{"id":239156,"date":"2026-01-15T09:25:22","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T09:25:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/239156\/"},"modified":"2026-01-15T09:25:22","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T09:25:22","slug":"16-leading-curators-predict-the-art-trends-of-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/239156\/","title":{"rendered":"16 Leading Curators Predict the Art Trends of 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Art<\/p>\n<p><a display=\"block\" text-decoration=\"none\" class=\"RouterLink__RouterAwareLink-sc-9666ec9-0 fbNnYj\" href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/article\/artsy-editorial-16-leading-curators-predict-art-trends-2026\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768469116_513_d7hftxdivxxvm.cloudfront.net.jpeg\"  width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" alt=\"Ayoung Kim, \u2018Delivery Dancer's Sphere\u2019, 2022, Video\/Film\/Animation, 1 Channel video, LED panel video 2, Gallery Hyundai\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;height:100%;object-fit:cover\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Last January, curators <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/article\/artsy-editorial-12-leading-curators-predict-defining-art-trends-2025\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">widely agreed that 2025<\/a> would be shaped by political instability and mounting pressure on cultural institutions. Over the course of the year, those conditions materialized across the art world, particularly through experimental exhibitions such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/artist\/ayoung-kim\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ayoung Kim<\/a>\u2019s solo show at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/partner\/moma-ps1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">MoMA PS1<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/artist\/rashid-johnson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Rashid Johnson<\/a>\u2019s \u201cA Poem for Deep Thinkers\u201d at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/partner\/guggenheim-museum\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Guggenheim New York<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>When asked to look ahead to 2026, curators today suggested that this shift is deepening rather than dissipating. Across their responses, a set of shared priorities emerged: slower, more deliberate forms of art and exhibition-making; a renewed emphasis on hand-made, material, and craft-based practices; and a growing commitment to collaboration and artist-led formats. <\/p>\n<p>Technology\u2014particularly AI\u2014remains a central topic of discussion, but is increasingly approached with restraint and ethical scrutiny. More often, these technological advancements are positioned alongside, rather than in opposition to, physical materials and personal experience. <\/p>\n<p>Museums, meanwhile, are now playing multiple roles at once: as civic spaces and sites of sanctuary. This is largely due to mounting political and social pressures. Similarly, several biennials, from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/article\/artsy-editorial-venice-biennale-2026-announces-curator-koyo-kouohs-theme-in-minor-keys\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Venice<\/a> to <a href=\"http:\/\/gwangju\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">Gwangju<\/a> in South Korea, are pushing forward conversations on care and community.<\/p>\n<p>Here, we spoke to 16 leading curators to share what they see shaping the art world in 2026. <\/p>\n<p>Larry Ossei-Mensah Curator and co-founder, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/article\/artsy-editorial-5-things-artnoir-learned-decade-supporting-black-artists\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ARTNOIR<\/a> The Bronx, New York<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" display=\"block\" style=\"transition:opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;opacity:0\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768469117_414_d7hftxdivxxvm.cloudfront.net.jpeg\"  alt=\"\" class=\"Box-sc-15se88d-0 guRykI\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" display=\"block\" style=\"transition:opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;opacity:0\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768469117_609_d7hftxdivxxvm.cloudfront.net.jpeg\"  alt=\"Carrie Mae Weems, \u2018Monument\u2019, 2023, Posters, Gicl\u00e9e printed with UV inks on art paper, The End Gallery\" class=\"Box-sc-15se88d-0 guRykI\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Portrait of Larry Ossei-Mensah. Photo by Diego Martinez Chacon &amp; New Wave Magazine. Courtesy of the curator.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMoving into 2026, I believe more artists and curators will resist fixed categories and linear narratives,\u201d said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/article\/artsy-editorial-curator-larry-ossei-mensahs-standout-works-black-owned-galleries\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Larry Ossei-Mensah<\/a>. \u201cDiasporic thinking will deepen\u2014not as a matter of origin or identity alone, but as a way of understanding movement, memory, material (both tangible and intangible), and entanglement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This year, Ossei-Mensah is \u201cpaying closer attention to how artists work across sound, performance, and visual culture to create experiences that are felt as much as they are seen.