Europe’s Upcoming Special Exhibits: Spring and Summer 2023

By Cindy Brzostowski, to Museum Spotlight Europe (February 2023)

There’s no doubt that the permanent exhibitions in many museums across Europe offer plenty of fascinating collections to see and enjoy on their own, but while you’re planning your travels, don’t forget to look at what special exhibits are on the calendar. You don’t want to arrive back home just to learn that you narrowly missed a display you would’ve loved. So, to avoid this bummer moment, we’ve put together some of the most exciting temporary exhibitions coming this spring and summer. From exhibitions that put major artists in conversation, to the kick-off of important art festivals, these are the highlights we have our eyes on. 

Starting in Spring

Kicking things off in Paris, the Musée National Picasso-Paris is putting on “Picasso Celebration, the Collection Takes on Colors!” from March 7 to August 27. This exhibition coincides with the 50th anniversary of the artist’s death. The artistic direction is led by Sir Paul Smith, the famed British fashion designer, and his curation invites the public to rediscover and appreciate Picasso’s masterpieces through a contemporary lens. 

At Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the exhibit “Manet/Degas” runs from March 28 to July 23. While other exhibitions may look at the similarities between French artists Édouard Manet and Edgar Degas, this show examines them through their contrasts, highlighting how their differences helped define them. Through these works, the public can also gain a new perspective on their bond as friends and rivals.

Elsewhere in Paris, you can catch “Basquiat x Warhol: Painting 4 Hands” at Fondation Louis Vuitton from April 5 to August 28. Near the end of both of the artist’s lives, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol created around 160 paintings together, and this exhibit is dedicated to their energetic collaboration. Visitors will be able to see over 300 works and documents, including individual works plus 80 canvases signed by both artists. 

If you find yourself in Milan, you can make your way over to the Palazzo Reale Milano to see “The Legacy of Helmut Newton” from March 24 to June 26. Famous for his provocative, black-and-white fashion images, the German-Australian photographer is considered one of the most published photographers of all time, and through around 300 photos, the exhibition looks at his influential career.

Looking over to London, stop by the Tate Britain from April 6 to September 24 to see “The Rosettis.” The exhibition consists of drawings, paintings, spoken poetry, and more. This immersive show features works from the Rosetti generation: Dante Gabriel Rosetti, Christina Georgina Rossetti, and Elizabeth Siddal. Not only is this exhibit the largest exhibition of Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s pictures in 20 years, but it’s also the most comprehensive exhibition of Elizabeth Siddal’s work for three decades.

Then, from April 7 through July 30, 2023 at The Design Museum in London, there’s “Ai Weiwei: Making Sense.” This is the first exhibition focused on design for the famous Chinese contemporary artist. The works look at what design reveals about our changing values, and they include some of Weiwei’s most significant pieces alongside never-seen-before objects and new commissions.

After a year-long closure due to renovation, the Ateneum in Helsinki will reopen on April 14. Shortly after, from May 5 to September 17, the art museum will host an exhibition on Albert Edelfelt, one of the country’s most popular artists. Visitors will be able to see around 110 works that celebrate his career and his influence on the international art scene.

At the James-Simon-Galerie in Berlin, “Archaeological Treasures of Uzbekistan: From Alexander the Great to the Kushan Empire” will be showing from May 4 to November 5. Come here to see art and cultural artifacts from Uzbekistan dating back to the time of Alexander the Great to the Kushan Empire. Some of these pieces have never before been shown outside of Uzbekistan.

May 20 marks the opening of the Biennale Architettura 2023, which runs until November 26 in Venice. This year, the international architecture exhibition is titled “The Laboratory of the Future” and is curated by Lesley Lokko, the Ghanaian-Scottish architect, academic, and author. Centered on Africa’s role in the world’s future, exhibitions take place at the Giardini, the Arsenale, and other sites around the city. 

