With Frieze New York returning to The Shed May 7-11, and dozens of galleries, institutions, and pop-ups activating across the five boroughs, this year’s lineup reflects the global pulse of contemporary art. From breakout solo presentations to under-the-radar installations, we asked curators, collectors, and cultural insiders to share what’s on their radar. Here's what they're most looking forward to—and what should be on your list, too.
Barbara Escobar, Senior Vice President, Resnicow and Associates
Mary Abbott in her studio, c. 1950
“Frieze Week motivates galleries to mount some of their most interesting and adventurous exhibitions of the year, so the R+A team is looking forward to a number of really outstanding shows. In Chelsea, both of Gladstone Gallery’s shows are knockouts. The Gallery opens an exhibition of new works by Rosemarie Trockel on May 7, complemented by a presentation of the artist’s rarely shown historical works at Sprüth Magers. Gladstone also recently opened the first survey of Robert Rauschenberg’s sculpture practice in more than 30 years, spanning his production from the 1950s through the late 1990s, and timed to celebrate the artist’s centennial. In Tribeca, the powerhouse American art gallery Schoelkopf Gallery is shining new light on the dynamic painter Mary Abbott, in the first major exhibition to survey the full sweep of her practice. Abbott’s tremendous contributions to Abstract Expressionism have yet to be fully explored, and the Schoelkopf exhibition goes even further to showcase more than six decades of her output.”
Natasha Roberts, Public Art Fund
Photo: by Suzie Howell, courtesy of PACE Gallery/Public Art Fund
“Our Frieze Week highlight is Torkwase Dyson: Akua opening at Brooklyn Bridge Park on May 6th. Torkwase is also an artist contributor to this year's Met Costume Institute Exhibition.
“Torkwase Dyson’s Akua is a large, open pavilion with an immersive multi-channel soundscape. Visitors may enter and experience recorded sounds moving across eight speakers, including layered conversations from Black archives, nature field recordings, and electronic sounds. For Dyson (b. 1973, Chicago), sound is a physical vibration that can connect our bodies to our surroundings. The title Akua is inspired by the name of a family member; Akua means ‘born on Wednesday’ in West African Akan tradition. Dyson’s multilayered sonic composition explores the idea of ‘breath as geography.’ The artist proposes that the spaces between words — subtle breaths, ums, pauses — can carry memories of specific places. She asks, ‘what can the space between words and silence tell us about land, water, infrastructure, and migration?’
“Surrounded by grand waterways and architectural landmarks, Akua invites audiences into a space of contemplation and imagination, grounded in the landscape beneath and encircling us. Torkwase Dyson: Akua is curated by Public Art Fund Senior Curator Melanie Kress with Assistant Curator Jenée-Daria Strand, on view May 6, 2025 through March 8, 2026.”
Rachel Cole, Founder, Rachel Cole Art Advisory
Photo: Julia Jo, Down on One Knee, 2025, Oil, Oil pastel, and oil stick on linen, 80 x 80 in — Charles Moffett
“New York’s Art Fair Week is just around the corner, and three of my favorite artists have exciting exhibitions on the horizon.
“First, I’m eagerly anticipating Louise Giovanelli’s Still Moving, opening May 9 at GRIMM’s 54 White Street location. Her luminous, cinematic paintings never fail to captivate, and this show includes a special collaboration with Metrograph, where five curated films will be screened— a perfect complement to her work. I first encountered her paintings in March 2020 and was immediately drawn to the way she renders curtains in paint. It’s truly enchanting.
“Salman Toor’s solo exhibition Wish Maker opens May 1 across both Luhring Augustine’s Chelsea and Tribeca galleries, and I’m very much looking forward to it. His intimate, dreamlike paintings— blending contemporary life with elements of fantasy— are always a highlight. This marks his first major presentation since his Whitney Museum show, and anticipation is running high. I last saw his work in person at the Venice Biennale, so I’m especially excited for this opportunity. Additionally, the show also includes a selection of his drawings, and from the preview I’ve seen— they’re tender, personal, and beautifully rendered.
“Finally, Independent opens on May 8, and Charles Moffett (Booth 519) will be presenting a solo booth of new work by Julia Jo. Fans of her practice (myself included) will notice a shift in focus: from compositions with multiple figures to more intimate depictions of couples. It’s a romantic and nuanced evolution of her dynamic, expressive style, and I can’t wait to see where it takes her.”
Ellie Hayworth, Founder, HAYWORTH
Photo: MAHKU, Nai Mãpu Yubekã, 2024, acrylic on canvas, courtesy of Samuel Esteves & CJP
“CONDUCTOR is a pioneering art fair presented by Powerhouse Arts that will debut at full scale in 2026 and centers on pre-eminent contemporary artists from the Global Majority. As a soft launch this year, CONDUCTOR will organize a tightly-curated fair preview taking place at the non-profit’s facility in Gowanus, Brooklyn. The VIP preview takes place on Wednesday, May 7th (4-8pm and remains on public view through Sunday, May 11 (register for timed entry here).
“Presenting individual artists and galleries from across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Oceania, and Indigenous Nations around the globe, CONDUCTOR seeks to deepen ties with these regions of the world, providing a platform for cultural exchange and expanding opportunities for artists and their galleries to grow and develop their markets in New York.