\u201d He points to a term coined by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/artist\/arthur-jafa\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Arthur Jafa<\/a>, \u201cbesideness,\u201d referring to \u201crelationships between objects, ideas, and points of view\u2026over resolution, leaving space for complexity and contradiction, where the tension sparks new ways of thinking, feeling, and encountering perspectives you hadn\u2019t considered before.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The curator is looking forward to the 2026 Venice Biennale, which will celebrate the vision of the late curator <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/article\/artsy-editorial-koyo-kouoh-curator-2026-venice-biennale-died-57\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Koyo Kouoh<\/a>. In New York, he\u2019ll be watching for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/partner\/the-museum-of-modern-art\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">MoMA<\/a>\u2019s exhibition of Samora Pinderhughes, titled \u201cCall and Response,\u201d and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/artist\/carrie-mae-weems\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Carrie\u202fMae\u202fWeems<\/a>\u2019s \u201cContested Sites of Memory\u201d at Lincoln Center.<\/p>\n<p>Rodrigo MouraArtistic director, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/partner\/malba\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">MALBA<\/a>Buenos Aires<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" display=\"block\" style=\"transition:opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;opacity:0\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768469117_407_d7hftxdivxxvm.cloudfront.net.jpeg\"  alt=\"\" class=\"Box-sc-15se88d-0 guRykI\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" display=\"block\" style=\"transition:opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;opacity:0\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768469117_595_d7hftxdivxxvm.cloudfront.net.jpeg\"  alt=\"Marina Rheingantz, \u2018Belly Button\u2019, 2022, Painting, Oil on linen, Fortes D'Aloia &amp; Gabriel\" class=\"Box-sc-15se88d-0 guRykI\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Portrait of Rodrigo Moura. Photo by Alejandro Guyot. Courtesy of MALBA.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI believe we will continue to see a growing mainstream interest in practices that have traditionally been categorized as craft or applied arts, such as ceramics and fiber art.\u201d Rodrigo Moura, artistic director of Buenos Aires\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/partner\/malba\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">MALBA<\/a>, told Artsy. The curator noted that long-overlooked artists like Shoko Suzuki, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/artist\/mestre-didi\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mestre Didi<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/artist\/olga-de-amaral\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Olga de Amaral<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/artist\/lee-shinja\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Lee ShinJa<\/a> are now being championed in the art world, sparking a broader reassessment of craft media. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis shift is creating new historical reference points for a younger generation of artists, for whom the boundaries between fine art and craft are increasingly blurred\u2014and, in many cases, no longer relevant,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Moura is looking forward to several exhibitions in 2026, most notably the Venice Biennale. Speaking on the passing of Kouoh, he said, \u201cwhile it is sad that she is not here to witness the exhibition, there is something profoundly meaningful in seeing her project carried forward.\u201d Additionally, he is looking forward to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/artist\/marina-rheingantz\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Marina Rheingantz<\/a>\u2019s solo exhibition at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/partner\/instituto-tomie-ohtake\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Instituto Tomie Ohtake<\/a> in S\u00e3o Paulo next year\u2014her first major survey in the country.<\/p>\n<p>Stephanie RosenthalProject director, Guggenheim Abu DhabiAbu Dhabi<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" display=\"block\" style=\"transition:opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;opacity:0\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768469118_442_d7hftxdivxxvm.cloudfront.net.jpeg\"  alt=\"\" class=\"Box-sc-15se88d-0 guRykI\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" display=\"block\" style=\"transition:opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;opacity:0\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768469118_819_d7hftxdivxxvm.cloudfront.net.jpeg\"  alt=\"LuYang, \u2018Moving Gods Black Thangka\u2019, 2014, Mixed Media, Aluminium framed lightbox, super backlight fabric, Gether Contemporary\" class=\"Box-sc-15se88d-0 guRykI\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Portrait of Stephanie Rosenthal. Photo by Ron John. Courtesy of Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.