Last January, curators widely agreed that 2025 would be shaped by political instability and mounting pressure on cultural institutions. Over the course of the year, those conditions materialized across the art world, particularly through experimental exhibitions such as Ayoung Kim’s solo show at MoMA PS1 and Rashid Johnson’s “A Poem for Deep Thinkers” at the Guggenheim New York.

When asked to look ahead to 2026, curators today suggested that this shift is deepening rather than dissipating. Across their responses, a set of shared priorities emerged: slower, more deliberate forms of art and exhibition-making; a renewed emphasis on hand-made, material, and craft-based practices; and a growing commitment to collaboration and artist-led formats.

Technology—particularly AI—remains a central topic of discussion, but is increasingly approached with restraint and ethical scrutiny. More often, these technological advancements are positioned alongside, rather than in opposition to, physical materials and personal experience.