Europe’s Upcoming Special Exhibits: Summer 2022

Planning a summer vacation to or across Europe? If visiting local museums is one of your priorities, you’ll be excited to hear that a number of notable special exhibits are opening this summer. From a famed, quinquennial exhibition to a major, brand new museum, the following openings are some of the highlights of the season. Just remember to check all the current COVID protocols from each country and institution ahead of time, so no surprises stand in the way of your cultural explorations. 

Summer 2022 marks an important event in the art world: the 15th edition of documenta fifteen, a major contemporary art exhibition that occurs every five years in Kassel, Germany. Ruangrupa, an Indonesian art collective, is directing the influential exhibition. While organizing the event, ruangrupa has adopted “lumbung” (the Indonesian word for a communal rice-barn) as their foundation and guiding practice because the word incorporates harmony and community. The event runs from June 18 to September 15 and takes place in different venues around Kassel.

In Berlin, Germany the exhibit Songlines. Tracking the Seven Sisters opens at the Humboldt Forum from June 18 to October 31. Curated by Margo Neale, the senior Indigenous Curator of the National Museum of Australia, this award-winning exhibit draws from contemporary art and performance to tell the creation story of the Seven Sisters. Through this, visitors can gain a deeper understanding of the importance of songlines in Indigenous Australian culture and history. 

If you’re in London this summer, check out Africa Fashion at the Victoria and Albert Museum. In the making for over two years, this landmark special exhibition features over 250 works. These works will be available to the public starting July 2. The exhibition celebrates the continent’s rich creativity and innovation, and highlights the role of fashion in African culture. 

A neighbouring exhibit in London is creating plenty of buzz at the Design Museum. Although the Netflix exhibit doesn’t have all details finalized, the exhibition will focus on the multibillion-dollar media company’s design, philosophy and evolution. The growing popularity of Netflix, especially since the pandemic, gives social relevance to the exhibition. Follow the development of the exhibition plans because it will be something to watch (pun intended).

Reporting from Oslo, Norway the National Museum is due to open on June 11. It will stand as the largest art museum in the Nordic countries. Visitors can see around 5,000 works on two floors, across 87 rooms. These fine art pieces tell the story of Norway’s art, design, and craft traditions. While visiting, check out East of the Sun and West of the Moon. This print and drawing exhibit includes rare drawings of Norwegian folktales from nearly 150 years ago.

Over in Monaco, the Grimaldi Forum Monaco is dedicating their major summer exhibition to Christian Louboutin. Christian Louboutin, L’Exhibition[niste] will span 2,000 square meters, taking visitors through 30 years of the footwear designer’s creativity. Scheduled from July 9 to August 28, the exhibit includes items from Louboutin’s personal collection, previously unseen works, and exclusive new collaborations.

In Riehen, Switzerland, Fondation Beyeler is hosting the Mondrian exhibit from June 5 to October 9. Here, the focus is on Mondrian’s artistic development up to the 1920s, but it also includes later works from the Dutch artist.

At the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, the Alex Katz exhibit is open from June 14 to September 11. Katz is famous for large works that are considered precursors to Pop Art with their boldness and color. This retrospective features around 30 of his large-format oil paintings alongside various studies.

For those who have more time to travel around Spain, consider checking out Serra/Seurat. Drawings at the Guggenheim Bilbao. This special exhibit features drawing techniques from French artist, Georges Seurat, seen in his painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. Also featuring American artist, Richard Serra, the exhibit is scheduled from June 9 to September 6.

If you’re headed to Vienna, make your way to the ALBERTINA Museum to see the exhibit Francesco Clemente. Running from July 28 to October 23, this solo presentation is centered around the Italian-American contemporary artist’s self-portraits. The show draws from the Jablonka Collection, which includes more than 400 works and was acquired by the museum in 2019.

Ongoing Exhibits

While the aforementioned exhibitions are noteworthy openings this summer, don’t miss out on exhibits that debut in the spring but continue into the summer. For instance, the highly anticipated 59th Venice Biennale commences after a year-long delay. Visit two major exhibitions on Italian Renaissance artists: Donatello: The Renaissance at the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi and Raphael at the National Gallery in London.

In Paris, you have until mid-July to see the Gaudí exhibition at the Musée d’Orsay. If you happen to miss that one, you can also check out Machu Picchu and the Treasures of Peru at the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine in Paris.

For a more in-depth overview of exhibition highlights, read our spring preview article.

Special Mentions

In Paris, Jochen Lempert: Luminescences at Centre Pompidou runs from May 11 to August 29. At this exhibit, you can peruse a series of images from the German biologist turned photographer. 

From May 21 to September 18, visit S.M.A.K. (the Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst) in Ghent, Belgium to see Lydia Ourahmane Barzakh. This exhibit features an art installation made by the Algerian artist, inspired by her home living space.

At Moderna Museet in Stockholm, view the Korakrit Arunanondchai exhibit, which showcases the Bangkok-born artist’s multimedia pieces, including new video work. This special exhibit is open from September 17 to spring of 2023.

Cover photo by Callum Walker via V&A Press Office

Written March 2022