<\/p>\n<p>Stephanie Rosenthal, the project director of Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, points to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/article\/artsy-editorial-ai-art-winning-young-collectors\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the rise of AI<\/a> as \u201ca true artistic language\u201d and to a renewed commitment to materiality and craft. \u201cArt in 2025, for me, was defined by a productive tension rather than a divide.\u201d What mattered most, she noted, was that these approaches were no longer oppositional. \u201cTechnology, the hand, the body\u2014even questions of care for our planet\u2014they sit together now.\u201d Artists such as Ayoung Kim and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/artist\/luyang\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">LuYang<\/a>, whose use of gaming engines demonstrates conceptual precision rather than spectacle, are typical of this convergence\u2014one Rosenthal expects to gain wider recognition in 2026.<\/p>\n<p>Rosenthal also observed an institutional shift she expects to continue in 2026. \u201cI also felt a growing presence of First Nations and Indigenous artists in major institutions\u2014not as isolated gestures, but as part of a deeper shift,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n<p>Looking ahead, Rosenthal sees biennials across West Asia and the Arab world\u2014including the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/article\/artsy-editorial-diriyah-biennale-announces-artists-2026-edition\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Diriyah Biennale<\/a> and the return of the Alexandria Biennale\u2014as crucial counterpoints to Euro American narratives. In a fragile moment, she added, art remains \u201ca place for rescue, kinship, and conversation\u201d\u2014a role she believes will feel even more urgent in 2026.<\/p>\n<p>Stefanie HesslerDirector, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/partner\/swiss-institute\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Swiss Institute<\/a>New York<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" display=\"block\" style=\"transition:opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;opacity:0\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768469118_165_d7hftxdivxxvm.cloudfront.net.jpeg\"  alt=\"\" class=\"Box-sc-15se88d-0 guRykI\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Portrait of Stefanie Hessler. Photo by Helga Traxler. Courtesy of the Swiss Institute.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/partner\/swiss-institute\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Swiss Institute<\/a> director Stefanie Hessler predicted that in 2026 \u201cwe are going to see more emphasis on collaboration and collectivity in response to precarity and censorship,\u201d shaped in part by U.S. administration policies. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am reminded of the importance of friendship, of reconsidering the ways we think, live, and dream together,\u201d Hessler said. \u201cI believe questions of humanity and conviviality will continue to be pressing, and I am exploring these topics in my curation of Art Basel Parcours 2026. I believe we will see more international collaborations in defiance of narrowing nationalisms and separationism.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Looking ahead, Hessler is particularly focused on the 2026 Venice Biennale and the Gwangju Biennale, the latter of which is curated by Singaporean artist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/artist\/ho-tzu-nyen-he-zi-yan\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ho Tzu Nyen<\/a>. She also noted several large-scale exhibitions in the United States, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/article\/artsy-editorial-whitney-biennial-announces-artists-2026-edition\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the Whitney Biennial<\/a>, the Carnegie International, and Counterpublic in St. Louis, which she is co-curating.<\/p>\n<p>Ashley JamesCurator, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/partner\/guggenheim-museum\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Guggenheim New York<\/a>New York<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" display=\"block\" style=\"transition:opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;opacity:0\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768469118_806_d7hftxdivxxvm.cloudfront.net.jpeg\"  alt=\"\" class=\"Box-sc-15se88d-0 guRykI\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" display=\"block\" style=\"transition:opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;opacity:0\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768469119_892_d7hftxdivxxvm.cloudfront.net.jpeg\"  alt=\"Jan van Eyck, \u2018Portrait of Giovanni(?) Arnolfini and his Wife (The Arnolfini Portrait)\u2019, 1434, Painting, Oil on oak, The National Gallery, London\" class=\"Box-sc-15se88d-0 guRykI\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Portrait of Ashley James. Photo by Dan Brodie. Courtesy of the Guggenheim.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs the possibilities and perils of AI increasingly dominate the discourse of contemporary art, I think 2025 showed us the ways in which there\u2019s great potential in thinking through \u2018technology\u2019 in an expanded sense,\u201d New York\u2013based Guggenheim curator Ashley James told Artsy. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cGoing into 2026, I\u2019m also thinking about intersections of technology and art but in a different vein,\u201d she said. After years of cultivating visibility through social media, James predicts both retreats and conceptual re-engagements, as artists confront platforms that no longer function as transparent social mirrors. The digital becomes material to critique, rather than a neutral tool. \u201cAs tech companies increasingly merge and modes of revenue generation shift, gone are the days of social feeds being reliable, real-time reflections of the social happenings, including in the art space,\u201d James said. <\/p>\n<p>James expressed her excitement about the upcoming programming at the Guggenheim, but also noted she felt \u201cgiddy\u201d about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/artist\/jan-van-eyck\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jan van Eyck<\/a>\u2019s \u201cThe Portraits\u201d at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/partner\/the-national-gallery-london\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">National Gallery, London<\/a>, which opens November 21st.<\/p>\n<p>Liz ParkCurator, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/partner\/carnegie-museum-of-art\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Carnegie Museum of Art<\/a>Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" display=\"block\" style=\"transition:opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;opacity:0\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768469119_917_d7hftxdivxxvm.cloudfront.net.jpeg\"  alt=\"\" class=\"Box-sc-15se88d-0 guRykI\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Portrait of Liz Park, 2023. Photo by Sean Eaton. Courtesy of Carnegie Museum of Art.<\/p>\n<p>Looking back at 2025, Liz Park, curator at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/partner\/carnegie-museum-of-art\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Carnegie Museum of Art<\/a>, \u201cfelt most energized and impacted by the exhibition \u2018Monuments\u2019 at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/partner\/moca\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">MOCA Los Angeles<\/a> and The Brick.\u201d She noted that the exhibition was \u201ca sobering and empowering reminder that in our work as creative practitioners and arts workers, we can represent, remember, and carry forward many difficult and complex truths and histories.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Park predicts that the year ahead will be shaped by the same political and social turbulence that defined the year before, with these pressures informing exhibitions across institutions. \u201cMy hope is that these large-scale survey exhibitions serve as generative meeting\u2002grounds where we can be daring with artistic expressions and ideas, and where we honor relationships and the spirit of many artistic communities across continents.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rand SuffolkDirector, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/partner\/high-museum-of-art\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">High Museum of Art<\/a>Atlanta<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" display=\"block\" style=\"transition:opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;opacity:0\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768469119_575_d7hftxdivxxvm.cloudfront.net.jpeg\"  alt=\"\" class=\"Box-sc-15se88d-0 guRykI\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Portrait of Rand Suffolk. \u00a9 Ted Pio Roda Photography, 2024. Courtesy the High Museum of Art.<\/p>\n<p>Rand Suffolk, director of Atlanta\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/partner\/high-museum-of-art\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">High Museum of Art<\/a>, believes that amid global turmoil, museums should be thought of as like a \u201csanctuary.\u201d As the museum approaches its centennial this year, one question he returns to is: \u201cHow can we address the issues of our time while offering spaces for reflection and connection?\u201d He pointed out that many museums, including the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/partner\/brooklyn-museum\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Brooklyn Museum<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/partner\/the-studio-museum-in-harlem\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Studio Museum in Harlem<\/a>, started taking a closer look at their own processes in the last year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cInstitutions embraced the collections they have, while reinterpreting them through frameworks that reflect a more complex, interconnected understanding of art history,\u201d he said. \u201cThis balance feels especially important, and how museums hold both roles will influence curatorial decision-making across the field.