October is a great month to visit museums and art galleries, as there are many exciting exhibitions happening around the world. Here are a few of the must-see exhibitions happening in October 2023:
Hilma af Klint: A Pioneer of Abstraction
When: September 23, 2023 – February 5, 2024 Exhibition
Where: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10028
This exhibition is the first major retrospective of Hilma af Klint, a Swedish artist who is considered to be one of the pioneers of abstract art. Af Klint began painting abstract works in the early 1900s, many years before artists like Wassily Kandinsky and Piet Mondrian. She was inspired by her spiritual beliefs and her interest in the occult, and her paintings often feature geometric shapes, symbols, and biomorphic forms.
Philip Guston and the Politics of Painted Images
When: March 2, 2023 – October 30, 2023 Exhibition
Where: Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG
This exhibition is the largest and most comprehensive retrospective of the artist’s work ever held in the UK. It features over 200 of Guston’s works, including paintings, drawings, and sculptures.
The exhibition is divided into several sections, each of which focuses on a different aspect of Guston’s work. One section focuses on his early figurative paintings, which were inspired by his Jewish heritage and his experiences of the Holocaust. Another section focuses on his abstract paintings of the 1950s and 1960s. The final section of the exhibition focuses on his figurative paintings of the 1970s, which are the most well-known and controversial works of his career.
Tariku Shiferaw’s ‘Marking Oneself in Dark Places
When: September 7 – October 21, 2023 Exhibition
Where: Galerie Lelong & Co., 13 Rue de Téhéran, 75008 Paris, France
This exhibition features new paintings and an immersive installation by Ethiopian artist Tariku Shiferaw. Shiferaw’s work explores the hierarchical structures of Western arts and culture through intricate geometric abstractions and layered materials.
Lap-See Lam’s ‘Tales of the Altersea (Prologue)
When: September 15 – October 28, 2023 Exhibition
Where: Galerie Nordenhake, Linienstraße 113, 10115 Berlin, Germany
This exhibition features new work by Hong Kong-based artist Lap-See Lam. Lam’s work explores the fading legacy of Chinese restaurants in Western locales through 3D-scanning, symbolizing the passing of knowledge across generations.
Spain and the Hispanic World: Treasures from the Hispanic Society Museum & Library
When: January 21, 2023 – April 10, 2024 Exhibition
Where: Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD
This exhibition showcases over 200 works of art from the Hispanic Society Museum & Library, one of the world’s leading collections of Spanish and Latin American art. The exhibition features paintings, sculptures, drawings, decorative arts, and more, from the 15th century to the present day.
