Arts

Museum exhibits opening in Boston this winter

Discover new artworks at the MFA, the ICA, and beyond.

"Of Whales" by Worcester-born artist Wu Tsang, opening at the ICA this winter. Photo by Matteo De Fina

3 minutes to read

Whether or not you’re well-versed in the Boston art world, you’ll find something new this winter at the city’s museums. Discover an immersive exhibit at the ICA based on “Moby-Dick,” or explore the Korean cultural wave at the MFA. Plus, an anticipated new exhibit by Yayoi Kusama, the immersive “Let’s Survive Forever,” comes to downtown as part of WNDR Boston. Read on for more details about new art exhibits opening around the city this season.

‘Steve McQueen: Lynching Tree‘ at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Jan. 20 — Feb. 4

Steve McQueen’s photograph “Lynching Tree” hangs in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s Fenway Gallery for two weeks this winter. The “12 Years a Slave” director took the shot while filming the 2013 movie — depicting a Southern landscape focused on an oak, this bucolic scene was the site of several lynchings between the Civil War and the 1950s. The exhibit brings the opportunity for conversations about slavery and race in the U.S. While lynching happened most often in the south, it took place in Massachusetts, too.

‘Wordplay‘ at the ICA

Jan. 30 — Dec. 1

For the better part of 2024, from Jan. 30 through Dec. 1, the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in the Seaport puts on an exhibit called “Wordplay.” It highlights artwork with text, showing how words can both convey or change the meaning of contemporary art. “Text art” as a genre emerged with the conceptual art of the ‘60s. The exhibit features works by artists like Jenny Holzer and Glenn Ligon, along with newer acquisitions by artists like Kenturah Davis, Taylor Davis, Joe Wardwell, and Rivane Neuenschwander.

“Static Drift”(2001) by biracial artist Ingrid Mwangi Hutter, born in Kenya to an African father
and a European mother. The photo is part of the ICA’s “Wordplay” exhibit.

‘Let’s Survive Forever‘ at WNDR Boston

Starting Feb. 1

Japanese contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama’s “Let’s Survive Forever” comes to Downtown Crossing this winter as part of WNDR Boston, which features over 20 other immersive exhibits and opens on Feb. 1. Known for her immersive and whimsical installations, Yayoi Kusama has created other contemporary masterpieces like “Fireflies on the Water,” “Pumpkin,” and “Love Is Calling,” which ran at the ICA in 2019.

‘Igshaan Adams‘ at the ICA

Feb. 13 — Feb. 15, 2025

South African artist Igshaan Adams creates a new massive, site-specific installation for the ICA that opens on Feb. 13. Titled “Lynloop [Toeing the Line],” the monumental woven tapestry draws on the concept of “desire lines,” paths created over time by pedestrians walking the same way outside of designated walkways, to consider themes like memories, life trajectories, community, and racial castes during the apartheid era. The tapestry will hang in the museum’s main lobby.

‘Wu Tsang: Of Whales‘ at the ICA

Feb. 15 — Aug. 4

Presented in an ICA gallery adjacent to the harbor, “Of Whales” by Worcester-born artist Wu Tsang was inspired partly by Herman Melville’s classic novel “Moby-Dick.” The immersive exhibit of an oceanscape uses film and music to offer the perspective of the sperm whale, one of the world’s largest whales. Created on the Unity gaming platform with extended reality technologies and first shown at the 59th Venice Biennale in 2022, the exhibit runs until Aug. 4.

‘Hallyu! The Korean Wave‘ at the MFA

March 24 — July 28

“Hallyu,” which means “Korean Wave,” opens at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston (MFA) on March 24 and details the cultural wave that spread from Korea across Asia and then the world starting in the late 1990s. Today, K-pop music, K-drama films, and K-beauty products are mainstays of global popular culture. The exhibit features objects and interactive displays that chronicle the Korean Wave’s impact on music, film, fashion, beauty, and technology throughout the world today.

Natalie Gale

Natalie Gale is a freelance journalist covering food, travel, culture, and wellness.

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