Must-See Art Exhibitions in the US and Beyond (until end of 2025)

This is a mid-year look at upcoming art exhibitions in the US and some other shows from around the world that are worth checking out for those that are visiting or living in these cities. From LA and NYC, to London and CDMX these are some of my top picks.

Procession, Takako Yamaguchi, 2024, oil and metal leaf on canvas, Courtesy of the artist

MOCA Focus: Takako Yamaguchi, Museum of Contemporary Art, LA

Until March 1, 2026

Takako Yamaguchi sources imagery from diverse sources such as Japanese Nihonga, Mexican muralism, Art Nouveau and Renaissance art to create paintings that challenge notions of cultural ownership.

Each painting questions the aesthetics and notions of local, national and ethnic identity. In the merging of many sources the works deconstruct ownership of culture. Bodies of water, moody skies and landscapes interlink with geometric patterns and bold, crisp colors. The landscapes present a clash between order and chaos, some aspects seem familiar, while others foreign. 

Selma Selman. Flower of Life. 2024. Construction grabs, acrylic on steel, metal, electric motor, engine oil, tubes, and cables. Installation view of The Gatherers. Photo: Kris Graves

The Gatherers, MoMA PS1, NYC

Until Oct 6

Artists: Karimah Ashadu (British-born Nigerian), Tolia Astakhishvili (Georgian), Miho Dohi (Japanese), Andro Eradze (Georgian), He Xiangyu (Chinese), Samuel Hindolo (American), Geumhyung Jeong (Korean), Klara Liden (Swedish), Jean Katambayi Mukendi (Congolese), Nick Relph (British), Selma Selman (Bosnian), Ser Serpas (American), Emilija Škarnulytė (Lithuanian), Zhou Tao (Chinese)

This group exhibition brings together 14 international artists whose current artistic practices highlight themes of excess and global waste, labor relations, migration, social unrest, systemic collapse, geopolitical crises, and the environmental consequences of conflict.

Throughout the exhibition the artists invite viewers to consider different critical perspectives on how contemporary art reflects and responds to global challenges. Works range from moving image, sculptural installation, assemblage, painting, and performance.In Selma Selman’s Flowers of Life (pictured), the installation reflects her family’s livelihood which involves collecting and reselling scrap metal. The artist is of Romani origin, born in Bosnia. The installation consists of a repurposed multi-pronged grab which is typically found in scrap yards and construction sites. The machine has been transformed into a motor-powered kinetic sculpture. The flower-like sculpture slowly opens up as if blossoming and then closes again.

Beyond the US:

Bush yam dreaming, Emily Kam Kngwarray, 1994

Emily Kam Kngwarray, Tate Modern, London

Until Jan 11, 2026

Emily Kame Kngwarreye was an Australian painter who started creating art as an old woman. Born in approximately 1914, she spent her entire life in Australia’s Northern Territory, her ancestral Alhalker Country homeland. She started making art towards the end of her life. During this period, she created over 3000 works. Her abstract acrylic paintings are filled with dots, vibrant colors and gestural lines. Her body of work is based on her Aboriginal community’s beliefs and the way they connect to their ancestral lands.

Kngwarray started using batik in the 70s – a technique which involves painting wax on fabrics such as cotton or silk, then using dyes on the fabric, finally, the wax is removed which leaves a void in the dye where it was repelled. Later on, she worked with acrylics on canvas. Each mark reflects their Indigenous symbols, rituals and daily life: the identity of her people and the relationship they have within the community and environment. Often the paintings reflect botanical themes. Repetitive abstract dots represent the seeds native to her land.

 Installation view of the exhibition “Gabriel Orozco: Politécnico Nacional.” Museo Jumex, 2025.

Photo: Gerardo Landa & Eduardo López (GLR Estudio)

Gabriel Orozco: Politécnico Nacional, Museo Jumex, Mexico City

Until Aug 3

Gabriel Orozco's art practice examines geometry, organic material and elements of chance. The exhibition consists of painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, installation and assemblage. Since the 90s, Orozco has sourced local found or prefabricated materials to create spontaneous sculptures and works. The artist uses a multitude of techniques to explore the concept of symmetry, rotation and giving materiality to time. The exhibition presents around 300 artworks from different moments across his artistic career. It showcases how multiple strands of his practice have grown and interwoven in a constantly innovative way.

Orozco merges art with everyday realities presenting spatial relationships, along with chance connections and paradox.

What shows are you looking forward to seeing in the second half of 2025? Leave recommendations in the comments below!