Museum & Exhibition Guide — March 22, 2026

Now Open: Must-See Exhibitions

New Humans: Memories of the Future — New Museum, New York

• Dates: Open now (ongoing through 2026)
• What to Expect: After a two-year closure and an $82 million expansion that doubled the gallery space, the New Museum reopens with this landmark show featuring over 700 objects examining how humans and technology shape each other. Curator Massimiliano Gioni describes the exhibition as establishing "a symmetry between today and the 1920s," positioning it as a manifesto for what a museum must be in the present moment. It is being called by critics a disguised declaration of purpose for contemporary art institutions.
• Artist(s): Features Precious Okoyomon and an international roster of artists

Ramses II Blockbuster Exhibition — London (Venue on world tour)

• Dates: Open now (ongoing)
• What to Expect: Organised in collaboration with the Egyptian government, this blockbuster exhibition arrives in London as part of an ongoing world tour dedicated to ancient Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II. Visitors can expect an immersive encounter with one of antiquity's most powerful rulers through artefacts, sculptures, and historical documents rarely seen outside Egypt.
• Artist(s): Ancient Egyptian artefacts and artefacts from Egyptian national collections

Spring 2026 Art Exhibits — Kansas City Museums & Galleries

• Dates: Open now through spring 2026
• What to Expect: Six notable exhibitions spanning the Kansas City metro area this season, including showcases of Indigenous artists from the Midwest and presentations by emerging student artists. The lineup demonstrates Kansas City's growing profile as a hub for culturally engaged contemporary and traditional art.
• Artist(s): Indigenous Midwest artists and emerging talent

9 Art Shows to Catch Before They Close This Spring — Various Museums, New York and Beyond

• Dates: Closing imminently — see individual listings
• What to Expect: The New York Times has spotlighted nine must-see exhibitions currently on view for a limited time. Highlights include a rare Caravaggio on display, streetscapes covered in orchids, and Gabriele Münter's vivid figurative paintings. These shows represent a sweep of European Old Masters and modern expressionism available for a short window.
• Artist(s): Caravaggio, Gabriele Münter, and others

Opening Soon

Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration — London (Opening May 2026)

The world's largest gallery dedicated to illustration is set to open in London in May and has just revealed its debut exhibition lineup. The inaugural programme will focus on queer comics, theatre-inspired sketches, and a presentation dedicated to a rising star in the illustration world. The centre promises to be a landmark destination for illustration as a serious art form, housed in a purpose-built venue designed to celebrate the medium at scale.

LACMA's David Geffen Galleries, Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, and More — Los Angeles (2026)

Los Angeles is poised for one of the most consequential years in its cultural history. LACMA's $720 million David Geffen Galleries and the long-anticipated Lucas Museum of Narrative Art are both slated to open this year, alongside Meow Wolf's reimagined, 1990s-themed immersive movie theatre experience. The openings represent a seismic shift in LA's cultural landscape and will collectively transform the city into one of the world's foremost art destinations.

Global Spotlight

New Museum Reopens: New Humans: Memories of the Future, New York

The New Museum's return to the public eye after two years of closure and a transformative $82 million expansion is the art world story of the week. The building now has twice its previous gallery space — a feat that positions it among the most significant contemporary art institutions in the United States.

At the heart of the reopening is New Humans: Memories of the Future, an exhibition described by its curator, Massimiliano Gioni, as a "disguised manifesto" for what a museum must be today. Drawing a deliberate parallel between our current technological moment and the upheavals of the 1920s, the show brings together more than 700 objects — spanning painting, sculpture, video, performance documentation, and installation — to interrogate the deeply intertwined relationship between human identity and technology.

The Guardian described the exhibition as operating "on the threshold of a new age," noting that the show's ambition is not merely to exhibit art but to model a new institutional approach: one that is intellectually porous, temporally expansive, and unafraid of contradiction. Artnet's critic went further, calling it "a show that's a disguised manifesto for what a museum has to be now." With its twin concerns of memory and futurity, New Humans arrives at a moment when questions about artificial intelligence, digital selfhood, and posthuman possibility feel urgently present — making the New Museum's reopening not just a cultural event, but a provocation.

Art World News

Los Angeles Prepares for a Historic Year of Museum Openings. The Los Angeles Times this week outlined what it describes as a landmark year for art in LA. LACMA's $720 million David Geffen Galleries, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, and Meow Wolf's immersive venue are all expected to open in 2026, fundamentally reshaping the city's cultural geography. The scale and ambition of these simultaneous openings is unprecedented in LA's history.

London to Get World's Largest Illustration Gallery. Timeout London revealed this week that the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration, opening in May 2026, will be the largest gallery in the world dedicated to illustration. Its first exhibitions will feature queer comics, theatre-inspired drawings, and a spotlight on a rising illustrator — signalling an ambitious and inclusive inaugural programme. The opening cements London's position at the forefront of expanding the definition of what constitutes fine art.

New Museum Doubles in Size After $82 Million Expansion. The New Museum's physical transformation, completed ahead of this week's reopening, doubles the institution's gallery footprint. The project represents one of the most significant infrastructure investments in New York's contemporary art scene in recent memory, and places the museum in direct conversation with major international institutions in terms of capacity and ambition.

Reader Action Items

• Book now — New Humans: Memories of the Future, New Museum, New York. This reopening show is expected to draw significant crowds; advance tickets recommended. The New Museum's newly doubled space means more to see, but demand will be high.

• Last chance — nine closing spring shows, various New York-area venues. The New York Times has flagged nine shows closing imminently, including a rare Caravaggio and Gabriele Münter works. Check the full list and plan your visit before they disappear.

• Mark your calendar — Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration, London, opening May 2026. The world's largest illustration gallery opens next month with a strong debut programme. Keep an eye on ticket releases, which are expected soon.

• Plan ahead for LA 2026. With LACMA's David Geffen Galleries and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art both expected to open this year, Los Angeles visitors should begin watching for announcement dates and ticket sales for what promise to be some of the most talked-about openings of the decade.