International Art Exhibitions and Museums worth travelling for in 2022

International Art Exhibitions and Museums Worth Travelling For In 2022

The Setouchi Art Triennale, April - November 2022: Seto Inland Sea, Japan

Every three years, Japan’s Setouchi islands host a spectacular art festival that draws in visitors and artists from around the world. Spread among multiple islands, the eight-month art fair offers a wealth of art and culture to discover. Visitors to the region will be charmed not only by the intriguing art but also the laid-back, slow-paced rural atmosphere of the islands’ villages and natural beauty. www.japan.travel/en

For more on what to see and do in Japan, don't miss the A to Z Travel Blog - Japan.

New exhibit at Audain Art Museum, now - February 2022: Whistler, Canada

Riopelle: The Call of Northern Landscapes and Indigenous Cultures focuses on Jean Paul Riopelle’s relationship with Canada’s northern landscape and emblematic use of Indigenous motifs to construct highly complex paintings, prints and sculptures.Riopelle immersed himself in Quebec's rugged northern terrain, while continuing a long held respect for contemporary and historic Indigenous art from British Columbia, Alaska, Quebec and Nunavut. The exhibition examines Riopelle’s expansive work from the 1950s onward, with an emphasis on his rarely studied practice of the 1970s. On display at the Audain Art Museum until 21 February 2022. www.whistler.com

Aspen Art Museum to host new retrospective on Warhol, 3 December 2021 - 27 March 2022: Colorado, USA

The Aspen Art Museum will be the sole US venue for a major international retrospective on the work of Andy Warhol. Opening on 3rd December, Andy Warhol: Lifetimes breaks new ground by casting a queer eye on the artist as an outsider and disruptor, who remade America’s image to resonate with a queer sensibility. This presentation is particularly exciting, as it marks a homecoming for the artist, who maintained a close, long-standing connection with the city of Aspen and the many creatives who have called it home. www.aspensnowmass.com

Face to face. Picasso and the Old Masters at the Museo Picasso Málaga, 22 February - 26 June 2022: Costa del Sol, Spain

Museo Picasso Málaga’s upcoming exhibition, Face to face. Picasso and the Old Masters, explores Picasso's relationship with the great masters - such as El Greco, Francisco Pacheco, Giovanni Battista Caracciolo and Diego Bejarano - and their interpretation of history. By juxtaposing these works from the 16th and 17th centuries with those created by Picasso, travellers can observe Malaga’s admiration of tradition and appreciate the important role these paintings played in the break of tradition that defines 20th century modernism. Whilst in the city, visitors can stop by the Museo Casa Natal de Pablo Ruiz Picasso, which is the birthplace and official heritage site of Piscasso, and the most visited museum in Andalusia. www.visitcostadelsol.com

A Magnum Opus exhibition, February 2022: The Sacramento Fine Arts Center, Sacramento

Established jointly by independent art clubs, the Sacramento Fine Arts Center is dedicated to the creation and presentation of the visual arts. In February 2022, the Magnum Opus exhibition - from the latin phrase great work - will showcase the most spectacular masterpieces of local, national, and international artists. This impressive show has been a favourite among contemporary art enthusiasts since its inception 30 years ago. www.visitsacramento.com

The Art of Banksy, 14 April - 19 June 2022: Denver, Colorado

Opening 14 April 2022 in a secret location - revealed only when a ticket has been purchased - The Art of Banksy will display more than 80 works by one of the world’s most elusive yet iconic artists. The display is the largest collection of privately owned Banksy art in the world and includes well-known pieces such as ‘Girl with Balloon’ and ‘Rude Copper’. When the exhibition closes, all works will be returned to the collectors which originally purchased them, making this the only opportunity for Banksy fans to view many of his prints and canvases at once. www.colorado.com

Barbara Kruger: Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You, 20 March - 17 July 2022: LACMA, Los Angeles

Barbara Kruger: Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You. is a major exhibition devoted to the work of Barbara Kruger, one of the most significant and visible artists of our time. Spanning four decades, this exhibition is the largest and most comprehensive presentation of Kruger’s work in 20 years; it spans her single-channel videos from the 1980s to digital productions of the last two decades and includes large-scale vinyl room wraps, multichannel video installations, and audio soundscapes throughout LACMA’s campus. Barbara Kruger: Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You. is a visually compelling gathering of groundbreaking artwork that is resonant, courageous, and crucial. www.visitcalifornia.com

