This week's art news curation + show recs + hot museum openings in 2025

We talk contemporary art museum & hotel in Brasil, an Overlooked Genius Caspar David Friedrich, Floral show at Saatchi Gallery London and more

Feb 11, 2025

Good afternoon! On today’s agenda is:

My usual curation of art news - I am personally putting Inhotim Gallery in Brasil on my art bucket list, and I would also be curious to visit Caspar David Friedrich Retrospective at the Met ( more information below).

Then I’m sharing my London gallery exhibition recommendations for this week - I can’t tell which one I am excited more about. As a bonus, at the end, I will list exciting new or renovated museum openings to look forward to in 2025. I am personally very excited about the new Cartier Foundation of Contemporary Art in Paris; it’s just a train ride away!

THIS WEEK’S NEWS CURATION

⭐Caspar David Friedrich, an Overlooked Genius, Receives a Well-Deserved US Retrospective at the Met. The exhibition showcases Friedrich's evocative landscapes, emphasizing themes of nature, spirituality, and the sublime. The reviewer highlights the artist's masterful use of light and composition to convey profound emotional experiences, noting that the collection offers viewers a chance to engage deeply with Friedrich's contemplative and often melancholic vision of the natural world.

Caspar David Friedrich, *Woman before the Rising or Setting Sun*, ca. 1818–24

⭐Paolo Guzzini, an entrepreneur and art collector from Recanati, purchased a painting fifteen years ago at a flea market in Le Mans, France. The painting, unsigned, had a stamp on the back indicating that it came from a shop that supplied artists in Montmartre at the beginning of the 20th century. After thorough analysis, it was revealed to be an authentic work by Amedeo Modigliani.

⭐Inhotim, a contemporary art and botanic museum in Brazil, combines art and nature on a grand scale. Originally a private collection, it opened to the public in 2006 and now spans 140 hectares with over 500 artworks. Recently, Clara Arte, a family-friendly hotel, opened on the grounds, offering visitors a luxurious base to explore the museum. Inhotim continues to thrive despite delays, financial setbacks, and personal challenges faced by its founder, Bernardo de Mello Paz. The museum remains a key destination for art lovers and tourists.

LONDON GALLERY RECS FOR THIS WEEK

I love a good curatorial concept that’s why I am very excited about the flower themed show in Saatchi Gallery and

🤍The Saatchi Gallery in London is hosting the exhibition "FLOWERS – FLORA IN CONTEMPORARY ART & CULTURE" from 12 February to 5 May 2025. This expansive showcase spans two floors and over nine major gallery spaces, featuring more than 500 unique artworks and objects. The exhibition delves into the enduring influence of flowers on creativity and human expression, presenting large-scale installations, original art, photography, fashion pieces, archival objects, and graphic design.

Floral art installation, Flowers exhibition at Saatchi Gallery London

🤍I remember when I saw Georg Wilson at the Royal College of Art graduate show a few years back for the first time. Now she is a rising star at Pilar Corrias London with her solo show The Last Oozings.

Inspired by John Keats’s poetry and the rhythms of nature, Wilson’s paintings celebrate the transition of seasons, particularly autumn. Drawing from English folklore and pastoral traditions, her landscapes are lush and abundant, yet devoid of human presence, inhabited instead by mythical, wild creatures living in harmony with nature. Central to the exhibition is the oak tree, symbolizing endurance and interconnectedness. Wilson’s use of texture and golden hues evokes the work of British landscape painter Samuel Palmer, offering a nostalgic yet timeless vision of the English countryside as a space free from human ownership and exploitation.

works from 'The Last Oozing' solo by Georg Wilson

🤍 I love a great curatorial concept and this show is a prime example . The exhibition Last Night I Dreamt of Manderley at Alison Jacques gallery is inspired by Daphne du Maurier’s 1938 Gothic novel Rebecca and its themes of memory, darkness, and transformation. Curated by Daniel Malarkey, the show features works by over 30 artists, blending contemporary and historical perspectives on fairytales and storytelling. The exhibition challenges the idea of fairytales as simple children’s narratives, instead exploring complex themes like deception, betrayal, and morality. The show is designed as an immersive experience, with theatrical elements such as Pre-Raphaelite-inspired wallpaper, architectural interventions, and a staged environment that enhances the otherworldly atmosphere.

Here are some of my favourite artworks in the show.