New York art exhibitions to see in May

From the classical to the cartoonish, New York boasts an eclectic assortment of exhibitions this May. Amy Sherald dives into storytelling through her portraiture crafting narratives of ‘everyday’ Americans, while The Anonymous Project reimagines 20th-century visual history through edits of archival photography. Also discover the first focused presentation of the late female artists Marcia Marcus, Alice Neel, and Sylvia Sleigh, who each worked in New York City in the decades of the 1960s,1970s, and 1980s. New York continuously proves to be a powerhouse of creativity, and we don’t want you to miss a thing. Plan your next visit with our handy, monthly updated guide to the best exhibitions to see around the city.

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The best New York art exhibitions: what to see this month

Sawubona

Yancey Richardson until 23 May 2025

South African artist and activist Zanele Muholi presents ‘Sawubona’, an exhibition which showcases a collection of their work created between 2002 to 2013. At the core of this exhibition is the empowerment of the Black LGBTQIA+ community in South Africa, highlighting the importance of representation. For more than 20 years this theme has been at the heart of Muholi’s work through a series of portraiture both intimate and disarming.

yanceyrichardson.com

The Human Situation: Marcia Marcus, Alice Neel, Sylvia Sleigh

Levy Gorvy Dayan until 21 June

Three female artists are at the heart of the latest exhibition at Levy Gorvy Dayan. ‘The Human Situation’ looks at the work of the late Marcia Marcus, Alice Neel, and Sylvia Sleigh who all worked between the poignant decades of the 1960s, 70s and 80s. Collectively they all looked towards representing loved ones, friends and acquaintances, each with their own distinct form and style. Through an abundance of colour each artist captures the human spirit through layered portraiture.

www.levygorvydayan.com

Breathings

Perrotin until 31 May

Artist Iván Argote presents ‘Breathings’ at Perrotin. A retrospective of Argote’s work spanning 20 years. The exhibition is focused around three of his previous exhibitions ‘Descanso’, the central outdoor installation of the Venice Biennale’s Giardini (2024); ‘Dinosaur’, the High Line Plinth commission (2024–2026); and Air de Jeu, his installation for the Centre Pompidou in Paris (2022–2023). Looking back at his work he continues to question the prominence of monuments and the story they convey within society.

perrotin.com

Being There

Edwynn Houk Gallery until 13 June

British-French artist and filmmaker Lee Shulman joined forces with Senegalese artist Omar Victor Diop to reimagine 20th century visual history. Through a series of archival photographs which are somewhat recognisable and nostalgic, Diop is placed within the context. Through this the duo create realistic scenes which encourage visitors to reimagine the past and deliberate what is remembered and what has been altered.

houkgallery.com

Amy Sherald: American Sublime

Whitney Museum of American Art until 10 August 2025

Georgia-born artist Amy Sherald crafts an intricate narrative of American life through a series of portraiture of ‘everyday’ Americans going about their daily lives. With a focus on Black Americans at the centre, she effortlessly adds a compelling individuality and extraordinary within the mundane, as the subjects focus on their own peace and daily routine. Within the exhibition she couples ‘ordinary’ Americans with notable figures such as Michelle Obama, which adds to the layers of American identity.

whitney.org

Syd Mead 'Future Pastime'

534 West until 21 May

'Future Pastime' is the title of a new show in New York looking at forty years of the visionary art of Syd Mead, one of the most influential future-facing concept artists in cinema. Working on films like Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), TRON (1982), and, most famously of all, Blade Runner (1982), Mead brought the future to life, splicing technically accurate, high dynamic gouache renderings of future technology in a realistic, lived-in world. Curated by Elon Solo and William Corman, 'Future Pastime' focuses on Syd Mead’s lifestyle imagery, richly hedonistic worlds – whether human or alien – with a dynamic, utopian sheen.

Writer Jonathan Bell

Read the full review here

Shining a light on The Subway Sun

New York Transit Museum, ongoing

In the New York subway, posters advised and informed users, encouraging correct etiquette and manners. For 'Shining a light on The Subway Sun' posters designed by illustrators Fred G. Cooper and Amelia Opdyke Jones are celebrated, with the exhibition showcasing more than 40 selections from the museum's collection of approximately 120 original poster artworks and more than 100 vintage posters, most produced between 1936 and 1965.

nytransitmuseum.org

Songs of New York

Museum of the City of New York, ongoing

Featuring music from 100 artists, ‘Songs of New York’ explores a full range of music which has influenced the city from the 1920s through to present day. Different genres explore different locations from subways to apartments, vibrant nightlife to neighbourhoods. The exhibition is also immersive and interactive.

www.mcny.org

Pirouette

MoMA until 18 October

The Museum of Modern Art explores iconography, objects and design that have impacted everyday life. The aim of the exhibition is to showcase the power of design and how it translates the human experience into ‘tangible forms’. Visitors will see icons such as ‘I ♥️ NY’ logo to Telfar’s Shopping Bag, dubbed the “Bushwick Birkin”. Other items include varying technology from the cassette player to the Macintosh 128K Home Computer. The exhibition is a fun glimpse of nostalgia while also looking towards the future.

www.moma.org

Shifting Landscapes

Whitney Museum of American Art until January 2026

‘Shifting Landscapes’ is a group show exploring how evolving political, ecological, and social issues motivate artists as they attempt to represent the world around them. The works are drawn from the gallery’s collection featuring works from the 1960s to present day with a variety of approaches towards the environment from cityscapes to rural landscapes, the works gathered here bring ideas of land and place into focus, all works uniting on how society is shaped by the spaces around us.

whitney.org

Light by Rafaël Rozendaal

MoMA until Spring 2025

Artist Rozendaal chose the internet as his canvas for this graphically hypnotising installation. With each square designed as a story board sketched on paper, it is then translated into code where its final form is a website which powers the animation. The graphically intriguing installation uncovers a new way to harness a multi-dimensional landscape, with the installation presenting a selection of his work across a 25 feet resolution screen in MoMAs Garden Lobby.

moma.org

'In the Shadow of the American Dream: David Wojnarowicz'

The Museum of Modern Art, ongoing

Wojnarowicz's work has been recontextualised by MoMA, who have presented it alongside his contemporaries from the eighties New York downtown scene including filmmaker Marion Scemama, Donald Moffett, Agosto Machado and painter Martin Wong. Important works here include Wojnarowicz's's 1987 Fire, while Machado’s Shrine is a moving time capsule of ephemera. It includes a ‘Justice for Marsha’ sign, referring to questions around the suspicious death of trans activist Marsha P Johnson in 1992, as well as club flyers and memorial service cards.

Writer: Lauren Cochrane

moma.org