Frieze Editors on What to Look Forward to in 2025

Terence Trouillot The exhibition I’m most excited for next year is the highly anticipated ‘Monuments’ show, which opens in autumn 2025 at two Los Angeles venues: The Brick and the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles [MOCA]. It’s a very ambitious project co-organized by MOCA’s senior curator Bennett Simpson, The Brick’s director Hamza Walker and the artist Kara Walker. The conceit of the exhibition is to present decommissioned confederate monuments alongside newly commissioned works and activations from contemporary artists. Already, the chatter around the show has been quite controversial, but I think, at the very least, it will prove to be an impressive exhibition and will be part of the discourse for next year.

Cassie Packard I agree that ‘Monuments’ will be a very important exhibition. It’s been in the works for seven years now, during which time the conversation around confederate and other problematic monuments has evolved so much. I’m glad the curators are bringing contemporary artists into the debate; the gesture feels akin to Boston’s ‘Un-monument’ programme but more confrontational. I’m curious to see whether they might involve groups such as the Toppled Monuments Archive, for instance, whose view – that we should preserve the legacy of the monuments’ toppling, not the objects themselves – could supply productive friction.

TT I’m just back from Prospect.6 in New Orleans and it was amazing to see Harmony Circle – formerly known as Lee Circle, before the statue of confederate general Robert E. Lee was removed in 2017 – adorned by Raúl de Nieves’s sculptures. De Nieves also invited the drag queen wrestling group Choke Hole to activate the space on opening weekend, which was both incredibly unhinged and incredibly powerful. Taking over public space is important.

Many people argue that we need to preserve these historical markers, despite their fraught and problematic nature, to ensure we don’t forget that history. I imagine the ‘Monuments’ co-curators might align with this perspective. On the other hand, there’s a strong belief that such objects should be removed entirely because there’s no space for them in public life.

When this was a hot-button topic, much of the conversation revolved around taking down these statues without destroying them – placing them in museums instead, where they could be studied, confronted and contextualized. The idea was to use these objects to remember and engage with history, rather than to erase it. From what I understand, ‘Monuments’ is about artists activating these statues, whether by painting on them, recontextualizing them or otherwise engaging with them in a museum setting. It’s a fascinating approach, and I’ve heard from people at MOCA that there’s a lot of apprehension about revisiting such a visceral issue.

The idea was to use these objects to remember and engage with history, rather than to erase it. Terence Trouillot

While it’s not as prominent a topic in public discourse as it once was, especially after the wave of removals in cities like New Orleans, it remains deeply politicized. The mainstream debates turned it into a flashpoint, and I suspect this show will stir up strong reactions. It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out.

CP Especially since it’ll be happening during Donald Trump’s presidency.

Ivana Cholakova In Europe, ARoS Museum in Aarhus, Denmark, is unveiling a new underground gallery space – as well as a semi-subterranean dome designed by the artist James Turrell. Whilst the dates are still to be announced, the first commission for the new gallery will be an expansive video installation by British artist Jenkin van Zyl themed around ‘The Bureau of Lost Property’ – a fictional treatment centre where people go to recover lost memories. The concept playfully blends the sensual drag and grotesque anthropomorphism that are so characteristic of his art. It’s a fascinating premise and I’m eager to see how it unfolds, especially in this brand-new space.

The exploration of multisensorial environments will continue later in the year with Candice Lin’s upcoming exhibition at Whitechapel Gallery in October, which promises to be equally compelling. The artist’s immersive installations often veer into magical realism as they document marginalized stories and colonial legacies through the ephemera that bind them. Her latest show ‘Night Stone’, at Jameel Arts Centre in Dubai, draws parallels between the contemporary trade of manganese between Australia and China, and the 18th-century commerce of sea cucumbers. The objects’ toxic interaction leads to surprising bodily transformations. Lin’s exhibition in Whitechapel will mark her return to London, nine years after her last show here at Gasworks.

