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Monday, August 17, 2026 · No. 228

Contemporary

All Contemporary news curated by The Cultural Signal — real-time press release coverage across the global art world.

50 stories across Contemporary, Paris, New York, and London. Latest: Lisson Gallery Places Sean Scully's '48' at LongHouse Reserve Through 2028.

Kunsthaus Zürich Draws 513,162 Visitors in 2024, Extends Abramović Exhibition Hours

Kunsthaus Zürich Draws 513,162 Visitors in 2024, Extends Abramović Exhibition Hours

On February 5, 2025, Kunsthaus Zürich announced it recorded 513,162 visitors in 2024, one of the highest annual attendance figures in its history and up from 504,349 in 2023. The most popular exhibition of the year was 'Matthew Wong – Vincent van Gogh.

ExhibitionZurichContemporaryAttendance
M+ Museum in Hong Kong to Open Major Exhibition on Chinese Contemporary Art in 2027

M+ Museum in Hong Kong to Open Major Exhibition on Chinese Contemporary Art in 2027

On August 14, 2026, M+ museum in Hong Kong announced a major exhibition titled 'The World of Chinese Contemporary Art: 1978–2027', scheduled to open in early 2027.

ExhibitionContemporaryHong KongChinese Art
Kunsthaus Zürich to Present 'Evergreens' Exhibition Featuring Monet, Picasso, Warhol

Kunsthaus Zürich to Present 'Evergreens' Exhibition Featuring Monet, Picasso, Warhol

The Kunsthaus Zürich will open 'Evergreens. Selected Works from the Collection' on September 11, 2026, running through January 10, 2027.

ExhibitionContemporaryModernZurich

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Kunsthaus Zürich Appoints Hendrik Folkerts and Maja Wismer to Top Curatorial Roles

Kunsthaus Zürich Appoints Hendrik Folkerts and Maja Wismer to Top Curatorial Roles

On August 29, 2025, Kunsthaus Zürich announced the appointment of Hendrik Folkerts as Chief Curator of Programme and Maja Wismer as Head of Collection and Research.

AppointmentContemporaryZurich#priority-featured
Mori Art Museum to Open Katayama Mari Solo Exhibition October 31, 2026

Mori Art Museum to Open Katayama Mari Solo Exhibition October 31, 2026

The Mori Contemporary Art Foundation and Mori Art Museum will present an exhibition of work by Katayama Mari, winner of the inaugural Mori Art Award Grand Prize, from October 31, 2026, to March 28, 2027, at the museum in Tokyo.

AwardContemporaryExhibitionTokyo
Kunsthaus Zürich Reports 539,953 Visitors in 2025, Led by Marina Abramović Retrospective

Kunsthaus Zürich Reports 539,953 Visitors in 2025, Led by Marina Abramović Retrospective

Kunsthaus Zürich attracted 539,953 visitors in 2025, ranking among the museum's most-visited years. The Marina Abramović retrospective drew 118,903 total attendees (59,490 in 2025), while the permanent collection logged 363,588 visits.

ExhibitionContemporaryZurichAttendance
Pace Gallery Releases Anicka Yi Artists on Artists Film on Paul Thek Show

Pace Gallery Releases Anicka Yi Artists on Artists Film on Paul Thek Show

On June 4, 2026, Pace Gallery published an Artists on Artists film in which Anicka Yi explores “Paul Thek: Dream of Vanishing,” on view at Pace in New York through August 14.

ExhibitionContemporaryNew YorkArtist Film
Artsy Asks Artists About Summer Reading, Ali Banisadr Shares Picks

Artsy Asks Artists About Summer Reading, Ali Banisadr Shares Picks

On August 14, 2026, Artsy published a feature surveying artists about their summer reading, with Ali Banisadr among those sharing current selections.

OtherContemporaryExhibitionParis
Mori Art Museum Plans Major Mariko Mori Retrospective Spanning Three Decades

Mori Art Museum Plans Major Mariko Mori Retrospective Spanning Three Decades

Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, will present 'Mariko Mori: All That Shines', Japan's first major retrospective of the artist since 2002, running from October 31, 2026 to March 28, 2027. Organized in collaboration with the Solomon R.