New Museum & Gallery Openings

Hauser & Wirth announcing its new space in West Hollywood - Opening Autumn 2022

In Autumn 2022, Hauser & Wirth will expand its Los Angeles presence with a second location opening in West Hollywood. The new venue will occupy the site of a vintage automobile sales showroom at 8980 Santa Monica Boulevard, where a white stucco façade and red tile roofing typify the distinctive 1930s Spanish Colonial Revival style of Hollywood’s Golden Age. With vaulted wood truss ceilings and expansive windows onto the street, this new site will encourage a synergy between the gallery’s vigorous program and the bustling energy of the lively cafes, legendary music venues, and leading interior design and retail boutiques that make West Hollywood a famously vibrant and storied creative center. www.visitwesthollywood.com

Moonshot Museum, Pittsburgh: opening summer 2022

Space robotics company, Astrobotic, will open the Moonshot Museum in summer 2022 where visitors will be able to experience a real spacecraft being built in addition to hands-on lunar exploration activities. Pittsburgh's first museum dedicated exclusively to space, the feature attraction will be a large window through which visitors can watch real lunar landers and rovers being built and readied to fly to the Moon. Museum visitors will experience the thrill of spaceflight up close and learn about possible career paths in the thriving $425 billion space industry through interactive exhibits, educational programmes, and specially curated space experiences. www.visitpittsburgh.com

Agua Caliente, Greater Palm Springs: opening in 2022

Downtown Palm Springs will welcome the Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza next year, featuring an art gallery celebrating the history and culture of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and a luxury spa with tranquil garden and outdoor mineral pool. The Spa at Séc-he celebrates the ancient healing waters of the Agua Caliente Hot Mineral Spring estimated to be upwards of 12,000 years old and is truly unique to Greater Palm Springs as the mineral make-up cannot be found anywhere else in the world. www.visitgreaterpalmsprings.com

Comic-Con Museum, San Diego: opening July 2022

The much-anticipated Comic-Con Museum is expected to open in Balboa Park next year,r offering visitors the opportunity to connect with the magic of Comic-Con year-round. Set in the former Hall of Champions near the Pan American Plaza, museum-goers can expect 25,000 sq.ft dedicated to rotating exhibits; a 6,000 sq.ft education center; a 4K video theater and presentation space for classes and seminars; and a gift shop filled with comics, graphic novels, branded souvenirs and more. www.sandiego.org

Best art museums

Matsumoto Museum of Art - Matsumoto, Three Star Road, Japan

The birthplace of world-famous artist Yayoi Kusama, Matsumoto is home to the Matsumoto City Museum of Art - a collection dedicated to showcasing the work of artists associated with the city. The museum’s main attraction is its works by Kusama, who is internationally recognised for her hallmark bright and vivid pieces. www.mitsuboshi-kaidou.com

Galerie ‘Umatatea, The Islands of Tahiti

Galeria ‘Umatatea is located in an isolated property by the road on Motu Ovarei on the island of Huahine. The small showroom showcases exotic paintings by the highly respected artist, Melanie Dupre. Her art captures local Tahitian life as well as life on Huahine based on her 17 years living in French Polynesia. The gallery is open when the artist is home. www.tahititourisme.uk

Ansel Adams Photography in Yosemite Mariposa, California

Enthralling visitors with its diverse terrain, abundant wildlife, and incomparable scenery, Yosemite Mariposa makes it one of the USA’s most iconic spots. Legendary photographer Ansel Adam first visited Yosemite National Park in 1916, aged just 14. He was struck by its beauty and took his first photographs, beginning a lifetime of documenting one of the world’s natural wonders. The Ansel Adams Gallery is run by Ansel Adams’ family, and offers photography classes, workshops and can even arrange private, customised photography guides to help budding photographers form a deeper connection with the park and get the best shots with help from a pro. www.yosemite.com

Towada Art Centre - Hachinohe, Japan

One of Japan’s best contemporary art museums, the Towada Art Center is a cultural complex designed to revitalise the Japanese city of Towada. The institution houses a permanent collection of 38 commissioned works, all created exclusively for the museum by renowned artists from Japan and abroad, including Ron Mueck, Jeong Hwa Choi and Yoko Ono. https://visithachinohe.com/en/

Hearst Castle, SLO CAL

Art enthusiasts will want to spend a day exploring Hearst Castle, located in San Simeon, along California’s central coast. Built by art collector and famed newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst, the castle is one of America’s best-known art museums and features primarily European art. Visitors will see many of these paintings, tapestries, sculptures and more during the standard tours, and a special Art of San Simeon tour educates guests on how Hearst acquired these stunning works of art. www.slocal.com

I hope you have enjoyed reading, feel inspired to travel and see one or more of these incredible and thought-provoking exhibitions.

Until next time...