TT I have to admit that I’m not particularly excited about the upcoming Sharjah Biennial – titled ‘To Carry’ – which might be a controversial opinion. This year, it’s being organized by a group of curators, each working on a separate project that is somewhat in dialogue with the others. Unfortunately, the presentation on the biennial that I attended at Frieze Seoul this September was rather abstract and didn’t offer a clear picture of the event. From what I could gather, it lacked a cohesive vision and seemed overly expansive. I couldn’t shake the feeling that it might struggle to come together successfully. Of course, it’s possible I’m wrong, but that’s the impression I got.

CP The polyvocality taken up by so many biennials today resonates with me in theory but, too often, the execution ends up being baggy and unwieldy.

IC I agree, if you’re going to include a myriad of voices, you need an ironclad curatorial premise and, from the press release, it doesn’t sound like that’s the case.

TT Right. The unfortunate thing is that there are plenty of good artists involved, such as Mila Turajlić, who will present a video installation exploring themes of collective memory and political history through archival footage. Tentatively titled Echoes of Non-Alignment, the work will feature a multi-channel video display that juxtaposes historical newsreels with contemporary interviews, examining the legacy of the Non-Aligned Movement in the Global South. There are definitely a few aspects of the biennial that seem interesting. However, after that presentation, I felt uncertain about it, and many others I spoke to had similar reservations.

That said, the last Sharjah Biennial was impressive – albeit overwhelming – according to our colleagues who attended. But that’s the thing about biennials in general: they’re often so vast that it’s difficult to take everything in. Even if you manage to see all the art, the sheer volume of it leads to fatigue, and it becomes hard to retain or process what you’ve seen.

That is partly the nature of our work, of course. Particularly at an event like a biennial, we rarely have time to fully engage with the art. We’re often flying in, trying to absorb everything quickly, then forming an opinion almost immediately. The overwhelming scale can feel excessive, especially if the event lacks cohesion or isn’t thoroughly thought out.

CP I always think we have reached peak ‘biennialization’ and then another one crops up. I’m excited about the Helsinki Biennial, however, the third edition of which will take place in the summer and be curated by Blanca de la Torre and Kati Kivinen. From the outset, the organization has had smart themes and a serious sustainability initiative. The most eco-friendly strategy would be to not mount a biennial at all, obviously, but I appreciate what they’re modelling.

IC I feel like this follows a wider trend of bigger group shows and biennials trying to be more conscious of the environment. This November, we covered ‘Mutual Aid’, a vast group show at Castello di Rivoli in Turin, for our critic’s guide to Artissima. The exhibition was marketed as an interspecies collaboration, with international artists working from non-human perspectives, and, allegedly, all of the artworks were transported by boat. Whilst this sounds like a logistical nightmare, it’s a step in the right direction. I’m sure we will see more ecologically centred curation in 2025. The Helsinki Biennial appears to follow a similar premise of decentring an anthropocentric worldview, but I wonder if that’s enough.

TT That’s really interesting. It reminds me of the Lyon Biennial back in 2017, which had a similar premise focused on non-humanist perspectives. Obviously, it ties in quite strongly with climate change and climate politics, which makes it feel especially relevant.

That said, I’m curious how you both feel about it. I noticed a similar thread in the 2022 Venice Biennale, though perhaps to a lesser extent. Personally, I find the theme interesting, but I’m not sure I’m entirely convinced by how it’s been handled in exhibition-making so far.

I think it might be connected to the growing body of literature on plant intelligence – James Bridle’s Ways of Being [2022], Zoë Schlanger’s The Light Eaters [2024] – which seems to be gaining traction right now. At the same time, AI is undergoing a massive transformation and dominating public consciousness in such a striking way. It feels like these two developments might be converging or influencing each other in interesting ways.

IC Transhumanism is certainly having a moment in both contemporary art and literature. The question is: as humanity develops, are we going to slip further into technology or will we blend with nature?

CP But they are already so entangled, in part because technology comes from nature. Materials like cobalt and silicon are mined from the earth; AI systems require huge amounts of water. How we make decisions around what constitutes a technology also feels relevant here.

TT That’s a good point. It makes me think of Lin’s work around the extraction and production of lithium – such as her presentation at the 2023 Gwangju Biennale, Lithium Sex Demons in the Factory – and whether she will continue to probe that subject in her forthcoming Whitechapel Gallery show. Is there anything else we’re looking forward to in 2025?

