Five standout exhibitions and cultural events exploring myriad themes, from the rise of Nordic cuisine to an exploration of Picasso’s late-life work.
Reimagined Route
The National Archaeological Museum of Venice has reopened its historic entrance at 17 Piazzetta San Marco, directly facing the Doge’s Palace. Step into the restored Courtyard of Agrippa—home to the monumental statue of Roman statesman and general Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa—and follow the original museum route established by famed archaeologist Carlo Anti back in the 1920s, which showcases Greek and Roman art in chronological order. Highlights include marble sculptures, bronzes, coins, and ceramics donated by Venetian aristocrats between the 16th and 19th centuries. As part of the reopening, visitors can also view LINES by Kengo Kito, a striking site-specific installation running through September 2025, which juxtaposes colourful fluorescent tubes against the classic beauty of the courtyard’s architecture.
https://archeologicovenezia.cultura.gov.it/
Food x Culture
The New Nordic: Cuisine, Aesthetics, and Place exhibition, organised by the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo, Norway, is a cross-disciplinary showcase that explores how New Nordic Cuisine evolved into a global phenomenon, in tandem with similar developments in fields such as architecture, design, craft, photography, and art. Held until 14 September 2025, visitors can explore more than 500 artworks, photographs, and handcrafted objects, including those on loan from renowned Nordic restaurants, as well as works by contemporary and modern artists like Olafur Eliasson, Pentti Kaskipuro, and Edvard Munch. For the first time, the museum will also extend the exhibition beyond its gallery walls with a specially commissioned pavilion in the outdoor square.
https://www.nasjonalmuseet.no/en/
Artistic Genius
Opened on 1 August 2025, PoMo Trondheim in Norway presents Pablo Picasso—The Code of Painting, a major exhibition dedicated to the artist’s work in his later years. Picasso’s late work, once controversial, is now seen as a defining force in modern art, influencing contemporary artists like George Condo and Dana Schutz, both contributors to the exhibition catalogue. The show will feature over 50 bold, expressive paintings and 13 hand-painted ceramic plates, exploring Picasso’s energetic brushwork and symbolic reduction of form. After PoMo, the exhibition will tour Scandinavia, including stops at Moderna Museet, Stockholm, Sweden (22 November 2025 – 5 April 2026), and Kunsten Museum, Aalborg, Denmark (7 May 2026 – 6 September 2026).
Nature Reframed
Helsinki Biennial 2025 returns for its third edition from 8 June 2025 with Shelter: Below and beyond, becoming and belonging, transforming the city into a summer-long celebration of art across unique urban and island locations. The biennial will feature 37 international artists and collectives, with a focus on themes such as ecology, biodiversity, and indigenous perspectives. Inspired by nature and climate concerns, the biennial invites visitors to see the world through non-human eyes—plants, animals, fungi, even stones. Highlights include new works by Ernesto Neto, Carola Grahn, Pia Sirén and Hans Rosenström on Vallisaari Island, and installations at HAM and Esplanade Park, with select artworks remaining on permanent display throughout the city.
https://helsinkibiennaali.fi/en/artists/
Migration Stories
For thousands of years, human civilization has been shaped by the movement of people across borders, something which FENIX—the new international art museum in Rotterdam devoted to migration—explores. There are currently three exhibitions on view: All Directions, which showcases over 150 artworks and objects from international artists, specially commissioned to explore their views on and personal stories of migration; The Family of Migrants exhibition inspired by Edward Steichen’s Family of Man, one of the most famous photographic exhibitions of all time; and The Suitcase Labyrinth, an interactive installation consisting of 2,000 donated suitcases that brings to life a collection of personal histories from countries, cultures, and communities from around the world.
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Text by: Eris Choo