Then, from May 27 to November 5 at the National Gallery of Denmark in Copenhagen, you can see “Baroque.” Through 60 paintings, 20 paperworks, and two sculptures, the story of the Baroque period in Europe unfolds. Visitors can expect to see values of the time reflected in the pieces, such as religious ideology being challenged in favor of philosophy and science.

Starting in Summer

Looking to Berlin, “Secessions: Klimt, Stuck, Liebermann” at the Alte Nationalgalerie runs from June 23 to October 22. Composed of over 200 works, the special exhibition looks at departures from traditional art institutions and subject matters in Munich, Vienna, and Berlin during the turn-of-the-century. While over 80 artists are shown, much of the exhibit focuses on Gustav Klimt, Franz von Stuck, and Max Liebermann. This is one fans of Klimt should definitely put on their calendars as it is the first comprehensive presentation of the artist’s work to be shown in Berlin.

In Madrid, the Museu Nacional del Prado is hosting its own commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Pablo Picasso’s death with the show “Picasso and El Greco.” Running from June 13 to September 17, the exhibition displays a selection of the artist’s work alongside pieces by El Greco, highlighting the latter’s influence on the painter’s career—particularly during Picassos’ Blue Period and Cubism period. 

Moving to another city in Spain: Travel to the Guggenheim Bilbao in Bilbao to see “Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now ” from June 27 to October 8. This extensive retrospective on the famous Japanese contemporary artist features nearly 200 works, ranging from paintings to sculptures and spanning from her first drawings to her most recent installations. The show explores the main themes in Kusama’s art: infinity, accumulation, radical connectivity, biocosmic, death, and force of life.

For more Kusama, Factory International in Manchester, England is showing “Yayoi Kusama: You, Me and the Balloons” from June 29 to August 28. Here, visitors can see many of the artist’s large-scale, psychedelic inflatable works in one place, including landscapes of curving tendrils and dotted spheres. It stands to be Kusama’s largest-ever immersive environment, and the exhibit was conceived specifically for this venue. 

Elsewhere in England, the Liverpool Biennial 2023 kicks off on June 10 and runs to September 17 in Liverpool. This is the 12th edition of the contemporary visual art festival (the largest of its kind in the United Kingdom), and the curator is Khanyisile Mbongwa, a South African artist and independent curator. The theme is “uMoya: The Sacred Return of Lost Things” with exhibitions that explore how people and objects can manifest power as they move across the world amid losses of the past. 

Closing out the summer debuts in England is the Marina Abramović show at the Royal Academy of Arts in London from September 23 to December 10, 2023. In her first major exhibition in the U.K., the acclaimed performance artist showcases different works from her 50-year career. Visitors can expect live re-performances of some of her most iconic pieces, which are famous for their intense physical interactions. 

Special Mentions

“KEMET: Egypt in Hip-Hop, Jazz, Soul & Funk” is on display at the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden, Netherlands from April 7 to August 27. Featuring audio clips and recordings, photographs, antiquities, and more, the exhibit takes a look at the influence of ancient Egypt on hip-hop, jazz, soul, and funk music from decades ago to today. 

In Dublin, Ireland, two special exhibits may catch your interest: First is “Lavinia Fontana: Trailblazer, Rule Breaker” at the National Gallery of Ireland, which runs from May 6 to August 27. This exhibition explores the life of the 16th-century Bolognese artist through her paintings and drawings. Then, the museum will show “Shelter” from July 8 to November 12, which displays artwork in a variety of formats from members of the Shell/Ter Artist Collective alongside other pieces by international artists.

Heading north to Edinburgh, there’s “Grayson Perry” at the Scottish National Gallery (Royal Scottish Academy) from July 22 to November 12. Covering 40 years of work, it is the biggest exhibition of the Erasmus Prize–winning English contemporary artist. 

Over in Vienna, there’s the “Yoshitomo Nara” exhibit at the Albertina Modern. Scheduled to run from May 10 to November 1, it presents paintings and objects by the Japanese artist known for his distinct depictions of wide-eyed children.

Cover photo Yayoi Kusama © YAYOI KUSAMA. Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts, Victoria Miro, and David Zwirner.