As the days grow shorter and the crisp chill of winter settles over the five boroughs, the New York City art scene remains a vibrant, evolving sanctuary for those seeking intellectual stimulation and visual wonder. From the historic thoroughfares of the Lower East Side to the contemporary, warehouse-flanked galleries of Williamsburg, the city’s institutions are currently hosting a diverse array of exhibitions that challenge our perceptions of history, identity, and the very nature of art itself. Whether you are navigating the iconic, spiraling rotunda of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum or seeking the quiet, contemplative spaces of Brooklyn’s contemporary art hubs, there is a profound depth to the current offerings that reflects the complexity of our modern moment.
The New Museum: Chronicling the Black Experience and the Evolution of the Bowery
At the New Museum, recent programming has pivoted toward a poignant exploration of history and place, effectively bridging the gap between personal narratives and the collective urban experience. Currently, the museum is presenting "Arthur Jafa: I Am Tony," a significant retrospective that spans four decades of the American artist and cinematographer’s career. The centerpiece of this exhibition is Jafa’s visceral eight-minute video montage, Love is the Message, the Message is Death. By weaving together a complex tapestry of music videos, newscasts, and sporting footage, the work offers an unflinching chronicle of the Black experience across the 20th century, capturing a profound spectrum of grief, resilience, joy, and systemic pain. It is a powerful testament to Jafa’s ability to synthesize disparate cultural threads into a singular, resonant statement.
Complementing this retrospective on the second floor is "Bowery: Devil’s Mile," an exhibition that traces the multifaceted history of one of lower Manhattan’s most mythic streets. The Bowery has lived many lives: it has served as a pre-colonial Lenape footpath, a raucous fin de siècle district defined by saloons and dance halls, and a sanctuary for the Beatnik, punk, and post-rock movements of the mid-to-late 20th century. While the area has transformed significantly, shedding its former reputation as New York City’s “Skid Row” in favor of a more polished contemporary identity, the exhibit honors these ghosts of the past. Through an evocative collection of 19th-century sideshow flyers and the seminal, socially conscious photography of Jacob Riis, the exhibition provides a sobering and necessary look at the working-class struggles that once defined this iconic stretch of pavement. "Arthur Jafa: I Am Tony" is scheduled to run through January 3, 2027, while "Bowery: Devil’s Mile" will remain on view until January 31, 2027.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum: Unraveling the Layers of Truth
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is currently hosting Taryn Simon’s "Father Country I Do Love You," an ambitious and sprawling installation that defies conventional exhibition boundaries. The project finds its origins in a personal anecdote—a story shared by the artist’s father regarding an intelligence officer he encountered years ago—which Simon then expands upon through her own research and interactions with an anonymous ex-FBI agent.
The exhibition is a labyrinthine investigation of truth and narrative, utilizing a massive collection of over one thousand images, alongside text, video, and sculpture to chart the interconnected stories of various characters, historical events, and locales. Designed to inhabit the museum’s iconic, spiraling rotunda, the exhibition creates a physical journey that mirrors the complex, non-linear nature of the stories Simon is attempting to tell. It stands as the largest body of work ever to debut at the Guggenheim, a testament to the artist’s commitment to exploring the absurdity and intricacy of real life. "Father Country I Do Love You" is on view through March 14, 2027.
Amant: A Sobering Reflection on a Sentient Earth
Nestled among the industrial warehouses of East Williamsburg, the arts organization Amant has become a vital cultural anchor for the neighborhood. While the site has gained recent notoriety for its popular restaurant, Zoli, the primary draw remains its commitment to challenging contemporary art installations. Currently, the campus is hosting "Sentient Earth," an immersive, site-wide exhibition that poses a provocative question: What would the planet say to us if it were capable of feeling and communication?
Twenty-eight artists have contributed to this dialogue, interpreting environmental themes through a lens of both urgency and dark humor. The exhibit features objects that mimic the appearance of industrial mining tools, refuse, and oversized blister pill packs, transforming them into artifacts of human consumption and environmental degradation. The result is a sobering, deeply grounded reflection on the human impact on our climate, presented with an aesthetic that is as visually arresting as it is conceptually heavy. "Sentient Earth" is free and open to the public through February 14, 2027.
The Museum of Modern Art: Surrealism and the Forensic Traces of Violence
At the Museum of Modern Art, the focus shifts to the intersection of literature and visual art in "The Surrealist Book: Tomorrow Lives in Mirrors." This exhibition explores the book as a primary medium for Surrealist experimentation, showcasing rare works from influential figures like André Breton and Max Ernst. Of particular note is the inclusion of photomontages by the queer artist Claude Cahun. A figure often overlooked throughout the 20th century, Cahun’s work—which masterfully interrogated gender through portraiture and poetry—is finally receiving the critical attention it deserves.
Simultaneously, the museum’s second floor hosts "Teresa Margolles: Aproximación al lugar de los hechos (Approaching the Scene)," a stark and haunting examination of systemic violence and femicide in the United States, with a specific focus on Minnesota, California, and Texas. Margolles, who brings her professional background as a forensic pathologist to her art, uses fragments of shattered glass and soil to create a tactile sense of loss. The exhibition is split across two locations, with a companion installment titled "Teresa Margolles: En el lugar de los hechos (At the Scene)" currently on view at MoMA PS1 in Long Island City. The Surrealist exhibition runs through January 23, 2027, while the Margolles retrospective is scheduled to remain through the summer of 2027.
Exploring Identity and Culture: From Dolls to Manga
The Museum at Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) is currently examining the cultural role of the doll in "Doll Dressing," an exhibition spanning three centuries. Rather than merely viewing dolls as toys, the exhibit positions them as vital muses that have dictated fashion, fantasy, and our inclination toward play. Through a diverse collection that ranges from Barbie and Bratz to the lesser-known Takara and historic boudoir dolls, the exhibition explores how designers like Loewe, Marc Jacobs, and Margiela have utilized scale and illusion to influence the way we dress. The exhibit remains on view through January 3, 2027.
Across the river, the Brooklyn Museum is hosting the first major exhibition in the Americas dedicated to the "Art of Manga." This showcase highlights the global phenomenon of Japanese graphic novels and their immense influence on contemporary visual storytelling. Featuring over 600 original drawings, the exhibit includes works from legendary artists such as Junji Ito, Hirohiko Araki, and Eiichiro Oda. For those interested in a deeper dive into traditional cultural artifacts, the museum’s fourth floor also hosts "Hopi Kachina Dolls: Blessings for a Balanced World," featuring 53 hand-carved and painted figures that serve as significant cultural touchstones for Hopi girls and women. These exhibitions run through January 31, 2027, and June 27, 2027, respectively.
The New York Historical Society: Dancing Through History
Rounding out the city’s offerings is "You Should Be Dancing: New York, 1976 and Beyond" at the New York Historical Society. As the final installment of a six-part series celebrating America’s 250th anniversary, this exhibition captures the kinetic energy of a bankrupt but culturally explosive New York City. By juxtaposing the distinct, yet overlapping scenes of disco, punk, and hip-hop, the exhibition serves as a time capsule of an era defined by its nightlife. With artifacts such as an original awning from CBGB, handwritten lyrics from Patti Smith and Richard Hell, and early screenplays for Saturday Night Fever, the show offers a nostalgic yet scholarly look at the city’s recent past. The exhibition is scheduled to remain on view through April 2, 2027.
