Are we finally back to our normal selves after almost three years of a global pandemic that upended so many lives? It’s still hard to tell, isn’t it? In most of the world, art museums and galleries sprung back to life in 2022, matching or coming close to pre-pandemic levels of programming and attendance. Here in New York, we’ve returned to the familiar pickle of too many shows running at once, and not enough time to see them all. This year, we’re going big with a list of 50 memorable shows from around the world, seen and loved by our team of editors and contributors. It’s by no means an exhaustive list, as travel was still limited this year. Instead, this is a snapshot of who we were and what we saw in 2022, including some surprises. —Hakim Bishara, Senior Editor
40. Hew Locke: The Procession
A glorious procession of fabric and forms, this dynamic presentation captures why the work of Hew Locke resonates today, as he grapples with difficult questions, including those around colonialism, in a friendly manner that draws you into the conversation. His art always steps back from the didactic, while offering enough to feed your curiosity. He’s also an artist who understands how the internet works, and his sculptural work is ripe for distribution on the streams of data that we navigate daily. —HV
Tate Britain, UK (tate.org.uk)
March 22, 2022–January 22, 2023
Curated by Elena Crippa and Clarrie Wallis with Bilal Akkouche, Hannah Marsh, and Dana Moreno