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In 2026, Suffolk noted that he is most excited for \u201cThe Lost World: The Art of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/artist\/minnie-evans\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Minnie Evans<\/a>\u201d at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/partner\/whitney-museum-of-american-art-1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Whitney Museum of American Art<\/a> this spring, \u201ccandidly, because it\u2019s an exhibition The High organized,\u201d he admitted, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/partner\/the-metropolitan-museum-of-art\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Metropolitan Museum of Art<\/a>\u2019s \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/artist\/man-ray\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Man Ray<\/a>: When Objects Dream.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Melanie PocockArtistic director, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/partner\/ikon-gallery\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ikon Gallery<\/a>Birmingham, United Kingdom<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" display=\"block\" style=\"transition:opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;opacity:0\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768469119_68_d7hftxdivxxvm.cloudfront.net.jpeg\"  alt=\"\" class=\"Box-sc-15se88d-0 guRykI\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Portrait of Melanie Pocock. Photo by Ayesha Jones. Courtesy of Ikon Gallery.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ll continue to see the art world responding to the world\u2019s intractable geopolitical and environmental crises through the work of artists that have consistently sought to highlight, critique, and counter these,\u201d said Melanie Pocock, artistic director of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/partner\/ikon-gallery\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ikon Gallery<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>Pocock also highlighted the growing visibility of Indigenous artists in 2025, a shift she expects to deepen in 2026. \u201cRich in ground-up, collective practices inspired by Indigenous cultures, it\u2019s a region of increasing interest to institutions committed to expanding their purview beyond Euramerica,\u201d she said. \u201cIndigenous practices sensitive to non-humancentric ecosystems will be significant, as will collectively curated and artist-led formats.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pocock is particularly excited about two major biennials in Asia: the Gwangju Biennale, which she said \u201cpromises to be as imaginative and epic as [curator Ho Tzu Nyen]\u2019s own films and installations,\u201d and the Bangkok Art Biennale, which will look \u201cat the coexistence of opposites such as compassion and cruelty, and truth and distortion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Folakunle OshunDirector, Lagos Biennial Lagos<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" display=\"block\" style=\"transition:opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;opacity:0\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768469120_298_d7hftxdivxxvm.cloudfront.net.jpeg\"  alt=\"\" class=\"Box-sc-15se88d-0 guRykI\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Portrait of Folakunle Oshun. Courtesy of Folakunle Oshun.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWithout wanting to sound pessimistic, I expect much of the same,\u201d Folakunle Oshun, director of the Lagos Biennial, told Artsy. \u201cLarge capital continues to absorb everything, and it is increasingly urgent to interrogate who and what actually influence[s] artistic production. We will see more large-scale installations, largely because art fairs can now afford to commission them without caring whether the work sells. Yet the sense of inauthenticity persists.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMore than anything, we may need to focus on simply staying alive in 2026,\u201d Oshun continued. \u201cArt will either sort itself out or, at best, serve as a narrative device for this reality.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI will be visiting the Venice Biennale primarily to see the American Pavilion,\u201d said Oshun. \u201cThis will likely be a year in which national pavilions, unfortunately, overshadow everything else, driven by political posturing and global tension. That said, I am genuinely curious to see how far art can go. If there were ever a moment to test the potency of art, this is it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Oshun is looking forward to John Lalor\u2019s immersive film installation, EASTER WEEKEND, at the Irish Museum of Modern Art this month. \u201cAnd in October, inevitably, all roads will lead to the Lagos Biennial,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n<p>Roxana Marcoci Senior curator of photography, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/partner\/the-museum-of-modern-art\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Museum of Modern Art<\/a>New York <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" display=\"block\" style=\"transition:opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;opacity:0\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768469120_946_d7hftxdivxxvm.cloudfront.net.jpeg\"  alt=\"\" class=\"Box-sc-15se88d-0 guRykI\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Portrait of Roxana Marcoci. Courtesy of the Museum of Modern Art.