tld-art 008: my must-see summer art shows

I handpicked 30 shows across NYC, London, and Paris (plus a few bonuses) to see this summer—from under-the-radar gems to major museum draws.

This week, I’m taking a break from our regularly scheduled programming (but, as always, you can see my week’s saves here) to round up the best summer shows on view now through the end of the season. I know there’s no shortage of “must-see” exhibition guides out there—consider this one more to add to the pile. These picks come from weeks of art reading and new spelunking across ArtForum’s Artguide, exhibits in new york, See Saw, Ocula’s City Art Guides, and the internet at large—with a conscious effort to avoid repeats from past issues. While many galleries are already starting shuttering for summer, some of the year’s most compelling shows are still in full swing.

A Guide to the Guide:

Each city is capped at 10 shows (kinda), sorted by closing date—from soonest to latest—so you can plan your summer accordingly. Every listing links directly to the exhibition page, and where there’s thoughtful coverage, videos, or interviews, I’ve included those as well.

Enjoy!

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NYC

Let’s start with NYC—where narrowing things down was almost impossible.

In past issues, I’ve covered Rashid Johnson @ the Guggenheim, Amy Sherald @ the Whitney, Robert Mangold @ Pace, and Ben Shahn @ The Jewish Museum—all must-sees. But in the interest of keeping things fresh, these are my current picks, from major museums to lesser-known downtown galleries. Although two of my favorite shows of the year closed last week (Michael Armitage @ David Zwirner & Casey Bolding @ Polina Berlin Gallery), there’s no shortage of heavy hitters to carry us through the summer:

This is a must-read for context on Rouault’s layered life and this show—his first retrospective in New York since 1953.

See a tour of the exhibition and read Artfuse’s take on how John Currin, Peter Doig, Marlene Dumas, Chris Ofili, Laura Owens, Elizabeth Peyton, Luc Tuymans, and Lisa Yuskavage “redefined what painting could be” here.

I’ve been following Ralaivao for years, and his attention to materiality really shines in this highly curated show. Check out this video from the artists’ studio.

Best show of the year. Full stop. Great review by The Brooklyn Rail.

Mario is a friend, and I must say, this is an off-the-beaten-path show not to miss. The tension between motion and place, vibrancy and neutrality—not to mention his impeccable handmade furniture—are a breath of fresh air in the NYC gallery scene.

As a huge Jack Whitten fan, I can confirm that this show delivers beyond expectation. The way he reinvented painting throughout his career is a reminder to us all that change is a vital life source.

I tried to keep it to 10—but here are 10 more runners-up I couldn’t leave out:

• Francis Picabia @ Hauser & Wirth

• René Magritte @ Luxembourg + Co

• Toshiko Takaezu @ James Cohan

• Andina Marie Osorio @ Hesse Flatow

• Polina Barskaya @ Harkawik,

• Louise Giovanelli @ GRIMM,

• Earth to Sky Group Show @ SHRINE

• Natalia Zourabova @ Kaliner

• Gottlieb/Rothko @ 125 Newbury

• Stine Deja and Mary-Audrey Ramirez @ Management

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Paris

It’s highly unlikely I’ll make it to Paris again this year, but I’d beam myself there for any of these shows if I could.

This is at the top of my wishlist for shows to see in 2025. The 87-year-old artist played a huge role in curating this retrospective, and the balance between expansiveness and specificity seems to be really striking a chord with fans.

The 2022 Tillmans show at MoMA stole my heart, and it looks like this one—the last before the Pompidou closes for a 5-year renovation—is even more spectacular.

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London

To all my London artsies, enjoy! Such an eclectic showing this summer.

I previously included coverage for this show. Jarman is an enigma whose talent and created universe are relatable and out of reach at the same time.

I’ve covered some press revolving around this show, and this new-to-me artist has really captured my interest.

As a companion to the Van Gogh x Anselm Kiefer show at the Royal Academy of Arts, this show looks like a tidy roundup of the messy artist’s work.

This review says it all.

Read about how Thompson’s show, My Body Temperature is Feeling Good, is a witty, sensual, and subversive celebration of the aging female body here.

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One Last Show Shout-Out

I’m not at all equipped to cover the whole world of sweltering summer art shows, but wanted to shout out one that holds a special place in my heart—I’m from Sacramento, where Wayne Thiebaud made his home, and I spent a decade living in San Francisco. But even for the impartial viewer, the care and curation behind this show are unmistakably exceptional:

This Hyperallergic piece digs into a few of Thiebaud’s references seen in the show.

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Phew! Rounding up the best summer shows (minus Asia and Africa, which I’m still diving into) was a daunting yet quite rewarding exercise.

I can’t help but feel—despite the chaos and injustice in the world right now—that we are all so incredibly lucky to have ready access to such incredible art. This really was a nice reminder of why I started this newsletter, and I’m excited to continue elevating artists—their processes, philosophies, and perspectives—each week.

‘til next time,

tld-art