The art calendar’s autumn reset has arrived. Between the Studio Museum’s new survey of abstraction, a sobering anniversary installation in Chelsea, a textile show on West 20th Street and a Kusama retrospective worth planning a trip around, here is our edit of the exhibitions that opened or drew notice between September 8 and 15.
1. Geometries, Studio Museum in Harlem
Opened September 10; through January 31, 2027. Organized by Thelma Golden, the museum’s Ford Foundation Director and Chief Curator, with curatorial assistant Simon Ghebreyesus, Geometries treats geometry as an artistic inquiry, examining “how artists have used lines, shapes, and the spaces between to convey emotion, express identity, or work through formal concerns.” Some artists in the show pursue the essential truths of Western geometric abstraction; others question its supposed purity, drawing connections to African traditions. The roster of some 30 artists includes Julie Mehretu, Alma Thomas, Jack Whitten, William T. Williams, Norman Lewis, McArthur Binion, Torkwase Dyson and Adam Pendleton. The show is drawn from a fall season built around the museum’s own collection, according to its announcement.
Why it’s on the edit: a chance to see abstraction by artists of several generations in one conversation, and a reminder, via Al Loving, that “even a box can be a self-portrait.”
2. Thomas Ruff, “jpegs ny,” David Zwirner
Opened September 10, timed to the 25th anniversary of September 11; through October 17. The German photographer, who was in New York on September 11, 2001, is showing 12 monumental works from his jpeg series (2004–2007) depicting the attacks, Artnet News reported. Ruff sourced low-resolution images from the internet, then compressed, altered and enlarged them to about eight feet tall by six feet wide, until the pixels break into something close to painting. Works from the series are held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, the Broad and Glenstone. The works on view are not for sale.
Why it’s on the edit: a demanding, quiet show that asks how images of catastrophe change as they circulate. Approach it with that in mind.
3. Untethered Works, Textile Art Gallery
Held its opening reception and a free artist talk on September 10. At 529 West 20th Street, on the sixth floor, contemporary fiber artists push textile beyond its traditional boundaries, Time Out New York noted in its weekly picks. The show runs through September.
Why it’s on the edit: an easy Chelsea detour for anyone drawn to fiber and textile work.
4. Yayoi Kusama, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
Through January 17, 2027. Curated by Leontine Coelewij and previously seen at the Fondation Beyeler in Basel and Museum Ludwig in Cologne, this retrospective spans the artist’s long career, from early works made in Japan to the Infinity Nets that followed her 1958 arrival in New York, 1960s soft sculptures and rarely shown ceramics from 1974, after her return to Japan, according to Artnet News’ review. A new Infinity Room, The Hope of the Polka Dots Buried in Infinity Will Eternally Cover the Universe, is reached by escalator. The critic acknowledges open questions about Kusama’s involvement in her late works, but concludes the show “succeeds in revealing new sides to an artist we thought we already knew.”
Why it’s on the edit: the New York chapter of Kusama’s story is told here with unusual depth, even if you have to cross the Atlantic to see it.
See all sources
- Geometries, Studio Museum in Harlem, 2026-09-10
- Studio Museum in Harlem Announces Fall 2026 Season, Studio Museum in Harlem, 2026-07-23
- Thomas Ruff’s 9/11 JPEGs Broke My Heart All Over Again, Artnet News, 2026-09-11
- Here are the best things to do in NYC this week, Time Out New York, 2026-09-14
- Think You Know Yayoi Kusama? A New Show Asks Us to Look Closer, Artnet News, 2026-09-14
Lead image: illustrative photo by Robert Keane on Unsplash.