<\/p>\n<p>Roxana Marcoci, senior curator of photography, The Museum of Modern Art, expects 2026\u2019s art world to be deeply engaged in dialogue with its own past. \u201cArt will maintain a dialectical relationship with its own history,\u201d she told Artsy. As artists draw from archives, craft and performance emerge not as revivals but as \u201crelational and ethically charged\u201d forms. Process-oriented practices that combine human imagination, AI, data, and material will continue to expand, while decolonial approaches critically reassess modernist strategies, probing questions of authorship, medium, and institutional authority.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSimultaneously, the continued rise of immersive, AI-augmented practices will not displace traditional mediums such as painting and sculpture but instead reframe them within a boundary-crossing \u2018phygital\u2019 continuum, where new conceptions of humanity, embodiment, and material agency become central theoretical concerns,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n<p>The curator expects these ideas to surface at major exhibitions throughout the year, particularly in New York at the Whitney Biennial, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/article\/artsy-editorial-moma-ps1-commemorate-50th-anniversary-new-york-focused-2026\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Greater New York<\/a>\u201d at MoMA PS1, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/partner\/new-museum-1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">New Museum<\/a>\u2019s Triennial. She highlighted several monographic exhibitions, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/artist\/marcel-duchamp\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Marcel Duchamp<\/a> at MoMA, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/artist\/carol-bove\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Carol Bove<\/a> at the Guggenheim, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/artist\/raphael\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Raphael<\/a> at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/artist\/pierre-huyghe\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Pierre Huyghe<\/a> at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/partner\/fondation-beyeler\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Fondation Beyeler<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Sara RazaArtistic director and chief curator, Centre for Contemporary Arts TashkentTashkent, Uzbekistan<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" display=\"block\" style=\"transition:opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;opacity:0\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768469120_677_d7hftxdivxxvm.cloudfront.net.jpeg\"  alt=\"\" class=\"Box-sc-15se88d-0 guRykI\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" display=\"block\" style=\"transition:opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;opacity:0\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768469120_98_d7hftxdivxxvm.cloudfront.net.jpeg\"  alt=\"Carol Bove, \u2018Cartesian Sculpture\u2019, 2014, Sculpture, Zinc-plated steel, Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens\" class=\"Box-sc-15se88d-0 guRykI\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Portrait of Sara Raza. Courtesy of ACDF.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCollaborations that are more horizontal or unexpected and decentralized will become more pronounced,\u201d Sara Raza, the new chief curator of Centre for Contemporary Arts Tashkent in Uzbekistan, told Artsy. \u201cArtists, I believe, will also take a curatorial lead in making explicit their role in art historical movements that are less tacit, and not necessarily curatorially or theoretically driven.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Raza noted that she is looking forward to several major exhibitions in the new year, including the Diriyah Biennale, Whitney Biennial, and Venice Biennale. She also noted that she is excited for the inaugural <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/article\/artsy-editorial-art-basel-qatar-announces-87-galleries-inaugural-edition\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Art Basel Qatar<\/a> and the \u201ccompelling and dense\u201d work of sculptor Carol Bove in her upcoming solo show at the Guggenheim New York.<\/p>\n<p>Juana WilliamsCurator, Detroit SalonDetroit<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" display=\"block\" style=\"transition:opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;opacity:0\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768469121_590_d7hftxdivxxvm.cloudfront.net.jpeg\"  alt=\"\" class=\"Box-sc-15se88d-0 guRykI\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Portrait of Juana Williams. Courtesy of Detroit Salon.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m looking forward to encountering more world-building through art in 2026,\u201d Juana Williams, curator for Detroit Salon, told Artsy. \u201cIn the past few years, artists and curators have been responding to the moment we\u2019re in, questioning what\u2019s true and exploring how repair might be possible. With so much fragility and tension in this current cultural moment, a lot of artists have constructed imaginative worlds that feel believable but intentionally unstable, inviting audiences to interpret and imagine together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThrough this work, artists are expanding, and in some cases repairing, reality,\u201d Williams said, underscoring how new technology is increasingly relevant in contemporary art. \u201cAs technology, especially AI, becomes more common in art-making, I\u2019m seeing artists return to materiality as resistance against hyper-digitization. In 2026, I anticipate we\u2019ll see even more tension and dialogue between the digital and the analog.