ExhibitionContemporaryTokyoNew Media
MoMA Announces Major Expansion to House Contemporary Collection

MoMA Announces Major Expansion to House Contemporary Collection

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) announced a major expansion project, adding approximately 30,000 square feet of gallery space dedicated to its contemporary art collection.

ExpansionContemporaryNew York#priority-featured
Whitney Museum and Little Island Add Midnight Show by Julio Torres and Martine Gutierrez to Biennial 2026

Whitney Museum and Little Island Add Midnight Show by Julio Torres and Martine Gutierrez to Biennial 2026

On August 14, 2026, the Whitney Museum of American Art and Little Island announced a new midnight performance by comedian Julio Torres and artist Martine Gutierrez as part of the Whitney Biennial 2026.

ExhibitionContemporaryPerformanceNew York
Lisson Gallery and Absent Gallery Announce Two-Way Space Exchange in Guangzhou and Shanghai

Lisson Gallery and Absent Gallery Announce Two-Way Space Exchange in Guangzhou and Shanghai

On June 24, 2026, Lisson Gallery announced a two-way space exchange with Guangzhou's Absent Gallery.

PartnershipGallery ExchangeContemporaryGuangzhou
Tate Appoints Daisy Desrosiers as Britton Family Curator at Large, North America

Tate Appoints Daisy Desrosiers as Britton Family Curator at Large, North America

On August 15, 2026, Tate announced that Daisy Desrosiers has been appointed Britton Family Curator at Large, North America, succeeding Christine Y. Kim. Based in the USA, Desrosiers will focus on developing North American art in Tate's collection through research and acquisitions.

AppointmentContemporaryLondonNorth America
Otobong Nkanga Awarded Sikkens Prize 2026, Lisson Gallery Announces

Otobong Nkanga Awarded Sikkens Prize 2026, Lisson Gallery Announces

Otobong Nkanga (born 1974, Kano, Nigeria) will receive the Sikkens Prize 2026 on October 26, 2026, the Lisson Gallery announced. The prize honors an artist or collective pioneering in the field of color.

AwardContemporaryExhibitionNetherlands
Leiko Ikemura, Yayoi Kusama Among Artists for 'TOKYO ATLAS' Exhibition in Tokyo Waterfront

Leiko Ikemura, Yayoi Kusama Among Artists for 'TOKYO ATLAS' Exhibition in Tokyo Waterfront

Leiko Ikemura has been announced as a participating artist for 'TOKYO ATLAS,' the first international art exhibition to be held in Tokyo's waterfront area.

ExhibitionContemporaryTokyoPublic Art
Mary Heilmann, Influential Painter and Sculptor, Dies at 86

Mary Heilmann, Influential Painter and Sculptor, Dies at 86

Hauser & Wirth and 303 Gallery have confirmed the death of artist Mary Heilmann, who passed away on August 14, 2026, on Long Island, New York, at the age of 86. She is survived by her nieces and nephew.

TributeContemporaryPost-WarNew York
Centre Pompidou Announces 'Cezanne et nous' at Grand Palais With 180 Works

Centre Pompidou Announces 'Cezanne et nous' at Grand Palais With 180 Works

On August 14, 2026, Centre Pompidou announced "Cezanne et nous," an exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris pairing works by Paul Cezanne (1839–1906) with paintings by Paul Gauguin, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Piet Mondrian, Joan Mitchell, Bridget Riley and Peter Doig.

ExhibitionModernContemporaryPost-War
Glenn Brown Exhibitions Span Suffolk to Bath Museums in 2026

Glenn Brown Exhibitions Span Suffolk to Bath Museums in 2026

Glenn Brown's works are the subject of a solo exhibition at Gainsborough's House, Suffolk, presenting paintings and drawings from the past ten years that explore the artist's engagement with the tree motif and layered portraits.

ExhibitionContemporaryLondonBath
Kunsthaus Zürich to Present First Joint Exhibition of Maria Lassnig and Edvard Munch

Kunsthaus Zürich to Present First Joint Exhibition of Maria Lassnig and Edvard Munch

The Kunsthaus Zürich will open 'Maria Lassnig and Edvard Munch. Flow of Paint = Flow of Life' on October 2, 2026, running through February 21, 2027.

