the enchanting city of canals. Monet himself felt intimidated by the prospect of depicting Venice – a theme that had captivated the most revered artists for centuries – yet he ultimately met the challenge, creating approximately 37 canvases, including the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and 21 March-26 July.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Celebrating the quarter-century of his groundbreaking debut film, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits more than 1m ft of footage that was left out into the final cut, creating an art installation that also serves as a love letter to celluloid. Accounts suggest the director dug deep into the vaults to create what he called “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of one of his most beloved films. It's possible the exhibit will evoke some of the hope that runs through Iñárritu’s film in spite of the hardship he also chronicles. Late Winter through Summer.

Carol Bove

A major New York museum is dedicating the multidisciplinary sculpture and installation creator a comprehensive retrospective, starting with her early works and progressing through to a new series of works made from scrap metal and industrial materials. Drawing from “the 60s” and Minimalist art, Bove frequently sources her materials directly from the city environment, producing fascinating and strange sculptures that have been displayed in prestigious venues. Having had significant exhibitions in the MoMA and a Parisian institution, Bove’s thirty years of creation are ripe for a thorough overview. Early Spring to Summer.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Anyone familiar with the book *The Body Keeps the Score* will be familiar with French master Henri Matisse’s cut-out *Icarus* – it’s in fact one of 20 paper compositions that he combined with text and bound into a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, Chicago’s Art Institute exhibits all 20 of Matisse’s preparatory models – the first such showing since the museum obtained the works in 1948 – plus around 50 of Matisse’s other works. The cut paper works were part of a prolific final chapter for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

The great artist 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 major show on American soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum seeks to change that with this landmark show. Raphael is well-known for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. Featuring works from all across Europe and more than 200 works total, this promises to be a blockbuster show. 29 March–28 June.

Shu Lea Cheang's *Lover Love*: An Interactive Vision

NYC’s Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art will host a major, large-scale video installation by transmedia artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in new media art. As with most of her work, Cheang here explores the daily struggles of trans life. Lover Love promises to be a very engaging piece, with visitors encouraged to play around with the four moveable screens that show the core footage. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston showcases recent creations from this artist, who was compelled to leave her native Uganda when her identity was revealed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for transforming unconventional materials to make elaborate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. The show showcases recent pieces based on the concept of queer weddings. It extends her ongoing project of using reclaimed materials as a symbolic act of resistance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Expanding upon the foundational research of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how genders are socialized to inhabit space differently, this exhibition examines how non-verbal communication shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s studies included art dating back to ancient sculptures. In this presentation, Wex’s findings are both exhibited and juxtaposed with the work of modern Black, queer, and feminist artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

In February, the Seattle Art Museum celebrates the haunting silhouette art of an emerging artist. Starting 5 March, an art gallery is featuring the work of up and coming Black artist an innovative creator. During the summer, an Arkansas museum revisits 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring with a show of his sculptural works. In September, the Detroit Institute of Arts will show a collection of the artist's architecture paintings. And also in September, an Arizona venue displays the vibrant work of artist Kim Chong Hak.