spotlighting The top 10 exhibitions of 2024

The year 2024 brought a wealth of groundbreaking art shows, each pushing the boundaries of art, design, and storytelling. From Emmanuelle Moureaux’s kaleidoscopic 100 Colors Butterflies installation in Shanghai to Julie Mehretu’s sweeping retrospective at Palazzo Grassi in Venice, 2024 showcased a rich tapestry of creativity and innovation. Across the globe, this year’s top 10 exhibitions celebrated cultural heritage, challenged contemporary norms, and reimagined the relationship between art and its audience.

Highlights of our 2024 big stories include Anselm Kiefer’s evocative Fallen Angels at Palazzo Strozzi, Barbara Kruger’s dynamic installations at the Serpentine in London, and Es Devlin’s deeply human Congregation, which shined a spotlight on the lives of displaced individuals. In Milan, the late Gaetano Pesce’s Nice to See You offered a poignant farewell, while the Homo Faber event in Venice brought craftsmanship to life under Luca Guadagnino’s artistic vision. Spanning mediums, cultures, and eras, these ten art events defined the year, offering moments of reflection, wonder, and inspiration. Here are the exhibitions that left a mark on 2024.

EMMANUELLE MOUREAUX’S COLORFUL INSTALLATION VEILS VISITORS AMIDST A MYRIAD OF BUTTERFLIES

image courtesy of Lancôme

Emmanuelle Moureaux’s 100 Colors Butterflies installation at Lancôme’s The Art of Absolue exhibition in Shanghai unveils under the theme Perpetual, Beyond Time. The 48th iteration in Moureaux’s 100 Colors series, the artwork features 40,000 vibrant artificial butterflies arranged in a 10-meter-high circular volume. Attendees walk through a serene path of white butterflies, culminating in an immersive explosion of over 100 hues spanning yellows, reds, greens, and blues, reflecting the philosophy of Lancôme’s Absolue collection.

Inspired by Tokyo’s vivid urban landscape, where she has lived since 1996, Moureaux’s design approach, shikiri—or dividing space with colors—shapes her work. Drawing from the Japanese city’s layered visuals of store signs, cables, and architecture, she uses her 100 Colors series to celebrate the rich, often unnoticed colors of our environments. 

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FONDAZIONE PRADA DELVES INTO PINO PASCALI’S CREATIVE UNIVERSE IN MAJOR EXHIBITION

exhibition view of Pino Pascali, Fondazione Prada, Milan, photo: Roberto Marossi, courtesy: Fondazione Prada, in foreground: Pino Pascali, Vedova blu, 1968, mumok – Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien, Leihgabe der Österreichischen Ludwig-Stiftung. In prestito dall’Austrian Ludwig Foundation dal 1981, In background: Claudio Abate, Pino Pascali con Vedova blu (1968). Sesta biennale romana. Rassegna delle Arti Figurative di Roma e del Lazio, Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Roma, 1968, Photo Claudio Abate © Archivio Claudio Abate

Fondazione Prada in Milan presents a major retrospective of Italian artist Pino Pascali. Curated by Mark Godfrey, the exhibition spans four sections across the Podium, Nord, and Sud galleries, featuring 49 of Pascali’s works alongside pieces by prominent post-war artists, archival photographs, and a documentary. Designed by 2×4, the exhibition offers a comprehensive exploration of Pascali’s innovative approach to sculpture and his lasting influence on contemporary art.

The retrospective recreates environments from Pascali’s iconic shows, highlights his experimentation with materials like fiber cement and synthetic fabrics, and examines his role in key group exhibitions. The Sud gallery features rare photographs and videos that document Pascali’s dynamic interactions with his sculptures. Complementing the show, a conversation with curator Mark Godfrey and artist Peter Fischli, a screening of the documentary Pino, and an illustrated catalog provide deeper insights into Pascali’s artistry and enduring relevance.

