It’s often said that history is written by those in power. Thankfully, we have artists to offer perspectives on the past that diverge from dominant narratives. The exhibitions below all look to or represent the past at different points and in varying ways. Two shows at the Metropolitan Museum of Art take steps back in time: one reconsiders what a “copy” is by way of China around 1100 CE, the other travels to the Catskills in the 1950s and ’60s to pay homage to a refuge for trans women. Meanwhile, a riotous show at the Brooklyn Museum partly recreates a vision of 1975 New York by Mimi Gross and Red Grooms, who chose to see the then-downtrodden city in a celebratory light. And in Newark, artist Helina Metaferia places herself among Greco-Roman and Ancient Egyptian artworks and creates her own artifacts to draw attention to colonialism and her Ethiopian heritage.
As a side note, by including shows such as Metaferia’s and others in neighboring states or upstate that are a quick train ride away, we hope to encourage readers to explore a diversity of areas and art. —Natalie Haddad, Reviews Editor
Helina Metaferia: When Civilizations Heal
Project for Empty Space, 800 Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey
Through August 17
“While Metaferia’s work is doubtlessly scholarly — the show also includes a library of volumes on activism and Ethiopian arts and culture — this exhibition is high on visual pleasure and low on didacticism.” —Li-Ming Hu
Recasting the Past: The Art of Chinese Bronzes, 1100–1900
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, Manhattan
Through September 28
“Around a millennium ago, in 1100, Emperor Huizong of the Song dynasty rediscovered evidence of these [ancient bronze] vessels, launching a revival of bronze casting and a movement to reclaim the virtues of the past.” —Lisa Yin Zhang
Read the full review.
Red Grooms, Mimi Gross, and The Ruckus Construction Co.: Excerpts from “Ruckus Manhattan”
Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway, Crown Heights, Brooklyn
Through November 2
“[Ruckus Manhattan] not only reflects slices of the city to its residents and visitors, but invites us in to be part of the circus of it all.” —Julie Schneider
Read the full review.
Casa Susanna
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, Manhattan
Through January 25, 2026
“As exciting as it is to see snapshots of this specific community on the walls of one of the world’s leading museums, it’s just a tiny taste of the vast and long-standing history of trans people around the globe.” —Alexis Clements
Read the full review.
