First up is Pipilotti Rist: Big Heartedness, Be My Neighbor at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Pipilotti Rist is a Swiss artist whose video installations are often described as mystical and surreal. Her work is in many ways a more refined version of the immersive experiences that have become so popular this year. Her installations are usually comprised of large scale, overlapping videos with highly saturated colors. The multisensory exhibition also includes an interactive element. There are no wheat fields or sunflowers, but Rist’s vision may be even more captivating.

Pipilotti Rist: Big Heartedness, Be My Neighbor is on view now through June 6, 2022.

Also on view now is  Jasper Johns: Mind/Mirror at the Whitney Museum of Art and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Jasper Johns is by most accounts the greatest living American artist. Johns rocketed to fame in the late ‘50s when he was discovered by Leo Castelli while Castelli was visiting Johns’ long time love interest Robert Rauschenburg. Known for his sculptural use of paint and his penchant for mixed media, Johns is most widely recognized for his artworks which feature US flags, maps, targets, letters and numbers. He  has received the National Medal of the Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom and now at 91, he is opening a new exhibit so large it is taking place concurrently in two museums - The Whitney and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The retrospective covers almost seventy years of work, including new creations. Jasper Johns: Mind/Mirror is on view now at the Whitney and Philadelphia Museum of Art through Feb 13, 2022

For a look at the religious side of Andy Warhol, there is Andy Warhol: Revelation at the Brooklyn Museum. Andy Warhol shot to fame in the ‘60s as the leading figure in the pop art movement. When we think of Warhol we think of paintings and silkscreens of celebrities, Campbell’s Soup cans and American brands. The exhibit examines how Warhol’s conservative catholic upbringing reveals itself in his work in obvious and subtle ways. There are over 100 pieces on view including drawings by his mother Julia from a period when she lived with Andy in the 60s. Andy Warhol : Revelation is on view now through June 22 at the Brooklyn Museum.

As I mentioned in a news segment on last week’s episode, the exhibit Black American Portraits at LACMA reflects on the Two Centuries of Black American Art show that was curated by David Driskill 45 years ago. The exhibit, which features an examination of how Black Americans have been captured in American portraiture as far back as 1800, demonstrates the breadth of Black American imagery today. The exhibit opened in November alongside an exhibit of the Obama Presidential portraits - Barack’s by Kehinde Wiley and Michelle’s by Amy Sherald. Those portraits have moved on, but the rest of the Black American portraits remain. Black American Portraits is on view at LACMA through April 17. 

LACMA is not the only place to catch the work of Kehinde Wiley right now. Kehinde Wiley: The Prelude is currently on display at London’s National Gallery December 10, 2021 through April 18, 2022. The large-scale exhibit of Kehinde Wiley work takes his traditional subjects out of the portrait studio and drops them into classical landscapes. The Prelude is inspired by European Romanticism and marks new territory for Wiley. While he is receiving mixed reviews for producing paintings that essentially PhotoShop black figures into iconic romantic landscapes, his video work for the exhibit is being lauded. The six videos displayed in the exhibit feature a handful of black Londoners that Wiley transported to the other-worldly landscape of Northern Norway. The films capture a sincerity and authenticity that can sometimes be lacking by subjects that are emulating other people’s poses. Kehinde Wiley: The Prelude is on display at London’s National Gallery through April 18.

Also coming to London is Francis Bacon: Man and Beast at the Royal Academy.

Francis Bacon is one of the biggest names in the late 20th century art world. His unsettling works featured nightmare-like imagery of popes, creatures and himself. The much-delayed yet highly anticipated exhibit explores how his love of animals inspired his later work. Francis Bacon: Man and Beast is on view at the Royal Academy January 29 through April 17.

This Saturday an exhibit kicks off in Paris that takes the iconic work of Yves Saint Laurent to museums all over Paris. Yves Saint Laurent aux Musées will take place at Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris, Centre Pompidou, Musée d'Orsay, Musée National Picasso Paris, Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris, Musée du Louvre. In honor of the 60 years since Yves Saint Laurent first hit the runway, the museums where the designer sought inspiration are collaborating for an exhibit that pairs YSL designs with works by artists that opened the designer’s mind. Classic designs will be staged alongside artists like Mondrian, Picasso, Matisse, Bonnard and Proust. Yves Saint Laurent aux Musees will be on display all over Paris January 29 to May 15.