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JULIE MEHRETU UNVEILS ‘ENSEMBLE’, HER LARGEST EUROPEAN EXHIBITION AT PALAZZO GRASSI VENICE

Julie Mehretu​, TRANSpaintings, 2023-2024, courtesy of the artist and White Cube. installation view, ‘Julie Mehretu. Ensemble’, 2024, Palazzo Grassi, Venezia. ph. Marco Cappelletti © Palazzo Grassi, Pinault Collection

Palazzo Grassi in Venice hosts Ensemble, the most comprehensive European exhibition of Julie Mehretu’s work. Curated by Caroline Bourgeois in collaboration with the artist, the show spans over 25 years of Mehretu’s practice, featuring more than 50 paintings and prints, including recent works from 2021–2024. Seventeen pieces from the Pinault Collection are displayed alongside loans from international museums and private collections, interwoven with works by Mehretu’s closest collaborators, including Nairy Baghramian, Huma Bhabha, and Tacita Dean.

Set against Palazzo Grassi’s classical Venetian architecture, the exhibition creates a non-linear narrative exploring the artist’s dynamic and collaborative ethos. The dialogue between Mehretu’s art and that of her peers highlights themes of displacement, shared ideologies, and creative interconnectedness. The exhibition is accompanied by a Marsilio Arte catalog featuring essays and conversations with figures such as Hilton Als, Jason Moran, and Caroline Bourgeois, as well as public events at the Teatrino di Palazzo Grassi.

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IN PALAZZO STROZZI, ANSELM KIEFER EXHIBITS GOD’S FALLEN ANGELS USING WAX, SAND, FLOWERS AND ASH

Palazzo Strozzi in Florence presents Fallen Angels, a major exhibition by Anselm Kiefer, curated by Arturo Galansino. The exhibition explores themes of memory, myth, and spirituality through a dialogue between Kiefer’s works and the Renaissance architecture of Palazzo Strozzi. Visitors are greeted by a monumental new piece created specifically for the palace’s courtyard, setting the tone for the immersive journey.

Drawing inspiration from the biblical story of angels expelled from heaven, Kiefer examines identity, rebellion, and divine symbolism through a variety of mediums, including painting, sculpture, and photography. Raw materials like lead, wax, sand, and ash are transformed into layered, monumental works that reflect the tension between spirituality and materiality. Processes like electrolysis and fire underscore the physical and symbolic transformations within the pieces.

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ES DEVLIN ON DRAWING 50 PEOPLE DISPLACED FROM THEIR HOMELANDS FOR HER INSTALLATION IN LONDON

image by Tayo Shonibare

In a conversation with designboom, Es Devlin discusses Congregation, her poignant installation of fifty portraits of displaced individuals, hosted at St Mary Le Strand church in London, coinciding with Frieze London. Created in collaboration with the UK for UNHCR and curated by Ekow Eshun, the project brings together art, performance, and storytelling to challenge perceptions of displacement.

The installation features portraits drawn with chalk and charcoal on cardboard, each subject holding an empty box. As the show begins, animated projections created by Devlin fill the boxes with personal objects of significance, offering intimate glimpses into the lives of those displaced by conflicts in countries like Afghanistan, Syria, and Ukraine. For Devlin, Congregation is a metaphorical gathering, inviting visitors to encounter these displaced individuals through their portraits, voices, and stories. The experience is enriched by choral performances outside The Courtauld and soundscapes featuring poetry by JJ Bola and Max Richter’s Recomposed: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. 

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ANTTI LOVAG’S ICONIC MAISON BERNARD FROM THE 1970S HOSTS GENIUS LOCI EXHIBITION IN FRANCE

The Genius Loci experiential exhibition returns, this time transforming Maison Bernard in Théoule-sur-Mer, France, into a celebration of organic architecture and contemporary art. The 1970s icon by Hungarian architect Antti Lovag welcomes over 20 modern and contemporary artists and designers whose works engage with the distinctive spherical spaces and lush garden of the unique residence. Notable highlights include creations by Marcin Rusak, Safia Hijos, and Xavier Veilhan, along with a collaborative eco-responsible installation by Samuel Nguyen and students from Villa Arson in Nice.

A standout moment comes from dancer and choreographer Némo Flouret, who presents DANCE PARC: a playground project, an architectural promenade performance tailored to Maison Bernard’s dreamlike environment. Curated by Marion Vignal and organized with the Maison Bernard Endowment Fund, the exhibition honors Lovag’s innovative design, blending nature, functionality, and creative freedom. 

