10 Art Moments That Defined 2025

The year that is about to finish faced a multitude of challenges and transformations, so the art field could not be kept away from them. This article focuses on contemporary art and looks at the world from a Brazilian perspective, with São Paulo city as a focal point. It highlights some of the most important shows we had locally and internationally, as well as two thefts that occurred and spurred concerns across the world.

2025 Sao Paulo Biennial

Gathering 120 artists from across the globe and curated by an international team, this edition of the São Paulo Biennale is aimed at collectively imagining better futures and has an ecological preoccupation. Nevertheless, it raised questions, especially due to its poor signage of the works. Now in its fourth month, it will continue on display until early January. Every iteration of this megaevent is expected to set the discussions in art, possibly shaping its market.

Ana Amorim’s Exhibit at MAC is Voted Show of the Year

A poll conducted by SP Arte, which runs two major art fairs in São Paulo, pointed to conceptual artist Ana Amorim’s exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art in São Paulo as the best show of the year, only considering the institutional ones. ‘Mental Maps’ was the largest show by her to date and gathered works that translate her day-to-day routine into art.

Claude Monet’s Show at MASP Reaches Record of Visitors

With over 500 thousand visitors, ‘The Ecology of Monet’ built a new reading of the works by the French master, considering the transformations of nature during his time. At the same time, Monet created a praise of the environment and tried to organise it, according to Fernando Oliva, one of the curators of the show. It was the greatest success in terms of audience in the history of MASP.

Centre Pompidou Will Be Closed for Five Years

Four years ago, an announcement was made – the Centre Pompidou would be closed for five years for renovation work. The time has come. The Pompidou, which is not only a museum but a cultural centre, was built in 1971. This renovation will update its technical systems and improve accessibility and the visitor experience, while preserving its inside-out design.

Brazil Will Host a Pompidou Satellite

Planned to open in late 2027, Foz do Iguaçu, in Southern Brazil, will host a new building by the Pompidou. Designed by the Paraguayan architect Solano Benítez, it will be a cultural centre and will exhibit part of the French collection. It will add to other existing satellites of the Parisian cultural centre, in Belgium, Spain, Saudi Arabia, France’s countryside, and China. There are also plans for spaces in the United States and South Korea.

Female Artists Reach New Price Records

At foreign auctions, new results have been reached by female artists. South-African-born Marlene Dumas now holds the highest price ever achieved at auction for a living female artist. A Mexican-born Frida Kahlo’s 1940 self-portrait has beaten the existing record for a female artist at an auction.

Brazilian Art Increases Its Exportation to the World

According to a report by Act Arte, ‘While international trade experienced a significant contraction, Brazil maintained volumes close to stability and increased its share in global flows,’ from 2023 to the first semester of 2025. The Brazilian exports of art increased 7,2%. There is, however, a lot to recover to reach pre-2020 levels.

Pinacoteca Held a Comprehensive Show of Brazilian Art of the ‘60s and ‘70s

Titled ‘Pop Brazil: Avant-garde and New Figuration, 1960-70,’ the show gathered more than 100 artists. The 250 works were divided into themes, such as the coming of the cultural industry, politics, and social transformations. According to the curators, Pollyana Quintella and Yuri Quevedo, the show was aimed at a better understanding of the origins of Brazilian contemporary art and of a generation of artists who dreamed of a better society.

Crown Jewels Stolen from the Louvre in Paris

In France, robbers broke into the Louvre Museum to steal pieces of jewellery worth more than USD 100 million. In a very quick heist, robbers have hit the French national pride and raised questions about museum security around the world.

Works Stolen from a São Paulo Library

Being the most recent moment, in early December, robbers entered Mario de Andrade Library, in downtown São Paulo and took 13 works by Candido Portinari and Henri Matisse. One of the robbers was caught by the police afterwards. No piece was recovered until now. This event raised questions about security in Brazilian museums, but Joselia Aguiar, former director of the public library, stated that it is not a museum and hence faces difficulties in exhibiting valuable artworks or books.

These are ten events that marked the year 2025. In our next article, in January, we will discuss what to expect from Brazilian art in 2026, presenting the most important debates and shows we will face and visit.

Luis Sandes for London Art Walk
December 2025