Monday will see the opening of Charles Ray “Figure Ground” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Charles Ray is one of the most important 3D artists of the last 40 years, however his work is hard to pin down. Sometimes it’s minimalist and cerebral, while at other times he uses scale to create interest. For example, Ray has created a number of life size replicas of miniature childrens toys. Imagine a fire truck the size of a fire truck that looks like a plastic children’s toy. Ray is also known to create contemporary hyperrealistic sculptures out of stone or reflective metal that address contemporary issues through classical techniques. Charles Ray: Figure Ground is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art January 31 through June 5.

Meanwhile in London, a Van Gogh exhibition of self portraits celebrates the reopening of the Courtauld Gallery. Self portraits have always been a common means for artists to be introspective or hone their skills in the absence of a model. Van Gogh followed suit and completed roughly 35 self portraits in his lifetime. Almost half of those will be included in the exhibit. However, a number of Van Gogh self portraits have been accused of being fakes, including Self-Portrait with a Bandaged Ear which is part of the permanent collection of the Courtauld. Just go with the assumption that everything is as presented. Van Gogh Self Portraits is on view at the Courtauld Gallery February 3 through May 8.

Mid-February sees another 91 year old artist get the full retrospective treatment. This time it’s not Jasper Johns, but Faith Ringgold. Faith Ringgold “American People” is on display at the New Museum. Ringgold’s reputation and appreciation has only picked up steam in the last decade. Originally a painter, she shifted 50 years ago to making her narrative images of American life using quilts instead. Her intent was to distance herself from a medium that was so closely tied to the image making of coloniality. In recent years she has been hung beside one of the world’s most famous Picasso’s at MoMA and with the changing landscape of the art world we can only assume that more and more people will come to love and appreciate her work in future generations. Faith Ringgold: American People is on view at the New Museum February 17 through June 5

Surrealism may have sprouted from the French avant garde over a hundred years ago, but it turns out it took flight and made a nest in just about every corner of the world. 

Surrealism Beyond Borders at Tate Modern looks at how surrealism spread and the characteristics of the movement that stayed in tact as it migrated, such as surrealism’s subversion of reality, its humor and its power in the fight freedom. The exhibition also evaluates how different regions added to the complex visual language of surrealism.

Surrealism Beyond Borders is on view February 24 through August 29 at the Tate Modern in London.

In the 1400s, there was one sculptor whose work was head and shoulders above the competition. The Florentine sculptor Donatello was revered. This Spring will bring a long overdue exhibition of his work, including his most famous bronze David. The comprehensive show will reside in Florence through the summer, then a scaled down version will travel to Berlin. Donatello, the Renaissance will be on view at Palazzo Strozzi and Museo del Bargello in Florence March 19-July 31 and the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin September 2 through January 8, 2023

Mass media influences art. Art influences mass media. Both influence brands. No one embodies this more than Barbara Kruger, whose black and white photography with bold white text laid over boxes of red have become iconic. Kruger will be the subject of a major career retrospective this spring at LACMA. Barbara Kruger: Thinking Of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You. will be on view at LACMA - Los Angeles County Museum of Art

March 20 through April 17.

With all of the buzz around Beeple, it’s hard to imagine that Beeple has never had a legitimate gallery show. And just because he has one now doesn’t mean he has anything long term planned with the gallery that’s hosting. When you are able to monetize your career the way Beeple has without the need for a gallery, you aren’t necessarily in a rush to enter into something formal. Regardless, Jack Hanley Gallery is a creative, forward thinking gallery that is bringing Beeple to it’s white walls this Spring. Dates have not been specified yet, but it appears you’ll be able to find Beeple at Jack Hanley sometime in March.

Piet Mondrian would have turned 150 years old this year, so its time to celebrate and reflect on Mondrian’s contribution. A retrospective of Mondrian is especially fun because he is an artist whose work you can see slowly transform from a starting point in Dutch landscape painting to a destination of highly structured geometric abstraction and primary colors. 150 years of Mondrian will be on view at Kunstmuseum den Haag in the Hague, Netherlands April 2 through September 25 and Fondation Beyeler in Riehen, Switzerland June 5 through October 9 then K20 in Düsseldorf October 29 through February 10

A biennial by definition takes place every two years, but COVID threw the Whitney Biennial a curve ball and here we are at three. But the Whitney Biennial is here at last. The exhibit typically gives great care to curating the best talent currently available in American art. With that type of expectation, the selections are often a lightning rod for opinions. But it’s undeniable that it is a box that is checked on the upward rise of every great American artist. The Whitney Biennial takes place April 1 through August 1 in New York’s Meat Packing District.