“For the preview edition, CONDUCTOR will offer available works from noteworthy global artists and artist collectives including: MAHKU (Brazil) through Carmo Johnson Projects; Gabriella Torres Ferrer (Puerto Rico) with Embajada; Ray Smith and collective Mono Rojo (Mexico) with AGO Projects; Tracey Moffatt (Aboriginal/Australia) with Tyler Rollins Fine Art; Khaled Jarrar (Palestine), Modupeola Fadugba (Nigeria), and Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya (Indonesian-Thai diaspora) presented by PHA; and Suchitra Mattai (Guyana/ South Asian descent) with Roberts Projects.”
Storm Ascher, Founder, Superposition Gallery
Haleigh Nickerson, MAKE WAY FOR THE MOTHERLOAD, 2025, Mixed media; Paint on Boombox. Bamboo Earrings, Hair clips, Knocker-ball Hair Barrettes, Curlers, Head Scarf Fabric, Industrial Chain
“Superposition is showing a solo exhibition of Haleigh Nickerson boombox sculptures at NADA, and a solo exhibition for Gisela McDaniel paintings at Water St Associates.
“Superposition Gallery is delighted to present LADYLIKE, a solo booth presentation by multidisciplinary artist Haleigh Nickerson for NADA New York 2025! The first artist in Superposition’s program since its founding in 2018, Nickerson reimagines the iconic “Ghetto Blaster” as an exploration of black femininity and personal memory through object, identity and transformation. LADYLIKE details a nostalgic feminine spin on cultural symbols surrounding race, gender and hip-hop culture. Drawing inspiration from black girlhood, style, and the contemporary female voices of hip-hop/rap music, LADYLIKE delves into the construction of black female identity. Nickerson constructs playful assemblages taken together by an accumulation of compiled found objects involving the relationship between beauty, power, and representation. Through the use of objects Nickerson aims to create imaginative spaces of constructed blackness and freedom. Haleigh Nickerson looks to the Mothers of Hip-Hop from the past as a guiding light and model to what Black womanhood often looks like.”
John Melick, Founder, Blue Medium
SIGNIFICANT, D’Lan Contemporary Exhibitions
“This week, New York City offers up a giddy array of art fairs and openings for some political respite and creative insights. Blue Medium just turned 25 in April, so I’ve been around the art fair block a few times. Here’s my advice: go to as many fairs as you can and wear sneakers as you’ll get in your steps. I’ll be visiting Frieze, NADA, Independent and Spring/Break art fairs but there are many more and some terrific gallery exhibitions to see. These are some more specific projects and events I plan to attend or check out this week (both client and beyond).
“If you happen to be at NADA on Thursday, May 8 at 3pm, there’s a panel hosted by The Clemente Center on how theirHistorias initiative in New York rethinks how institutions support Latinx cultural work. After that, there will be an artist talk with Edra Soto and screenings of Domino Table Talks, their series of artists, poets, and cultural figures playing dominoes and discussing Latinx culture in New York. Game on.
“As an Australian, D’Lan Contemporary exhibitions, devoted to First Nations artists from the homeland, are always enlightening for me. On May 7, they’re opening their annual secondary market exhibition, SIGNIFICANT, presenting 20th Century and contemporary work (concurrent exhibitions in Melbourne and Sydney). Each sale benefits the community the work comes from – an excellent model for supporting these voices.
“If you need a zen moment, the design gallery Friedman Benda is showing Voice of Silence, an elegant, strong new body of work by Byung Hoon Choi, merging traditional Korean craftsmanship with contemporary aesthetics. They’re all made from wood and natural stone. They're ultra minimal, delivering maximum serenity.
“Also, my friend and the founder of Esopus magazine, Tod Lippy, is a keen political and social observer and now a portrait painter no less. If you’re visiting Independent art fair next week, check out his early 2025 series, My Fellow Americans. Presented byThe Meeting, there are 50 portraits of people who publicly proclaimed their support for our current President. Curious to know what you think.”
The Cultivist
Round Ten: The Cultivist Anniversary will feature artist Cheryl Pope (pictured)
Below are the not-to-miss moments on The Cultivist’s radar this year.
The Frick Collection
After 5 years of renovation, the newly re-opened Frick unveils refreshed galleries and, for the first time, opens the private quarters of Henry Clay Frick and his wife to visitors.
Round Ten: The Cultivist Anniversary
On May 7, we’re celebrating 10 years of The Cultivist with the return of our boxing-themed party. First staged in 2016, this unforgettable evening will feature renowned artists Cheryl Pope, Miles Greenberg, and more.
Rashid Johnson at the Guggenheim
This major solo exhibition features almost 90 works and highlights Johnson’s role as a mediator of Black popular culture and a creative force in contemporary art.
The Met’s Roof Garden Commission
Set against the Manhattan skyline, Jennie C. Jones transforms minimalist sculptures into sonic “wind” instruments in the final Roof Garden Commission before 2030.
Michael Armitage: Crucible At David Zwirner 19th Street
Inaugurating David Zwirner’s new gallery space in Chelsea, Crucible features eleven new paintings and fourteen carved teak panels that reflect on migration and continue the artist’s examination of Kenyan life.
Jack Whitten at MoMA
An incredible exhibition tracing Whitten’s bold pursuit of abstraction amid social upheaval, exploring themes of race, jazz, love, and technology from the 1960s to 2018.