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Faisal Al Hassan Director, 421 Arts CampusAbu Dhabi<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" display=\"block\" style=\"transition:opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;opacity:0\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768469121_677_d7hftxdivxxvm.cloudfront.net.jpeg\"  alt=\"\" class=\"Box-sc-15se88d-0 guRykI\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Portrait of Faisal Al Hassan. Courtesy of 421 Arts Campus.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI suspect 2026 will be less about declaring new positions and more about living with the ones we\u2019ve already articulated,\u201d Faisal Al Hassan, director of Abu Dhabi\u2019s 421 Arts Campus, told Artsy. \u201cIn relation to AI, that likely means a move toward more deliberate constraints: artists choosing when and how to use these tools, and institutions being pushed to clarify their positions around authorship, conservation, and legitimacy. The question won\u2019t be whether AI is used, but under what conditions, and to what end.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI also expect a deeper commitment to slower, reparative forms of programming\u2014not as language, but as structure,\u201d he said, asserting that institutions will be more likely to fund \u201cmulti-year commissions, research-led exhibitions, and educational formats that aren\u2019t treated as secondary.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Al Hassan also believes the way the international art community views the Middle East will change. \u201cRegionally, the Gulf and wider SWANA [Southwest Asia and North Africa] will continue to function less as a \u2018scene\u2019 and more as a connective zone, linking Africa, South Asia, and the Eastern Mediterranean,\u201d he noted. \u201cAs market attention intensifies, I imagine there will be a parallel push toward specificity: projects that insist on local histories, languages, and rhythms, even when operating on global platforms.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Virginia ShoreCurator, Obama Presidential CenterChicago<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" display=\"block\" style=\"transition:opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;opacity:0\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768469121_585_d7hftxdivxxvm.cloudfront.net.jpeg\"  alt=\"\" class=\"Box-sc-15se88d-0 guRykI\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Portrait of Virginia Shore. Photo by Kate Warren. Courtesy of Obama Presidential Center.<\/p>\n<p>Virginia Shore, the curator for the forthcoming <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/article\/artsy-editorial-obama-presidential-center-taps-jenny-holzer-kiki-smith-public-commissions\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Obama Presidential Center<\/a> in Chicago, distilled her key trends for 2026 into a few themes: \u201cLooking ahead to 2026, I anticipate a continued emphasis on hand-made processes and repurposed or recycled materials,\u201d she said. \u201cExhibitions are likely to expand beyond traditional venues, with more projects unfolding in alternative and hybrid spaces, as artists and curators seek new modes of access and experimentation. We\u2019ll also see a rise in multimedia practices and cross-disciplinary collaborations. Together, these directions signal a year defined by resourcefulness, collaboration, and expanded formats for making and showing work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Looking ahead, she is most eager to see the 2026 Venice Biennale, which she believes will ensure Kouoh\u2019s \u201cprofound impact on global contemporary art continues to resonate in Venice.\u201d She also highlights Tate Modern\u2019s major <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/artist\/ana-mendieta\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ana Mendieta<\/a> exhibition, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/artist\/nick-cave\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Nick Cave<\/a>\u2019s immersive \u201cMammoth\u201d exhibition at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/partner\/smithsonian-american-art-museum\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Smithsonian American Art Museum<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/artist\/noah-davis\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Noah Davis<\/a>\u2019s traveling retrospective, which kicks off at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/partner\/philadelphia-art-museum\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Philadelphia Art Museum<\/a> on January 24th.