Art fairs and biennales are important events in the contemporary art world. They bring together collectors, curators, artists, and art lovers to showcase creativity and innovation. Art fairs are commercial events where galleries display their best artworks for sale and build relationships with buyers. Biennales, on the other hand, are non-commercial exhibitions held every two years that allow curators to explore themes and push artistic boundaries without the pressure of selling.
These events have a significant impact on culture, launching artistic careers and providing opportunities to see groundbreaking works before they become part of private collections or museums. In 2025, there will be an exciting lineup of global art exhibitions across various continents and artistic movements.
In this guide, we will explore the most highly anticipated contemporary art events happening worldwide in 2025. From the busy galleries of Hong Kong to the experimental installations of Scandinavia, we will uncover which exhibitions deserve your attention and why they are important.
Major Art Fairs and Biennales to Look Out for in 2025
The global art calendar for 2025 promises an exceptional lineup of exhibitions that will shape conversations in contemporary art for years to come. These marquee events bring together visionaries, collectors, and art enthusiasts from every corner of the world.
1. Taipei Biennial (Nov 2025–Mar 2026)
The Taipei Biennial 2025 stands as one of Asia’s most influential platforms for contemporary art discourse. Hosted at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, this edition continues the biennial’s tradition of pushing boundaries and challenging conventional artistic narratives.
The Taipei Biennial 2025 has earned its reputation by consistently introducing groundbreaking artists and experimental curatorial approaches that resonate throughout the Asian contemporary art scene. You’ll find this event particularly significant because it bridges Eastern and Western artistic philosophies while maintaining a distinctly regional perspective.
What makes this edition special:
- Curated selections featuring both established Asian masters and emerging voices who are redefining contemporary practice
- Site-specific installations that engage with Taiwan’s unique cultural and political landscape
- Interactive exhibitions that invite direct participation, breaking down traditional barriers between artwork and audience
- Thematic explorations addressing pressing global issues through localized perspectives
The biennial’s extended timeline allows for deeper engagement with the works on display. You can experience how installations evolve and how public discourse shapes the reception of challenging contemporary pieces. The venue itself—a modernist architectural landmark—provides the perfect backdrop for ambitious large-scale works.
The Taipei Biennial 2025 typically attracts over 200,000 visitors throughout its run, creating a vibrant ecosystem of gallery talks, artist workshops, and critical symposiums. You’ll witness firsthand how this event influences collecting patterns and artistic trends across the Asia-Pacific region, making it an essential stop for anyone serious about understanding where contemporary art is heading.
2. Shanghai Biennale (Nov 2025–Mar 2026)
Shanghai Biennale 2025 is one of China’s most influential platforms for contemporary art, transforming the Power Station of Art into a dynamic showcase of global artistic innovation. Since it started in 1996, this biennial has become an important meeting point for Eastern and Western artistic practices, giving you unprecedented access to China’s rapidly growing contemporary art scene.
The 2025 edition promises to push boundaries by examining the intersection of technology, tradition, and social transformation. You’ll encounter installations that challenge conventional narratives about Chinese identity while engaging with universal themes of urbanization, environmental consciousness, and digital culture. The curatorial vision emphasizes dialogue between established Chinese masters and emerging voices from the region.
Key highlights include:
- Site-specific installations occupying the Power Station’s industrial architecture
- Multimedia works exploring artificial intelligence and human creativity
- Collaborative projects between Chinese and international artists
- Performance art series addressing contemporary social issues
- Educational programs and artist talks throughout the exhibition period
The Shanghai Biennale 2025 serves as your gateway to understanding how Chinese contemporary art continues to shape global artistic discourse. The event attracts collectors, curators, and art enthusiasts from across the world, making it an essential destination for anyone serious about contemporary art in Asia.
3. Istanbul Biennial First Leg (Sep–Nov 2025)
The Istanbul Biennial 2025 is one of the most important contemporary art events in the world. It attracts collectors, curators, and art lovers from all over. Since it started in 1987, this biennial has always pushed boundaries and made Istanbul a key place for artistic conversations between East and West. The 2025 edition continues this tradition while tackling important modern issues through creative curatorial methods.
