Gallery hopping is New York’s favorite spring sport—and April’s lineup is stacked. From visionary photography to mid-century masterpieces, we’ve rounded up the shows that are actually worth your attention. Consider this your stylish cheat-sheet to the city’s buzziest exhibitions this month—no filler, just the good stuff.
Dieter Roth: Islandscapes
Hauser & Wirth | 443 West 18th Street
Through April 19, 2025
Dieter Roth’s Islandscapes transforms printmaking into a visual adventure. Featuring graphic works from the 1960s and ’70s, Roth’s art blends symmetry, mirroring, and repetition to evoke Iceland’s stark landscapes. His prints resemble kaleidoscopes, inviting viewers into an abstracted vision of nature. Experimental yet approachable, Roth cleverly pushes the boundaries of traditional printmaking. A cerebral yet visually rich show, Islandscapes encapsulates Roth’s playful, boundary-testing spirit.
Rahim Fortune: Reflections
Howard Greenberg Gallery | 41 East 57th Street, Suite 801
Through May 24, 2025
Rahim Fortune’s Reflections is a quietly profound photographic exploration of Black life in the American South. Fortune captures intimate, tender moments that tell larger stories about identity and heritage. Images from his series I Can’t Stand to See You Cry and Hardtack highlight resilience and memory. Rendered in soulful black and white, each photograph feels deeply personal yet universally resonant. The show offers a poetic visual journey through community, family, and place.
Richard Learoyd: A Loathing of Clocks and Mirrors
Pace Gallery | 508 West 25th Street
Through April 26, 2025
Richard Learoyd’s photography exhibition offers a serene escape from modern anxieties. Employing a camera obscura, Learoyd creates lush, painterly portraits and still lifes with a near-magical clarity. The photographs echo the sumptuous lighting of Dutch Golden Age art, blending classical aesthetics with contemporary moods. Time slows down in his detailed compositions, inviting thoughtful contemplation. It’s a captivating look at how photography can suspend reality and evoke timeless beauty.
Taryn Simon
Gagosian | Park & 75, 821 Park Avenue
March 20–April 26, 2025
Taryn Simon’s latest exhibition at Gagosian explores the mechanisms of power, chance, and public perception. Central to the show is Kleroterion (2024), an interactive sculpture inspired by an ancient Athenian device used for random selection in civic duties. Visitors engage with the piece by inserting colored chips, initiating a process that culminates in the selection of a single chip—prompting reflections on the role of randomness in governance. Complementing this is a series of photographs capturing moments from the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign, including images like a SpaceX rocket launch and a McDonald’s photo op. These works, presented in vibrant, nested frames, highlight the theatricality and ephemeral nature of political events. Simon’s exhibition offers a compelling exploration of how systems of order and spectacle shape societal narratives.
Vintage20: Design for Living (curated by Adam Charlap Hyman)
Tina Kim Gallery | 525 West 21st Street
Through April 19, 2025
Curated by Adam Charlap Hyman, Vintage20 is a stylish homage to mid-century modernism. Featuring interiors assembled with furniture by design legends like Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, and George Nakashima, each room feels timeless yet contemporary. Rare artworks seamlessly integrate with iconic furnishings, emphasizing design as artful living. The exhibition recreates the elegant study of Vintage20’s founder Jae Chung, exemplifying the firm’s sophisticated vision. It’s a chic blend of design history and modern aesthetic—perfect inspiration for stylish spaces.
Affinities: Anni Albers, Josef Albers, Paul Klee
David Zwirner | 537 West 20th Street
Through April 19, 2025
This thoughtful exhibition reunites modern masters Anni Albers, Josef Albers, and Paul Klee, showcasing the intertwined creative spirits of these Bauhaus icons. Curated by Nicholas Fox Weber, the works emphasize striking visual dialogues: Anni’s textiles harmonize with Josef’s precise color studies, complemented by Klee’s imaginative watercolors. The exhibition underscores shared rhythms in their artistic practices, highlighting the timelessness of their innovations. It’s an engaging, vibrant tribute to friendship, inspiration, and visionary design.
Thomas Scheibitz: Argos Eyes
Tanya Bonakdar Gallery | 521 West 21st Street
Through April 18, 2025
Berlin-based painter Thomas Scheibitz returns with vibrant, multilayered canvases exploring visual perception in the digital age. His works blend architectural precision with pop-inflected abstraction—eyes, cubes, and geometric forms float vividly against electric backdrops. Each piece compels viewers to consider multiple perspectives simultaneously, capturing contemporary visual overload with dynamism and wit. Scheibitz’s energetic style bridges analytical coolness and expressive spontaneity. It’s a playful, thought-provoking dive into modern image culture.
Enchanted Reverie: Klee and Calder
Di Donna Galleries | 744 Madison Avenue
April 19–June 8, 2024
Enchanted Reverie pairs Paul Klee’s delicate paintings with Alexander Calder’s whimsical sculptures in a poetic dialogue. The exhibition highlights shared fascinations with invisible forces and metaphysical themes, showcasing over 40 works that charm and intrigue. Calder’s mobiles gently animate the space, enhancing the mystical, lyrical atmosphere established by Klee’s subtle visions. It’s a refined, dreamlike experience, emphasizing the imaginative power of two iconic artists. A true visual delight.
Enzo Cucchi: Mostra Coagula
Vito Schnabel Gallery | 455 West 19th Street
Through May 22, 2025
Italian artist Enzo Cucchi returns to New York with dramatic, symbolically charged paintings and sculptures. His signature expressive style—rooted in the 1980s Transavanguardia movement—melds mythic imagery with bold, earthy textures. Horses, human forms, and enigmatic symbols populate canvases rich with narrative intensity, alongside sculptures that appear timeless yet contemporary. Cucchi’s work feels both personal and universally resonant, engaging deeply with cultural memory. This exhibition is a vivid testament to Cucchi’s lasting artistic vision.
Cynthia Hawkins: Maps Necessary for a Walk in 4D
Paula Cooper Gallery | 524 West 26th Street
Through May 3, 2025
Abstract painter Cynthia Hawkins debuts vibrant new works exploring spatial dimensions and perception. Each painting references maps she created decades ago, transformed into dazzling, geometric visual landscapes. Layering dynamic shapes, bright colors, and bold lines, Hawkins’s canvases shimmer with movement and depth. Her paintings invite viewers into a playful, cerebral exploration of space, color, and time, balancing intellectual rigor with radiant energy. It’s a bold, stimulating display from an under-recognized talent in abstract art.