Jean-Michel Basquiat continues to remain atop lists of most valuable contemporary artists. Much like Van Gogh, people seem to make an emotional connection with Basquiat and his work. There have been gallery shows and museum shows, but this spring there will be a show in Chelsea organized by the Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. What does that mean? Supposedly a more intimate portrait of the artist as seen through the eyes of his sister Lisane. Drawing from the collection of the estate, there will be paintings, drawings, multimedia and personal items that will allow the Basquiat devotee to feel even closer. Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure opens April 9 at the Starrett-Lehigh Building in Chelsea.

This Spring the National Gallery in London will host a blockbuster exhibition that examines the life and work of Raphael. A real Renaissance Man, Raphael excelled at a variety of art forms, including poetry, painting, architecture and design. The exhibit will be comprised of loans from institutions worldwide, including the Hermitage, the Louvre, National Gallery of Art, Washington, the Prado Museum, Uffizi Museum and the Vatican Museum. Raphael will be on view at the National Gallery in London April 9 through July 31.

Every other year, the art world descends on Venice to see how the world’s best artists respond to the challenge of installing a thought-provoking piece in their country’s pavilion. This year has promised works reflecting topics ranging from climate change to artificial intelligence. It’s the Venice Biennale, a good time will be had by all. The Venice Biennale will take over Venice April 23 through November 27.

MoMA is putting together one of the most clever exhibits this Spring when they unveil an exhibit around the iconic Matisee painting from their collection titled “The Red Studio”. The painting is Matisse’s depiction of his studio - with it’s red walls, easels, materials and assorted artwork scattered around the space. MoMA has identified the artwork in the painting and brought the collection back together for the exhibit. Only MoMA could pull off something of this scale. Henri Matisse: The Red Studio will be on view at the Museum of Modern Art May 1 through September 10

There is one central figure in painting that opened the door for all of the freedom enjoyed by artists during the 20th and that was Paul Cezanne. Before Picasso was even born, Cezanne was simplifying forms, flattening objects, questioning how we might be able to see the world. The Art Institute of Chicago and the Tate Modern are teaming up this summer to provide an intimate look at Cezanne’s work and the personal dramas that drove his creativity. Cezanne will be on view at the Art Institute of Chicago May 15 through September 5 and the Tate Modern October 6 through March 12, 2023 

Cornelia Parker loves to do large installations. She loves to blow things up (literally) and put all the pieces back together, suspended in a way that freezes the destruction in that fraction of a second after detonation. But her work is more diverse than that and Tate Britain is giving her the space to remind British patrons why she is one of their favorite contemporary artists. Cornelia Parker will be on view at Tate Britain May 18 through October 16

One more big juried contemporary art exhibition will be taking place this summer in Germany. Documenta is one of the world’s largest and most influential types of events and takes place only every five years. The curated list of participants this time around are mostly activist collectives whose work makes viewers contemplate the injustices and issues that our world needs to rectify. Documenta Fifteen will be on view in all parts of Kassel, Germany from June 18 to September 25.

Between Parasite and Squid Game, Korean culture has had visibility in the US like never before. But LACMA appreciates contemporary Asian art like no other institution in the US and has been working and planning for years to bring us the story of how Korean art and culture have transformed over the last 125 years. It was a time of great transition from the last Korean dynasty to Japanese colonial rule to the Korean War to the influence of western culture. The Space Between: The Modern in Korean Art will be on view at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art from September 11 through February 19.

On the occasion of what would have been his 100th birthday, the National Gallery in London will be hosting an immense retrospective of Lucien Freud. Freud was active in his studio up til his death at 89 and his long career saw his style transform and evolve. The exhibit will trace the path that Freud took that led him from one aesthetic to the other and what powered his relentless pursuit of perfection. Lucian Freud: New Perspectives will be on view at The National Gallery UK October 1 through January 22. 2023.

And last but not least is the long awaited opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza. The new home for all things tied to Egyptian antiquities will immediately become the most significant archeological museum in the world. As if you need any other justification for the claim, the new museum will become the permanent home for treasures of King Tutankhamun. Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharoah will be on view at the Grand Egyptian Museum upon the museum’s grand opening in November.

That's all the time we have for this week. You've been listening to art since you can find the show on Apple Podcasts, iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher Radio, Spotify or your favorite podcast app. If you've enjoyed this podcast, be sure to subscribe. And while you're there, please rate the show and leave a quick review. Your feedback is the key to other folks finding us. If you'd like to see images related to the conversation, read a transcript and find other bonus features, you can go to canvia.art and click on the Podcast tab. If you'd like to reach out to me, you can email me at craig@canvia.art. Thanks for listening.