The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City is one of the world’s most renowned art institutions.
It houses a vast collection of modern and contemporary art from around the globe, including paintings, sculptures, photographs, films, and more.
In addition to its extensive permanent collection, MoMA hosts a rotating series of exhibitions offering fresh perspectives on established and emerging artists.
This section highlights a few of the most popular current exhibitions featured in the MoMA, New York; do check the official MoMA website for detailed information.
A Centennial Celebration
Artist: Ellsworth Kelly
Open till: Jun 11, 2023
The exhibition features three significant works by Ellsworth Kelly, including Spectrum IV (1967), Chatham VI (1971), and Sculpture for a Large Wall, 1957.
Sculpture for a Large Wall is a rare opportunity to see the work, which features 104 aluminum panels that can be positioned upright or tilted at an angle.
This work demonstrates Kelly’s interest in creating art that intersects with architecture.
MoMA is also celebrating Kelly’s centennial in Gallery 416 by showcasing his sketchbooks, which reveal his artistic process on paper.
Projects
Artist: Ming Smith
Open till: May 29, 2023
“Projects: Ming Smith” is an exhibition that reintroduces the photographer Ming Smith, who has been living and working in New York since the 1970s.
Smith’s work has inspired a generation of artists exploring the politics and poetics of the photographic image in relation to experiences of Blackness.
Using long exposures, Smith’s images dissolve the boundaries between her subjects and their surroundings.
This technique results in dreamlike, abstract images honed through repetition and intuition.
Walled Unwalled and Other Monologues
Artist: Lawrence Abu Hamdan
Open till: Jun 11, 2023
The audio-visual essay ‘Walled Unwalled’ by Lawrence Abu Hamdan is at the center of an exhibition that examines the intersection of sound, architecture, and politics.
Abu Hamdan practices “forensic listening,” documenting and analyzing sound using video, installation, and live performance.
Walled Unwalled, shot through the windows of a Cold War-era recording studio in former East Berlin, explores the “ear-witness” as a form of legal testimony and how listening can both exonerate and incriminate.
In addition to the exhibition, three live performances by Abu Hamdan, including After SFX (2018), Natq (2019), and Air Pressure (2021), are included in the program.
Architecture Now: New York, New Publics
Open till: June 29, 2023
New York, New Publics features work by:
- Adjaye Associates
- Agency–Agency and Chris Woebken
- CO Adaptive
- James Corner Field Operations
- Kinfolk Foundation
- nArchitects
- New Affiliates
- Samuel Stewart-Halevy
- Olalekan Jeyifous
- Only If
- Peterson Rich Office
- SO – IL
- SWA/Balsley
- Weiss/Manfredi
Their diverse projects imagine new and resilient ways in which communities can thrive.
To See Takes Time
Artist: Georgia O’Keeffe
Open till: August 12, 2023
O’Keeffe is best known for her flower paintings, but her extraordinary series of works on paper and paintings are displayed in this exhibition.
She revisited and reworked the same subjects throughout her long career, often transforming motifs that lie between observation and abstraction.
She produced many works on paper between 1915 and 1918 during a breakthrough period of experimentation.
These included organic landscapes, nudes, and abstract charcoal works she called “specials.”
The Encounter
Artists: Barbara Chase- Riboud and Alberto Giacometti
Open till: October 9, 2023
The exhibition features the works of both sculptors, Giacometti and Chase-Riboud, spanning seven decades of the latter’s career.
It showcases five plaster sculptures from Giacometti’s Femmes de Venise series, which is being displayed in the US for the first time.
The collection is complemented by Chase-Riboud’s bronze sculptures, such as The Couple, and other works that demonstrate her view that “sculpture must not sit still.”
The exhibition is a collaboration of two artists from different periods, united by their innovative approach to sculpture.
Upcoming Exhibitions
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City is a world-renowned institution dedicated to the exhibition and preservation of contemporary and modern art.
This section of the article provides an overview of some of the upcoming exhibitions that will be held at MoMA, showcasing a diverse range of works and artists.
Whether you are a seasoned art enthusiast or a casual museum-goer, there is something for everyone at MoMA.
Note: The detailed itinerary for many upcoming exhibitions will be released on the official MoMA, NY website.
New Photography 2023
Open: May 28 to September 16, 2023
New Photography 2023 is the latest exhibition in MoMA’s series and focuses on a specific art scene in Lagos, Nigeria.