Exploring Istanbul’s Architectural Heritage
What makes the Istanbul Biennial special is how it uses the city’s diverse architecture to its advantage. The event usually takes place in various locations, including historic Ottoman buildings and repurposed industrial spaces along the Bosphorus. This wide-ranging approach creates an immersive experience that you won’t find in regular gallery exhibitions.
Engaging with Geopolitical Themes
The 2025 edition promises to feature impactful site-specific installations that directly address current geopolitical topics. Artists will delve into issues such as migration, cultural identity, and the blending of tradition and modernity—subjects that are deeply relevant to Istanbul’s unique position as a city connecting two continents. You can anticipate encountering artworks that challenge traditional narratives and encourage critical thinking about our interconnected world.
Amplifying Underrepresented Voices
The biennial’s dedication to showcasing both established and emerging artists from the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond ensures fresh viewpoints that are often overlooked in Western-dominated art scenes. This makes the Istanbul Biennial 2025 a must-visit for anyone seeking genuine engagement with contemporary global art practices.
4. Venice Architecture Biennale (Oct–Nov 2025)
The Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 is the most prestigious event in the world for discussing architecture. It turns the historic city of Venice into a living laboratory for design innovation. Taking place from October to November, this edition aims to challenge traditional ideas about how we live, construct, and rethink our urban spaces.
Where and How
The Biennale will be held in two main locations: the Giardini and the Arsenale. Here, you’ll find national pavilions and curated exhibitions showcasing groundbreaking architectural ideas from around the world. The event has always pushed boundaries by tackling important topics such as climate change, social housing, digital fabrication, and community-focused design.
What to Expect
This edition of the Biennale promises some exciting features:
- Installations that directly respond to Venice’s unique relationship with water and rising sea levels
- Pavilions showcasing innovative materials and sustainable building technologies
- Interactive exhibits demonstrating how architecture can address global housing crises
- Presentations from both established masters and emerging practices reshaping the field
More Than Just Displays
The Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 goes beyond displaying architectural models and drawings—it offers immersive experiences that help you understand how design impacts everyday life. Get ready to encounter full-scale prototypes, virtual reality environments, and thought-provoking installations that challenge conventional notions of architecture in our rapidly evolving world.
A Meeting Point for Dialogue
This event serves as an important gathering place where architects, urban planners, policymakers, and the public can engage in meaningful conversations about our built future.
Other Notable Triennials, Assemblies, and Art Fairs in 2025 You Shouldn’t Miss
Beyond the major biennales, 2025 brings a compelling selection of triennials, assemblies, and specialized art fairs that deserve your attention. These events offer unique perspectives on contemporary art, often diving deeper into regional narratives and experimental curatorial approaches that larger biennales might overlook.
1. MUNCH Triennale (Nov–Mar)
The MUNCH Triennale 2025 stands as Norway’s premier platform for contemporary visual arts, housed within Oslo’s iconic MUNCH museum. This triennial distinguishes itself by weaving together contemporary practices with the historical legacy of Edvard Munch, creating dialogues between past and present artistic expressions.
The MUNCH Triennale 2025 explores how artists today grapple with themes that preoccupied Munch—human emotion, existential anxiety, and the relationship between individual and society. You’ll encounter works that respond directly to Munch’s oeuvre while pushing boundaries in new directions.
Key highlights include:
- Site-specific installations throughout the museum’s striking waterfront building
- A carefully curated selection of Nordic and international artists examining psychological landscapes
- Interdisciplinary projects combining visual art with performance and sound
- Special exhibitions exploring Munch’s influence on contemporary artistic practice
The triennial format allows for extended engagement with the works, giving you multiple opportunities to revisit the exhibition as it evolves. The MUNCH museum’s architecture itself becomes part of the experience, with its 13 floors offering varied perspectives on both the artworks and Oslo’s dramatic fjord landscape.
What sets the MUNCH Triennale apart is its commitment to creating meaningful connections between historical and contemporary art. You won’t just see new works displayed in a museum—you’ll experience how today’s artists are in active conversation with one of modernism’s most influential figures.
2. Asia Pacific Triennial
The Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT) is one of the most important platforms for showcasing the diverse artistic voices emerging from the Asia-Pacific region. It is hosted by the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane, Australia. This triennial has gained a reputation for presenting innovative work that challenges Western-centric narratives in contemporary art.
The 2025 edition promises to continue this legacy by bringing together artists from over 30 countries spanning the vast geographical and cultural landscape from East Asia to the Pacific Islands.
