By Cindy Brzostowski, to Museum Spotlight Europe (August 2023)
Each season brings new special exhibit openings across Europe, which begs the question: “Which ones are a must-see?” Hopping from country to country to check every recently opened exhibition off the list may sound like a dream for the avid museum goer, but for many of us, it’s not in the realm of possibility. To narrow the focus, we’ve curated a list of what we believe to be the most exciting temporary exhibits kicking off in Europe this fall. Many of these are slated to stretch into the new year, some even into spring, offering ample time to plan your visit.
England
In London, the Tate Britain has two exhibitions on the autumn schedule worth your attention. The first, Sarah Lucas: Happy Gas, runs from September 26 to January 14, 2024. In this exhibit, the English artist explores what it means to be human through sculpture, installation and photography. The second, Women in Revolt!, runs from November 8 to April 7, 2024. Focused on activism and women’s liberation, this highly anticipated exhibition presents the work of over 100 women artists working in the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1990.
Over at The National Gallery in London, The Credit Suisse Exhibition: Frans Hals runs from September 30 to January 21, 2024. It’s the first major retrospective of the Dutch painter in more than 30 years, and it gives visitors the chance to see some of his famous portraits.
Austria
This autumn, Vienna’s major museums are putting on a selection of enticing shows. Starting at the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Raphael: Gold & Silk runs from September 26 to January 14, 2024. Using the Italian artist’s designs as a starting point, the exhibit traces the evolution of tapestry art through a selection of monumental masterpieces.
Sticking to the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien: From October 8 to January 12, 2024, you can see Rembrandt – Hoogstraten. Centered on the effect of color and illusionist techniques, it puts the Dutch artists in conversation through around 50 of their paintings and drawings. This exhibit also marks the first time the museum has focused an exhibition on Rembrandt.
At the Albertina museum, Joel Sternfeld: American Prospects is on from September 28 to January 21, 2024. Stop by to see works from the American photographer that examine how humans relate to the American landscape.
Opening on October 25 and running until February 18, 2024, Gottfried Helnwein at the Albertina is a large-scale exhibition coinciding with the 75th birthday of the provocative, locally born visual artist. The works on display touch on pain, injury, violence, and the vulnerable child.
Also at the Albertina, “Katharina Grosse” goes from November 1 to February 25, 2024. It presents a unique opportunity to experience Grosse’s vibrant, expansive images as the German visual artist will create walk-in artwork onsite.
Spain
Anyone in Spain this fall has some excellent special exhibits to choose from. From September 29 to January 15, 2024, you can catch Picasso. Matter and Body at Guggenheim Bilbao. Through a selection of sculptures, this exhibition examines how the famous artist constructed and deconstructed human body forms.
For more Picasso, visit Fundació Joan Miró in Barcelona from October 20 to February 25, 2024 to see Miró-Picasso. Timed alongside the 50th anniversary of Picasso’s death and the 40th anniversary of Miró’s death, this show celebrates the two artists in light of their friendship as well as their relationship to the city of Barcelona.
We’re not done with Picasso yet! There’s Picasso 1906: The Turning Point running from November 15 to March 4, 2024 at the Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid. The year 1906 can be considered a pivotal point in Picasso’s creative evolution, and this exhibit examines how his unique work from this time represents his initial encounter with modern art.
Staying in Madrid, you can head to Thyssen-Bornemisza Museo Nacional to see “Women Masters, Old and Modern” from October 31 to February 4, 2024. With almost 100 works on display and curated through a feminist lens, this exhibition explores women’s path towards emancipation from the 16th century to 20th century. The women artists showcased include: Artemisia Gentileschi, Angelica Kauffmann, Clara Peeters, Rosa Bonheur, Mary Cassatt, Berthe Morisot, María Blanchard, Natalia Goncharova, Sonia Delaunay, and Maruja Mallo.
France
Looking to France, there’s Van Gogh at Auvers-sur-Oise: The Final Months at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. Scheduled for October 3 to February 4, 2024, this show is the first focused on Van Gogh’s works from the last two months of his life with around 40 paintings and 20 drawings on display.
Staying in Paris, Chagall Drawings, Ceramics & Sculpture runs at the Centre Pompidou from October 4 to February 26, 2024. This exhibition comprises 127 drawings, five ceramics, and seven sculptures that represent the Russian-French artist’s diverse projects and practices.
The Centre Pompidou is set to showcase drawings from another master from October 18 to January 15, 2024. At Picasso: Drawing to Infinity, visitors can view nearly 1,000 of Picasso’s drawings (some presented for the first time), comprising the largest retrospective of drawn and engraved works ever organized.
Opening on the same day in Paris is Mark Rothko at Fondation Louis Vuitton. Open until April 2, 2024, it’s the first retrospective in France for the American abstract painter since 1999. Rothko’s career is traced through around 115 works on display chronologically.
Italy
In Florence, you can see Anish Kapoor: Untrue Unreal at Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi from October 7 to February 4, 2024. This major exhibition features monumental installations from the British-Indian sculptor that explore space and time, body and mind, nature and artifice, and other dualities.
Then, in Milan from October 31 to March 2, 2024, Palazzo Reale is showing Goya: The Rebellion of Reason. Through seven different themed sections, this exhibition delves into the revolutionary nature of the Spanish artist’s paintings.
Germany
In Berlin, The Big Screen: Film Posters of All Time runs at the Kulturforum from November 3 to March 3, 2024. On display at this exhibition are 300 original film posters dating from the early 1900s to the 2020s, chronicling the evolution of the advertising artwork. Don’t miss seeing the large poster for Metropolis—it’s believed to be the only copy held by a museum.
Norway
Moving over to Oslo, the National Museum is hosting Norwegian Association for Arts and Crafts. The Annual Exhibition 2023 from October 20 to December 31. Taking up two halls, this juried exhibition of material-based art is one of the most important presentations of its kind in the country.
Denmark
Open from November 9 to March 3, 2024 at the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen is Melchior Lorck – An Artist in Transit. It’s the first major presentation of the Danish-German artist and features all 128 woodcuts from his famous Turkish Publication alongside additional prints and drawings.
Special Mentions
In Switzerland, Jasper Johns – The artist as collector: From Cézanne to de Kooning is hosted by Kunstmuseum Basel from September 30 to February 4, 2024. Rather than focusing on the American artist’s own iconic paintings, this exhibit looks at around 100 drawings from Johns’ collection, including works by Paul Cézanne, Pablo Picasso, and Willem de Kooning.
At the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin, Lavery. On Location runs from October 7 to January 14, 2024. This show presents visitors the opportunity to see works from the Irish painter that depict a rich variety of destinations, including Glasgow, Palm Springs, and Cannes.
Looking to Prague, there’s Petr Brandl: The Story of a Bohemian at National Gallery Prague’s Waldstein Riding School. Scheduled for October 20 to February 11, 2024, the exhibit showcases monumental altarpieces, portraits, and genre paintings from the influential Baroque artist.
Another opening on October 20 is Turning Heads: Bruegel, Rubens and Rembrandt at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp. Closing on January 1, 2024, it assembles over 70 masterpieces that follow the transformation of painting the human face. It’s the first major exhibition after the museum’s grand reopening.
Cover photo: Sarah Lucas COOL CHICK BABY 2020 Collection of Alexander V. Petalas © Sarah Lucas. Courtesy Sadie Coles HQ. Photo: Robert Glowacki.
