Alvaro Barrington Art shows to leave the house for this month

From rebels and revolutionaries in Amsterdam to the fragility of beauty in London, and much more besides, we round up the most exciting art events happening over the coming month

Text Ashleigh Kane

May’s shows serve as a reminder of a world in flux. Across continents, artists grapple with the complexities of identity, solidarity, and resistance, weaving together forgotten histories and collective memories. In London, Mexican artist Fabian Ramírez ignites a dialogue between Christian iconography and Indigenous cultures, challenging colonial narratives through encaustic paintings. In New York, Arthur Jafa examines the nuances of Black existence by combining the personal, political and industrial. Suzannah Pettigrew takes over the former residence of surrealists Lee Miller and Roland Penrose with an exploration of her family archives, and Jeanette Beckman gets all the flowers in a retrospective of her work with youth movements over the last four decades.

TATE BRITAIN COMMISSION, ALVARO BARRINGTON, TATE BRITAIN

Venezuelan, London-based artist Alvaro Barrington has been given the keys to the Duveen Galleries for this year’s Tate Britain Commission. Little details are known except that the site-specific work will address themes of place and belonging, and it will be Barrington’s largest presentation to date.

From May 29 – January 26, 2025 at Tate Britain, London.