What Makes Asia Pacific Triennial Unique?
What sets the Asia Pacific Triennial apart is its commitment to representing artists who might otherwise remain underrepresented in the global art conversation. Here are some key aspects that make APT unique:
- Focus on Underrepresented Artists: APT actively seeks out artists who may not have significant visibility in mainstream art discourse, giving them a platform to share their perspectives.
- Exploration of Indigenous Knowledge Systems: The exhibition showcases works that engage with indigenous cultures and traditions, highlighting their relevance in contemporary discussions.
- Postcolonial Perspectives: APT provides a space for artists from postcolonial contexts to critically examine historical narratives and offer alternative viewpoints.
- Responses to Environmental and Social Challenges: The triennial features artworks that address pressing issues such as climate change, social inequality, and cultural displacement—topics of great significance within the region.
Curatorial Approach
The curatorial approach emphasizes collaborative projects and site-specific commissions that respond directly to the Australian context while maintaining strong connections to the artists’ home countries. Previous editions have introduced international audiences to now-celebrated artists, making APT an essential event for collectors, curators, and art enthusiasts seeking to understand the evolving landscape of contemporary art in the Asia-Pacific sphere.
Artistic Disciplines
The exhibition typically features a mix of established and emerging practitioners working across various artistic disciplines:
- Painting
- Sculpture
- Video
- Installation
- Performance Art
3. Bergen Assembly (May–Nov)
Bergen Assembly is one of Scandinavia’s most ambitious curatorial experiments, turning Norway’s coastal city into a large platform for contemporary art discussions. From May to November 2025, this event stands out with its radical way of making exhibitions, where traditional roles of curators and artists blend into collaborative structures.
The Bergen Assembly takes place in various locations throughout the city, including historic buildings and industrial areas, creating an urban art route that challenges typical gallery experiences. You’ll come across installations specifically created for the event that directly respond to Bergen’s maritime history and its role as a connection point between Nordic and global cultures. The event’s curatorial model encourages international practitioners to develop long-term projects that involve local communities, resulting in artworks that blur the lines between public intervention and institutional presentation.
What makes this Assembly different:
- Focus on artworks driven by process that change over the six-month period
- Inclusion of performance, sound art, and time-based media alongside traditional formats
- Collaborative residencies that bring artists into direct conversation with Bergen’s cultural institutions
- Public programs featuring discussions on critical theory and experimental workshops
The 2025 edition promises to explore questions of ecological transformation and coastal geographies, themes that deeply resonate with Bergen’s identity as a historic port city facing contemporary environmental challenges.
Prominent Art Fairs Throughout the Year Across Continents You Need to Know About
The global art fair circuit represents the commercial heartbeat of the contemporary art world, where collectors, galleries, and artists converge to shape market trends and forge lasting connections. These events offer you unparalleled access to discover emerging talent, acquire museum-quality pieces, and witness the pulse of international art commerce firsthand.
1. Art Basel Hong Kong (March)
Art Basel Hong Kong stands as the preeminent art fair in Asia, transforming the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre into a sprawling showcase of contemporary and modern masterworks each March. This fair serves as your gateway to understanding the dynamic Asian art market, where East meets West in spectacular fashion.
The fair attracts over 240 leading international galleries from more than 35 countries, presenting works that span painting, sculpture, installation, photography, and video. You’ll find blue-chip galleries like Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, and David Zwirner alongside prominent Asian galleries such as Kukje Gallery and Vitamin Creative Space, creating a truly global dialogue.
Key sections you should prioritize:
- Galleries – The main sector featuring established and cutting-edge contemporary art from leading galleries worldwide
- Insights – Large-scale installations and projects that push the boundaries of traditional fair presentations
- Discoveries – A curated section spotlighting solo presentations from emerging artists, giving you early access to tomorrow’s art stars
- Kabinett – Specially curated exhibitions within gallery booths, offering focused thematic presentations
The fair’s Encounters section deserves your particular attention, featuring monumental sculptures and installations positioned throughout the venue and in nearby public spaces. These site-specific works transform the fair experience into an immersive journey through contemporary artistic practice.
Art Basel Hong Kong also hosts an extensive program of panel discussions, artist talks, and film screenings that provide deeper context to the works on display, making it essential viewing for serious collectors and art enthusiasts alike.
