2024 was a bustling year for art in New York, with blockbuster exhibitions at museums, museum-level shows at galleries — especially a few new, nearly museum-sized galleries in Tribeca, the city’s reigning art hub — and nonprofits and artist-run spaces presenting some fresh faces and engaging programming. Art censorship also came to the fore this year as we got a glimpse into the interests and politics of museums, but despite it all, there was so much great art to see. It was hard for Hyperallergic’s staff and contributors to compile our favorites with so many strong shows to choose from, but below are the ones that made us think, nourished our souls, introduced us to under-recognized artists, cultures, or histories, and most of all, just blew us away. —Natalie Haddad, Reviews Editor
Pacita Abad
MoMA PS1, April 4–September 2, 2024
Curated by Ruba Katrib and Sheldon Gooch; the presentation at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, was curated by Victoria Sung and Matthew Villar Miranda.
Filipina artist Pacita Abad was an empath, a roving intellectual, a truth-teller, a soul queen, a woman of the world. She journeyed between continents, visiting some 60 countries, to soak up local traditions and feel the pain of others on her skin. She stitched all these experiences into spellbinding quilt-like trapunto paintings, using everything from shells and beads to water bottle caps and toothpaste tubes. New Yorkers had a rare chance to see so many of her magnificent works in one place thanks to this unforgettable exhibition. —HB
