Top New York City Shows to See Right Now
Exploring the Power of Sensory Engagement in Contemporary Art Exhibitions
In today’s fast-paced world, many art exhibitions are pushing back against the impulse to consume images quickly and passively. Instead, they invite viewers to slow down, observe subtle details, and engage with art on a deeper, multi-sensory level. A recent array of exhibitions in New York City beautifully exemplifies this growing trend. These shows ask important questions about perception, presence, and the boundaries between organic and artificial — revealing profound insights about the human experience and our place in the world.
Below, we look at five standout exhibitions that encourage mindful viewing and sensory exploration.
📷 Exposure at Ulterior Gallery, Soho
Through April 5
Curated by Carrie Yamaoka, Exposure at Ulterior Gallery is a cerebral and conceptual group exhibition that investigates the multifaceted notion of “exposure.” It wades into visual, emotional, and societal interpretations of the term — from photographic exposure to vulnerability between individuals. The artworks in the show, such as Carlos Reyes’s piece “Popular Jewelry,” challenge viewers to contemplate how art is received and interpreted in an image-saturated, surveillance-heavy society.
According to reviewer Alexis Clements, “Exposure is an exploration of ideas surrounding photographic exposure, ‘our exposure to each other,’ and the ways in which art itself is exposed to the world.”
🧪 Luis Fernando Benedit: Invisible Labyrinths at Institute for Studies on Latin American Art (ISLAA), Lower Manhattan
Through April 5
This thought-provoking exhibition spotlights the late Argentinian artist Luis Fernando Benedit, whose works occupied the unique space between science and conceptual art. Benedit’s installations — such as his 1970 “Labyrinth for Ants” — are literal micro-environments made for the observation of animal behavior. They yet serve as powerful metaphors, exploring themes of control, containment, and observation.
The exhibition poses urgent questions about the politics of classification, surveillance, and how we define the “natural” world. As noted in Hyperallergic’s review, Benedit’s art “prioritizes questions over answers,” encouraging us to consider the frameworks through which we view other beings and ourselves.
🎥 Deborah-Joyce Holman: Close Up at the Swiss Institute, East Village
Through April 20
Deborah-Joyce Holman’s Close Up harnesses the medium of video to celebrate the invisible details of everyday life. Her work, which centers Black femininity, urges viewers to slow down and absorb the beauty of daily gestures and overlooked moments. The film’s gentle pacing and hyper-focused shots ask us to recognize the richness of what is typically seen as mundane.
“The opportunity to pay such close attention to the minutiae of the everyday reveals a subtle, previously hidden beauty,” writes Alexandra M. Thomas. Holman’s work underscores how radical acts of representation and perspective can be when treated with intimacy and care.
🧵 Madalena Santos Reinbolt: A Head Full of Planets at the American Folk Art Museum, Upper West Side
Through May 25
Brazilian artist Madalena Santos Reinbolt created densely textured “thread paintings” that weave landscapes, dreams, and memories together using acrylic wool on burlap. Born into poverty and lacking formal art training, Reinbolt developed her intricate and vibrant works while working as a housekeeper. Her pieces act as emotional reservoirs — reflective of her life, experiences, and imagination.
“Her landscapes, often embedded with childhood memories, seemed to help her hold on to a sense of place, identity, and individuality,” writes Debra Brehmer. Her practice exemplifies how art can be both healing and empowering, especially when born from marginalized voices.
🌹 A Rose Is at the FLAG Art Foundation, Chelsea
Through June 21
The exhibition A Rose Is is a poetic and wide-ranging meditation on one of the most symbolically loaded flowers in history. Featured artists reframe and interrogate the rose’s long cultural lineage — from sacred purity to romantic cliché, and even to political conflict, as seen in the Wars of the Roses.
The exhibition poses the rose as a prism through which artists like Farah Al Qasimi explore identity, colonialism, and belonging. Reviewer Lisa Yin Zhang notes, “The rose might be the most densely described flower in history.” Each artwork peels back another layer of meaning, challenging us to reconsider what we think we know about familiar symbols.
A Collective Call for Mindful Engagement in Art
Together, these exhibitions cultivate a shared theme: the value of seeing deeply and thinking critically. The artists featured — from conceptual pioneers like Benedit to self-taught textile visionaries like Reinbolt — demand more than glances. They call us into active, thoughtful engagement with both the artwork and our own reactions to it.
In a world characterized by distraction and speed, these shows offer something invaluable: a moment of stillness, a space for connection, and an invitation to see anew