2. Frieze London & New York (October & May)
Frieze has established itself as a powerhouse in the contemporary art world, operating two major fairs that bookend the year with unparalleled access to cutting-edge galleries and artists. The London edition in October and the New York fair in May each bring together over 160 of the world’s most prestigious galleries, creating essential gathering points for collectors, curators, and art enthusiasts.
What sets Frieze apart is its commitment to presenting not just established names but also emerging voices through dedicated sections. Frieze Focus spotlights younger galleries (under 12 years old), while Frieze Masters in London pairs contemporary works with historical pieces, creating unexpected dialogues across centuries. The Frieze Sculpture program transforms Regent’s Park into an outdoor gallery, making art accessible to broader audiences beyond the fair’s walls.
The Frieze Talks program deserves special attention—you’ll find leading artists, critics, and thought leaders engaging in conversations that shape contemporary art discourse. Recent editions have featured discussions on digital art’s future, decolonization in museums, and the intersection of art and activism.
Both locations offer distinct flavors: London brings European sophistication and historical depth, while New York pulses with the energy of the American contemporary scene. Collectors appreciate the Frieze Viewing Room, an online platform extending access beyond the physical fair dates, allowing you to discover works from participating galleries year-round.
3. TEFAF Maastricht & New York (March & October)
TEFAF Maastricht & New York stands apart from other art fairs through its unwavering commitment to presenting museum-quality works across seven millennia of art history. While Art Basel Hong Kong and Frieze London & New York focus primarily on contemporary art, TEFAF bridges the gap between old masters, modern art, and cutting-edge contemporary pieces, creating a unique marketplace for serious collectors and institutions.
The Maastricht edition in March transforms the MECC exhibition center into a carefully curated showcase of approximately 260 dealers specializing in everything from ancient artifacts to 21st-century installations. You’ll encounter rigorous vetting procedures that ensure authenticity and quality—a hallmark that distinguishes TEFAF from many other fairs. The fair’s reputation attracts museum curators, private collectors, and art advisors seeking exceptional pieces that rarely appear on the market.
Key highlights for 2025 include:
- Themed exhibitions exploring specific art historical movements and their contemporary relevance
- Expert-led lectures and panel discussions featuring leading scholars, conservators, and art historians
- The TEFAF Papers program, offering in-depth research presentations on provenance, attribution, and market trends
- Exclusive preview days allowing serious collectors first access to extraordinary works
The New York edition in October brings this same level of excellence to the Park Avenue Armory, focusing on fine and decorative arts from antiquity through the early 20th century. You’ll find exceptional examples of furniture, jewelry, silver, and paintings that represent the pinnacle of craftsmanship and artistic achievement.
4. Zona Maco Mexico City (February)
Zona Maco Mexico City is the largest contemporary art fair in Latin America, held every February in the capital city. It attracts collectors, curators, and art lovers from all over, turning Mexico City into a lively center for the art world during this time.
This fair is a great opportunity to explore and learn about the diverse contemporary art scene in Latin America, with a special focus on Mexican artists and regional talents who often go unnoticed in global art discussions.
Understanding the Fair’s Structure
The fair is organized into different sections, each catering to specific interests of collectors:
- MACO Modern: This section is dedicated to showcasing significant works by Latin American modernists from the 20th century.
- MACO Design: Here, you’ll find innovative and forward-thinking designs as well as functional art pieces.
- MACO Sur: This platform specifically highlights emerging galleries from Central and South America.
Supporting Emerging Artists
One of the unique aspects of Zona Maco is its dedication to supporting new talent through initiatives such as the New Proposals section. In this area, you can discover up-and-coming artists who are redefining contemporary artistic practices.
The fair goes beyond traditional exhibitions by incorporating site-specific installations and performance art that interact with Mexico City’s rich cultural heritage and current social issues.
Fostering Collaboration and Dialogue
Special projects at Zona Maco often involve partnerships with local institutions, fostering conversations between commercial galleries and museum-quality presentations. This creates an opportunity for different sectors of the art world to come together and share their perspectives.
Throughout the fair, there will be curated talks, panel discussions, and artist presentations that offer deeper insights into the artworks being exhibited. These educational components enhance the overall experience of Zona Maco, making it not just a marketplace but also a platform for knowledge exchange.