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel S. PalmerChief curator, SCAD Museum of ArtSavannah, Georgia<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" display=\"block\" style=\"transition:opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;opacity:0\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768469121_403_d7hftxdivxxvm.cloudfront.net.jpeg\"  alt=\"\" class=\"Box-sc-15se88d-0 guRykI\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" display=\"block\" style=\"transition:opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;opacity:0\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768469122_311_d7hftxdivxxvm.cloudfront.net.jpeg\"  alt=\"Camille Henrot, \u2018The transformation of Ogo into a fox (s\u00e9rie 'Desktop')\u2019, 2014, Sculpture, Bronze, Hauser &amp; Wirth\" class=\"Box-sc-15se88d-0 guRykI\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Portrait of Daniel S. Palmer. Courtesy of SCAD.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel S. Palmer, chief curator at the SCAD Museum of Art, shared his optimism for 2026. \u201cI believe that the foundation of art in 2026 will be centered around our hopefulness that art has the true power to improve the world, and the importance of not losing sight of what really matters,\u201d he said. \u201cIn the year to come, it will be important that we stay vigilant about advocating for artists and protecting creative expression.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Palmer is particularly eager for a packed biennial year, with the Venice, Whitney, and Toronto biennials all on his radar, citing the strength of their curatorial teams and artist lineups. He additionally singled out the forthcoming program at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/partner\/public-art-fund\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Public Art Fund<\/a>\u2014where he previously worked\u2014as a highlight of the year ahead. The organization\u2019s new commissions will bring contemporary art into public space through solo projects by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/artist\/genesis-belanger\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Genesis Belanger<\/a> in City Hall Park, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/artist\/woody-de-othello\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Woody De Othello<\/a> at Brooklyn Bridge Park, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/artist\/camille-henrot\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Camille Henrot<\/a> at Doris C. Freedman Plaza, all in New York City.<\/p>\n<p>Jess BaxterAssistant Curator, Tate ModernLondon<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" display=\"block\" style=\"transition:opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;opacity:0\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768469122_169_d7hftxdivxxvm.cloudfront.net.jpeg\"  alt=\"\" class=\"Box-sc-15se88d-0 guRykI\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Portrait of Jess Baxter. Courtesy of the Tate Modern.<\/p>\n<p>In 2025, Jess Baxter, an assistant curator at London\u2019s Tate Modern, noted that \u201cartists are increasingly exploring trans-temporalities and past wounds (physical, personal, or societal), to look at how memory fractures and how time loops back in on itself.\u201d \u200b\u200bShe framed this turn as a response to contemporary global instability. \u201cI suspect it is a reaction to the horrors we are constantly seeing across the world, boiled down into our phones,\u201d she added. <\/p>\n<p>That sense of destabilized perception carries directly into Baxter\u2019s outlook for 2026. \u201cLike it or loathe it, AI has birthed a seismic shift in how we look and trust in what we see,\u201d said Baxter. \u201cIn 2026, we will increasingly be asking ourselves if what I\u2019m seeing is real, so I have no doubt artists will continue to use and\/or critique the tools of technological advancement or internet culture as in the work of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/artist\/hito-steyerl\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Hito Steyerl<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/artist\/aziza-kadyri\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Aziza Kadyri<\/a>, or Ebun Sodipo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That said, Baxter hopes that amid \u201cthe AI slop, museums will remain places for slowing down, rest, and recuperation.\u201d She highlighted <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy.net\/artist\/tracey-emin\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tracey Emin<\/a>\u2019s major exhibition at Tate Modern and Bugarin + Castle\u2019s presentation at the Venice Biennale, representing Scotland.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Art Last January, curators widely agreed that 2025 would be shaped by political instability and mounting pressure on&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":239157,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[100790,437,434,435,436,438,146,85,46,22410],"class_list":{"0":"post-239156","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-art-trends","9":"tag-arts","10":"tag-arts-and-design","11":"tag-artsanddesign","12":"tag-artsdesign","13":"tag-design","14":"tag-entertainment","15":"tag-il","16":"tag-israel","17":"tag-maxwell-rabb"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239156","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=239156"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239156\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/239157"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=239156"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=239156"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=239156"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}