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HOW JAPANESE WOODCARVER YUKIHIRO AKAMA SCULPTS HIS ENCHANTING TINY HOUSES

image © Red Photography, courtesy Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Yorkshire Sculpture Park welcomes Basho no Kankaku – A Sense of Place, the largest exhibition to date by Japanese woodcarver Yukihiro Akama. The show features 55 wooden houses, ranging from four centimeters to 106 centimeters in size, alongside architectural drawings and mini prints. Akama’s whimsical yet thoughtful sculptures blend childlike expressionism with a deep reverence for nature, echoing Japanese architectural traditions.

Akama, who began as an architectural technician, transitioned into woodworking after moving to Yorkshire in 2011, inspired by the region’s lush landscapes. Using traditional tools, he carves each house from a single piece of wood, guided by the material’s natural grain and knots. His designs, influenced by Japanese temples, shrines, and Jomon-era ruins, explore themes of transience and precariousness, often incorporating clay and pebble details for textural depth. For this commission, Akama developed a technique using iron acetate to ebonize wood, creating striking finishes that enhance his captivating creations. 

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NICE TO SEE YOU: INSIDE THE LAST EXHIBITION OF LATE DESIGNER GAETANO PESCE IN MILAN

During Milan Design Week 2024, Nice to See You, a poignant monographic exhibition of Gaetano Pesce’s latest creations right before his passing, graced the Sala Accademie and atrium of the Biblioteca Ambrosiana. Part of the 5VIE program, the show featured 30 mostly unreleased pieces crafted between 2023 and 2024, personally selected by the late architect, designer, and artist for their dual nature: functional design and thought-provoking message.

Highlighting works such as the Friendship Lamp, La Grande Chair, and Leaf Shelf, Pesce’s creations invite deeper reflection on the role of design beyond aesthetics or utility. ‘Design must go beyond function and form to carry meaning—addressing political, socio-economic, and personal themes,’  the late Gaetano Pesce had emphasized.

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BARBARA KRUGER RETURNS TO SERPENTINE WITH FIRST SOLO LONDON SHOW IN OVER 20 YEARS

Barbara Kruger: Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You.,(installation view, 1 February – 17 March 2024, Serpentine South)

Barbara Kruger returns to the Serpentine Galleries in London with Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You., her first institutional solo exhibition in the city in over 20 years. Running across the Serpentine South and beyond, the show transforms Kruger’s iconic works into immersive video installations and soundscapes, filling the gallery and extending into public spaces, including Outernet Arts. This site-specific showcase reimagines pieces such as Untitled (I shop therefore I am) (1987/2019) and Untitled (Your body is a battleground) (1989/2019) on massive wraparound screens and exterior banners.

Rooted in bold graphic design, Kruger’s works tackle enduring issues of power, gender, and capital, as she reflects on their continuing relevance. ‘It would be great if my work became archaic…Unfortunately, that is not the case at this point’ Kruger states.

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HOMO FABER 2024 JOURNEYS THROUGH LIFE WITH CRAFTS AND EXHIBITIONS STAGED BY LUCA GUADAGNINO

The third edition of Homo Faber takes over Venice’s Fondazione Giorgio Cini with Luca Guadagnino and Nicolò Rosmarini delivering scenography for the theme The Journey of Life. Organized by the Michelangelo Foundation, the event unfolds across ten themed exhibitions reflecting the stages of life—from Birth and Love to Afterlife—intertwined with Venetian architecture and craftsmanship.

Guadagnino’s signature flair is evident in vibrant pastel hues, mirrors, and pleated fabric walls, inspired by Carlo Scarpa, culminating in immersive dreamlike spaces that highlight life and death’s duality. Visitors engaged with crafts like Japanese bookbinding, embroidery, and shoemaking, or marvel at intricate displays, such as paper flowers in Sala Bianca and a forest of papier-mâché cypresses. The event also spilled into Venice, with 70 artisanal ateliers opening their doors and collaborations with iconic institutions like Fondaco dei Tedeschi and Cartier. 

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