New York is every art lover's favorite place. And that's totally understandable. The cultural life here is super rich and diverse. The city boasts some of the best museums and galleries in the world. It is home to legendary art institutions like The Met, Guggenheim, and MoMA. Art exhibitions here constantly change, with each new one being even better than the past ones. To help you not get lost in such a variety, we've picked 5 art shows to look forward to this year.
Hip-Hop: Conscious, Unconscious
Hip-Hop kicked off in August of 1973 as a social movement among African-American youth of the Bronx. Today, half a century later, it is considered one of the biggest cultural phenomena of the 20th century. The exhibition “Hip-Hop: Conscious, Unconscious” explores the people, places, and things that hip-hop has delivered to us. The show, co-curated by Sally Berman and Sacha Jenkins, traces the origins of the genre and its evolution through 200 documentary photographs dating from the 70s to the present. On display, you’ll see iconic staples of visual culture as well as rare portraits of hip-hop’s major figures, from legends like Nas, Tupac, and Mary J. Blige to modern icons such as Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B. The exhibition is already on view at the Fotografiska Museum.
Generation Paper: A Fashion Phenom of The 1960s
Paper dresses were introduced in 1966 as a promotional campaign for the Scott Paper Company. Hip and trendy, they quickly became a viral sensation. The paper dresses were designed in a simple style, had an A-line mini skirt and featured art-inspired prints. Though it was loved by many fashionistas of the time, the paper fashion phenomenon was short-lived. “Generation Paper” will examine the little-known chapter in the history of design through more than 60 rare garments and accessories crafted from non-woven textiles. The exhibition will be held at the Museum of Arts and Design, and is set to open in March.
Anxiety and Hope in Japanese Art
The exhibit, opening this April at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, will explore Japanese art through the lens of human anxiety. Organized chronologically and thematically in six sections, the show will focus on human stories in and around art and art making. The exhibition will present ancient religious sculptures, ritual objects, modern woodblock prints, photographs, and dozens of other incredible works drawn largely from the Met’s renowned collection of Japanese art.
Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty
In May, the Met Costume Institute will open its first retrospective exhibition honoring the legendary designer Karl Lagerfeld, who passed away in 2019. The show, marking the 90th birthday of the icon, will highlight couturier's creative process and stylistic vocabulary. “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” will feature over a hundred objects and drawings created by the designer. The renowned couturier’s work will also be the theme of the upcoming 2023 Met Gala.
@karllagerfeld, @metgalaoffical
Picasso in Fontainebleau
For much of the summer of 1921, Pablo Picasso was in Fontainebleau, France. There, in a garage of a rented villa, he created two radically different paintings: Three Women at the Spring and Three Musicians. The MoMA’s upcoming exhibition will present original monumental canvases and their two other versions. The show will also feature numerous paintings, drawings, pastels, and etchings from the artist's three-month stay in the historic French town. Picasso in Fontainebleau will be on display from October.
