Art World Agenda
April–June 2025

For the first time, Museum Brandhorst illuminates the creative exchange between John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, and Cy Twombly in a landmark exhibition exploring how their intertwined practices shaped post-war art. From the experimental ethos of Black Mountain College to the studios of New York, their collaborations dissolved the boundaries between painting, sculpture, music, and dance. Cunningham’s avant-garde choreographies, Cage’s radical compositions, and Rauschenberg’s Combine paintings intersected with Twombly’s gestural abstraction and Johns’ conceptual approach, opening new realms of possibility between them.

The exhibition highlights rarely seen works, including early collaborations, stage designs, and archival materials that reveal the deep connections between these artists. Twombly’s formative years take center stage, revealing the influences that defined his distinctive visual language. Through the more than 150 works on show, hidden narratives emerge—of queerness, political critique, and the Cold War’s enduring impact on artistic expression.

Art Dubai returns for its 18th edition, cementing its status as the Middle East’s most influential art fair and a global nexus for contemporary and modern art. Showcasing 120 galleries from 40 countries—among them Perrotin (global), GVCC (Casablanca/Paris), Leila Heller Gallery (Dubai/New York), and Project 88 (Mumbai)—it maps an alluring trajectory through emerging art scenes, cutting-edge digital practices, and the modern masters shaping regional aesthetics.

Art Dubai Modern, curated by Magalí Arriola and Nada Shabout, offers a rare encounter with 20th-century pioneers from West Asia, North Africa, and the Global South, shining a spotlight on artists whose work reflects migration, shifting political landscapes, and the pursuit of modern identity. Meanwhile, Art Dubai Digital pushes the boundaries of new media, capturing the accelerating evolution of creative expression in the digital age. Beyond the galleries, the Global Art Forum convenes artists, thinkers, and technologists to dissect the fluid role of art in today’s world, both reflecting its complexities and shaping the conversations that define its future.

As spring hits its stride, Frieze New York 2025 will return to the cutting-edge Hudson Yards arts center, The Shed, where over 65 stalwart galleries—think Kukje Gallery, kurimanzutto, Victoria Miro—will join pioneering voices in a compelling array of painting, sculpture, and new media. The fair’s Focus section, curated by Lumi Tan, highlights emerging galleries and underrepresented artists, setting the stage for fresh conversations in contemporary art. Expect standout moments such as a major presentation on artist-curator Jenni Crain at Gordon Robichaux and Citra Sasmita’s captivating textile interpretations of Indonesian mythology at Yeo Workshop.

Beyond the fair, don’t miss headline exhibitions like Rashid Johnson’s A Poem for Deep Thinkers at the Guggenheim (April 18–January 18, 2026), Hilma af Klint’s What Stands Behind the Flowers at MoMA (May 11–September 27, 2025), and Christine Sun Kim’s All Day All Night at the Whitney (February 8–July 6, 2025). Be sure to stop by newly renovated Frick by Annabelle Selldorf, which promises to add another brilliant dimension to the city’s art scene.