ExhibitionContemporaryModernZurich
Georg Baselitz, Influential German Painter, Dies at 88; Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery Announces Exhibition

Georg Baselitz, Influential German Painter, Dies at 88; Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery Announces Exhibition

Georg Baselitz (1938–2026), the German painter and sculptor whose upside-down motifs and provocative political themes reshaped European art after World War II, has died. The gallery Thaddaeus Ropac, which represented him, announced the news alongside a new exhibition at Gl.

TributeContemporaryPost-WarExhibition
Elvira Dyangani Ose Appointed Artistic Director of Zeitz MOCAA

Elvira Dyangani Ose Appointed Artistic Director of Zeitz MOCAA

On August 12, 2026, Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) announced the appointment of Elvira Dyangani Ose as Artistic Director, effective October 1, 2026.

AppointmentContemporaryAfricaCape Town
White Cube Mason's Yard to Open Emma Reyes Exhibition with Curatorial Walkthrough on September 3

White Cube Mason's Yard to Open Emma Reyes Exhibition with Curatorial Walkthrough on September 3

On August 12, 2026, White Cube announced a curatorial walkthrough led by Stéphanie Cottin to mark the opening of an exhibition of works by Franco-Colombian artist Emma Reyes (1919–2003) at its Mason’s Yard gallery in London.

ExhibitionContemporaryLondon#event-2026-09-03
Bourse de Commerce to Prepare 'Remember Me' Exhibition with Reduced Admission from August 26

Bourse de Commerce to Prepare 'Remember Me' Exhibition with Reduced Admission from August 26

Bourse de Commerce — Pinault Collection in Paris will prepare its upcoming exhibition 'Remember Me' from August 26 to October 5, 2026, with reduced admission for all visitors during that period.

ExhibitionParisContemporary#city-paris
Phillips and KidSuper Launch Limited-Edition Studio Cases with Original Artworks

Phillips and KidSuper Launch Limited-Edition Studio Cases with Original Artworks

On August 11, 2026, Phillips announced a collaboration with the artist collective KidSuper to release an edition of 50 KidSuper Studio Cases, each containing a unique original artwork.

Auction ResultContemporaryNew York#city-new-york
White Cube Documentary on Sara Flores to Premiere at TIFF 2026

White Cube Documentary on Sara Flores to Premiere at TIFF 2026

White Cube announced on August 11, 2026, that 'The Hummingbird Paints Fragrant Songs', a documentary on Shipibo-Conibo artist Sara Flores, will have its world premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) as part of the TIFF Docs programme.

ExhibitionContemporaryDocumentaryToronto
White Cube Returns to Frieze Seoul With Hatoum, El Anatsui, Baselitz; Marina Rheingantz Solo Show Opens Concurrently

White Cube Returns to Frieze Seoul With Hatoum, El Anatsui, Baselitz; Marina Rheingantz Solo Show Opens Concurrently

White Cube is returning to the fifth edition of Frieze Seoul, taking place from September 2 to September 5, 2026, with works by a roster of international artists including Mona Hatoum, El Anatsui, Georg Baselitz, Sara Flores, Theaster Gates, Marguerite Humeau, Park Seo-Bo, Tesfaye Urgessa, Marina.

FairContemporaryExhibitionSeoul
Louvre Hosts Kader Attia and Elizabeth Peyton in Guest Artist Exhibition

Louvre Hosts Kader Attia and Elizabeth Peyton in Guest Artist Exhibition

The Louvre will present a guest artist exhibition featuring Kader Attia and Elizabeth Peyton, running from September 24 to December 14, 2026, in the Salle de la Chapelle.

ExhibitionContemporaryParisInstallation
Bourse de Commerce — Pinault Collection Exhibits 50 Raymond Depardon Photographs of French Landscape

Bourse de Commerce — Pinault Collection Exhibits 50 Raymond Depardon Photographs of French Landscape

The Bourse de Commerce — Pinault Collection in Paris is presenting approximately 50 photographs by Raymond Depardon from its own holdings, drawn from the photographer's long-running series "La France." The works are on view in Galerie 3 as part of the group exhibition "Remember Me." The show open.