IC Recently, I learned that the creators of the Bulgarian Pavilion at this year’s Venice Biennale have secured funding to expand their research into a book: Lilia Topouzova’s Unsilencing is set to be released next spring. I’m not sure if you remember the pavilion – it was quite small and in a building located some way from the Giardini. The project, which is the result of more than 20 years of work, centres on eye-witness testimonies from people who were in labour camps in Bulgaria during the communist regime.

It could be a good example of a biennial aiming to enrich the cultural landscape of a city rather than adopting a more exploitative or parasitic role. Ivana Cholakova

What makes this work particularly significant is that it looks at a chapter of Bulgarian history which isn’t widely discussed. There’s little evidence of these events, and they’re not taught in schools or addressed in museums. For me, this pavilion is a great example of how a biennial project can spark meaningful conversation within a country, with its impact continuing in a new form through this upcoming book.

CP Several major New York museums, including The Frick and the New Museum, will reopen after building work in 2025. I’m particularly excited for the reopening of the Studio Museum in Harlem, which has been closed since 2018; they will be presenting an exhibition of work by Tom Lloyd, who was the subject of their first-ever show in 1968. It’s a nice, full-circle moment.

TT There’s also the São Paolo Biennial. I’m curious to see what chief curator Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung and co-curators – Keyna Eleison, Anna Roberta Goetz, Alya Sebti and Thiago de Paula Souza – have in store for us. The artist list has yet to come out, but the title has been announced: ‘Not All Travellers Walk Roads – Of Humanity as Practice’. Coincidentally, this exhibition promises to offer a more humanist approach to its curatorial underpinnings, focusing on how ‘humans understand and engage with each other’ – a welcomed counterpoint to the posthumanist slant we were discussing earlier.

CP Performa hasn’t released its artist list yet either, but Hartwig Art Foundation will be co-commissioning again. Also in November is the 14th Taipei Biennial, which is being organized by Hamburger Bahnhof directors Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath.

IC Uzbekistan is holding its first biennial this year in Bukhara. While I think the launch of another biennial ties into Cassie’s point about them popping up everywhere, it does sound intriguing. Scheduled for September, it’s titled ‘Recipes for Broken Hearts’ and, as part of the programme, Uzbek and international chefs will be showcasing culinary traditions from the region, highlighting Bukhara’s history within the global spice trade. The event is part of the city’s initiative to draw more attention to its creative sector while fostering dialogue between local and international artists.

In this sense, it could be a good example of a biennial aiming to enrich the cultural landscape of a city rather than adopting a more exploitative or parasitic role, which, as Edna Bonhomme pointed out in her essay for the November/December issue of frieze, has sometimes been the case with Art Basel Miami.

TT I like the theme because, while it feels poetic and romantic, it also leaves a lot of room for interpretation and depth. By contrast, many recent biennial themes have focused on ecology or similarly broad, politicized topics. While those can be powerful when thoroughly researched and well-curated, they sometimes feel overly ambitious or overwhelming.

I imagine we’ll see more of this experimental approach moving forward. The ‘Monuments’ exhibition comes to mind as a show that may challenge traditional institutional norms. This shift is especially compelling during such a politically charged period. The new age of McCarthyism happening in Germany, as well as ongoing global conflicts like those in Gaza, and even Trump’s re-emergence in US politics, underline the urgency and complexity of this moment. These events raise big questions about how the art world will respond, and what that response might look like.

CP It’s interesting to think about where censorship happens in the process of, say, mounting an exhibition, and how much of that process is invisible to us. It’s not only a matter of what gets shut down. Which shows won’t get funded – or even proposed in the first place – in 2025? What will we not see, and how can we know the shape and extent of that hole? This feels like a moment when networks of solidarity are incredibly important.

IC What’s scary is that the changes stemming from global political turmoil don’t happen instantaneously. Only after a couple of years will we be able to step back and see the bigger picture. We’re currently going through the initial scare, but have no idea how the decisions that are being implemented now will reverberate within the art world and beyond.

_{Main image: Matthew Fontaine Maury monument (1929) by artist Frederick William Sievers with graffiti (2020) from Richmond, Virginia. Photograph: John McDonnell/Washington Post}