The international artists in the exhibition are connected to the vibrant art community in Nigeria’s commercial capital.
The exhibition showcases various artists who use different approaches to photography to create new perceptions and encounters.
Some artists focus on everyday life and use formal experimentation and poetic rumination to reinterpret it.
Some artists also use photography to chronicle personal experiences at the center of collective political action.
Studio Residency
Artist: Pamela Z
Open: July 8 to August 13, 2023
Composer-performer Pamela Z has been chosen as this year’s artist for MoMA’s Studio Residency program.
Pamela Z is known for her innovative live sonic and visual performance techniques.
She manipulates her voice in real-time using digital processing and physical movement, projected video, and sampled sound to create dense sonic layers.
Pamela Z sees the sound, images, and physical movement in her performances as an integrated whole.
Studio Sound
Artist: Suzanne Ciani and Sarah Davachi
Open: September 7 to 17, 2023
The Studio Sound series highlights artists and musicians pushing the boundaries of sound and music.
The program features live and recorded performances that explore auditory art forms and suggest a new perspective on art history with sound at the forefront.
The first iteration of the series will feature two ambient musicians, Suzanne Ciani and Sarah Davachi.
Both come from different generations but are passionate about using innovative music technologies.
ED RUSCHA / NOW THEN
Open: Sep 10, 2023 to Jan 13, 2024
The upcoming exhibition “ED RUSCHA / NOW THEN” will showcase more than 250 objects in various mediums, including painting, drawing, prints, photography, etc.
The exhibition will examine Ed Ruscha’s six-decade career, from his well-known contributions to postwar American art to the lesser-known aspects of his work.
The exhibition will feature works using diverse materials, including gunpowder and chocolate, to view Ruscha’s career comprehensively.
Picasso in Fontainebleau
Open: Oct 1, 2023 to Feb 10, 2024
The exhibition features four large canvases and other works such as drawings, etchings, and pastels made by Pablo Picasso during his stay in Fontainebleau.
Two versions of Three Women at the Spring and Three Musicians will be showcased.
Additionally, rare photographs of the artist’s studio and family will provide additional context to his life and work.
The exhibition aims to provide insights into Picasso’s artistic process and experimental spirit during his time in Fontainebleau.
New Ground
Artists: Jacob Samuel and Contemporary Etching
Open: Oct 29, 2023 to Mar 16, 2024
“New Ground: Jacob Samuel and Contemporary Etching” is an exhibition that showcases over 60 collaborations.
These collaborations are between the master printer, publisher Jacob Samuel, and contemporary artists.
The exhibition displays books and print portfolios that demonstrate the flexibility of etching and its reinvention for contemporary art.
Flat Bells
Artist: Alexandre Estrela
Open: Nov 4, 2023 to Jan 7, 2024
Portuguese artist Alexandre Estrela’s first New York exhibition, Flat Bells, features video animations and an immersive soundscape.
These explore the interplay between materials and perception.
The moving-image projects update Conceptual art’s exploration of the relationship between idea and object for the digital age.
Between Two Rivers/Giữa hai giòng sông/Entre deux rivières
Artist: An-My Lê
Open: Nov 5, 2023–Mar 9, 2024
The exhibition “An-My Lê: Between Two Rivers/Giữa hai giòng sông/Entre deux rivières” features the works of An-My Lê, including photographs, film, video, textiles, and sculpture.
The exhibition showcases never-before-seen embroideries, rarely-shown photographs, and an immersive installation that explores the relationship between mass media, gender, labor, and violence.
The exhibition demonstrates the artist’s long-standing consideration of the cinematic dimensions of photography and war.
Artist: Joan Jonas
Open: Spring 2024
The upcoming exhibition will showcase the work of Joan Jonas, an artist who explores the relationship between bodies, space, time, and nature.
This retrospective will provide new insights into her process and include archival materials, historical perspectives, film screenings, performances, and installations.
The exhibition will cover her career from the 1960s to the present day.
Monuments of Solidarity
Artist: LaToya Ruby Frazier
Open: May 12–Sep 27, 2024
Artist LaToya Ruby Frazier reimagines her works as “monuments for workers’ thoughts” for her exhibition, “Monuments for Solidarity.”
The installations address the harmful effects of industrialization and deindustrialization, healthcare inequities, the water crisis in Flint, Michigan etc.
Through these nontraditional monuments, Frazier celebrates expressions of creativity, mutual support, and intergenerational collaboration.
Featured Image: Moma.org