ExhibitionPhotographyContemporaryParis
Serpentine Galleries to Present First UK Institutional Exhibition of Justin Caguiat

Serpentine Galleries to Present First UK Institutional Exhibition of Justin Caguiat

Serpentine Galleries will open 'Change Ringing', the first UK institutional exhibition of new and recent works by Justin Caguiat, at Serpentine South from 8 October 2026 to 10 January 2027.

ExhibitionContemporaryLondonNew Media
Bourse de Commerce — Pinault Collection Opens 'Le Monde selon Penn' with 450 Irving Penn Photographs

Bourse de Commerce — Pinault Collection Opens 'Le Monde selon Penn' with 450 Irving Penn Photographs

Bourse de Commerce — Pinault Collection in Paris will open 'Le monde selon Penn' on September 16, 2026, presenting nearly 450 photographs by Irving Penn drawn from the Pinault Collection.

ExhibitionPhotographyParisContemporary
Bourse de Commerce Begins Phased Rollout of 'Remember Me' Exhibition on August 26

Bourse de Commerce Begins Phased Rollout of 'Remember Me' Exhibition on August 26

The Bourse de Commerce — Pinault Collection will begin a phased installation of the exhibition "Remember Me" on August 26, 2026, with the full opening scheduled for October 7.

ExhibitionContemporaryParisNew Media
Bourse de Commerce to Present 'The World According to Penn' Exhibition of Irving Penn Photographs

Bourse de Commerce to Present 'The World According to Penn' Exhibition of Irving Penn Photographs

The Bourse de Commerce — Pinault Collection will open 'The World According to Penn,' an exhibition of nearly 450 photographs by Irving Penn (1917–2009) from the Pinault Collection, in Gallery 2 on September 16, 2026.

ExhibitionPhotographyContemporaryParis
Guggenheim New York Announces Free Block Party, Teen Fest, and Architecture Programs for Fall 2026

Guggenheim New York Announces Free Block Party, Teen Fest, and Architecture Programs for Fall 2026

The Guggenheim New York announced a season of free and low-cost public programs running from August through December 2026, including a block party, teen events, and architecture tours.

ExhibitionContemporaryNew YorkVenice
Bonhams London to Offer Largest Collection of Jean Cocteau Ceramics at Auction on June 23, 2026

Bonhams London to Offer Largest Collection of Jean Cocteau Ceramics at Auction on June 23, 2026

Bonhams will present a day of sales dedicated to Prints & Multiples at New Bond Street on June 23, 2026, featuring the largest single-owner collection of Jean Cocteau ceramics ever offered at auction.

Auction ResultPrints & MultiplesContemporaryModern
LACMA Presents Largest Survey of Textile Designer Reiko Sudō and NUNO Collective

LACMA Presents Largest Survey of Textile Designer Reiko Sudō and NUNO Collective

On August 10, 2026, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) announced "Textile Alchemy: The Art of Reiko Sudō & NUNO," the largest in-depth survey to date of the acclaimed Japanese designer and her textile collective.

ExhibitionTextilesContemporaryJapanese
Bonhams Prints & Multiples Sales Total $2.28M, Cocteau Collection Doubles Estimate, Hockney White Glove

Bonhams Prints & Multiples Sales Total $2.28M, Cocteau Collection Doubles Estimate, Hockney White Glove

Bonhams held a day of Prints & Multiples sales at New Bond Street on June 23, 2026, achieving a total of $2,278,475 (£1,731,180).

Auction ResultContemporaryModernPrints
Hauser & Wirth to Present Two George Condo Exhibitions in Paris and Palo Alto in 2027

Hauser & Wirth to Present Two George Condo Exhibitions in Paris and Palo Alto in 2027

Hauser & Wirth has announced it will present two major exhibitions with American artist George Condo in 2027 at its Paris and Palo Alto locations.

ExhibitionContemporaryParisPalo Alto
Art Basel Traces Art-Club Culture Crossover Ahead of Zurich Street Parade

Art Basel Traces Art-Club Culture Crossover Ahead of Zurich Street Parade

Ahead of Zurich's Street Parade, Art Basel published a feature tracing a century of crossover between art and club culture, examining the current DJ-booth boom in the art world.

OtherArt FairContemporaryExhibition