Paul Klee, Blüten Zauber (1933)
Photo: Centre Pompidou

Spring has sprung, and it seems so are the blockbuster shows. Big institutions Europe-wide are opening retrospectives of well-known artists, or highlighting influential art periods these next few months, with an interest in approaching the better-known with a fresh eye. We’ve gathered a list of exhibitions sure to be crowd magnets, encompassing everything from antiquities to Modern and contemporary art, 20th century design, and even music legends. You might want to reserve your ticket online to avoid the queues.

John Latham, Time Base Roller,  (1972)
Photo: Tate Britain

1.“Conceptual Art in Britain 1964-1979” at Tate Britain, London.
Spanning 15 years of artwork, “Conceptual Art in Britain 1964-1979” considers the lasting impact fo the conceptual art movement. The exhibition revisits the artworks that went against traditional approaches to place focus on the idea over the product, and surrounds them with other influential artists of their time, featuring works by, among others, Conrad Atkinson, Margaret Harrison, Susan Hiller, Mary Kelly, John Latham, and Richard Long.

“Conceptual Art in Britain 1964-1979” will be on view at Tate Britain from April 12 – August 29, 2016.

The British Museum’s exhibition features clues into these ancient cities including religious objects such as statues as well as personal belongings such as jewelry.
Photo: The British Museum

2. “Sunken cities; Egypt’s lost worlds” at the British Museum, London.
The cities of Thonis-Heracleion and Canopus were recently discovered due to technological advancements after being submerged underwater for more than a thousand years: their discovery gives us new information about the social and commercial interactions between ancient Egypt and ancient Greece. The British Museum exhibits objects discovered in these lost cities for the first time in the UK, along with potential narratives of the lives of their ancient inhabitants.

“Sunken cities: Egypt’s lost worlds” will be on view at British Museum from May 19 –  November 27, 2016. 

Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion, Francis Bacon, 1944
Photo: Tate Liverpool

3.  “Francis Bacon: Invisible Rooms” at Tate Liverpool.
Tate Liverpool opens the largest Francis Bacon exhibition ever in the north of England, with more than 30 paintings to be exhibited. Also shown in the exhibition are seldom-seen drawings and documents: perhaps the viewer can discover something lesser-known and piece together a more complete narrative of this British great.

“Francis Bacon: Invisible Rooms” will be on view at Tate Liverpool from May 18 – September 18, 2016. 

The exhibition will take over nine galleries spanning two entire floors.
Photo: Saatchi Gallery

4. “Exhibitionism: The Rolling Stones” at Saatchi Gallery, London.
The Saatchi Gallery presents in April the first-ever exhibition on the Rolling Stones, with a focus on their influence on the art and design worlds. In addition to memorabilia and personal items from the band, “Exhibitionism” includes works by Andy Warhol, Shepard Fairey, Alexander McQueen, and other artists and designers who collaborated with and were impacted by the Rolling Stones.

 “Exhibitionism: The Rolling Stones” will be on view at Saatchi Gallery from April 5 – September 4, 2016. 

Paul Klee, Insula Dulcamara, (1938)
Photo: Centre Pompidou

5. “Paul Klee: L’ironie à l’oeuvre” at Centre Pompidou, Paris.
More than 250 works by Paul Klee come together from both public and private collections internationally, including the Zentrum Paul Klee, for Centre Pompidou’s retrospective of the Swiss-German artist. It is the first major French retrospective of Klee’s work in almost half a century, with the last survey being Le Musée National d’art Moderne’s in 1969. The exhibition is divided into seven sections based on the time in Klee’s life and the context in which the artworks were created, allowing the viewer to follow Klee’s life and changing practice.

“Paul Klee: L’ironie à l’oeuvre” will be on view at Centre Pompidou, Paris from April 6 – August 1, 2016. 

Installation view, “Carl Andre: Sculpture as Place, 1958–2010” at Dia:Beacon
Photo: Dia Art Foundation

6. “Carl Andre: Sculpture as Place, 1958-2010” at Hambuger Bahnhof, Berlin.
In early May, Hamburger Bahnhof will show more than 50 of Carl Andre‘s sculptures along with more than 200 of his poems and writings. The exhibition also includes rarely-seen assemblages entitled “Dada Forgeries” alongside personal photographs and letters to give particular insight into the evolution of an American artist who repeatedly redefined sculpture.

“Carl Andre: Sculpture as Place, 1958-2010” will be on view at Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin from May 5 – September 18, 2016. 

Édouard Manet, Nana, (1877)
Photo: Hamburger Kunsthalle

7. “Manet, Painting the Gaze” at Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg.
Marking the reopening after renovations, Hamburger Kunsthalle introduces its refurbished space with an extensive exhibition of Manet works. The show considers the controversy of Manet’s work, especially surrounding his tendency to paint his subjects in a way that makes the viewer feel they have entered a personal or intimate space. Even over 100 years after his death, Édouard Manet still forces an intriguing reconsideration of who is being seen and who is doing the seeing.

“Manet: Painting the Gaze” will be on view at Hamburger Kunsthalle from May 27 –  September 4, 2016.

Jean-Michel Basquiat,Slave Auction,  (1982)
Photo: Centre Pompidou

8. “A History: Contemporary Art from the Centre Pompidou” at Haus der Kunst, Munich.
Haus der Kunst invited Centre Pompidou curator Christine Macel, who is also the artistic director of the upcoming Venice Biennale in 2017, to curate this exhibition based on change in the art world in the second half of the 20th century, following events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall and the events of Tiananmen Square. “A History: Contemporary Art from the Centre Pompidou” features more than 160 works from 100 different artists on loan from the Parisian institution, including Jean-Michel Basquiat and Thomas Hirschhorn. The choice to select only contemporary works made since the 1980s asks the viewer to consider what defines this period.

“A History: Contemporary Art from the Centre Pompidou” will be on view at Haus der Kunst, Munich from March 25 – September 4, 2016. 

Ed Atkins, Even Pricks, (2013)
Photo: courtesy of artist and Cabinet, London

9. “The New Human” at Moderna Museet, Stockholm.
“The New Human” in Stockholm features numerous established artists alongside up-and-coming ones, all posed with the same question: What is the human condition today? In the current contexts of globalization, migration, and technological advancement, where do we stand in relation to each other, and in relation to ourselves? The video-based exhibition features works by Ed Atkins, Frances Stark, Hito Steyerl, and Ryan Trecartin among others, all questioning the current state and future fate of humanity.

“The New Human”will be on view at Moderna Museet, Stockholm from May 21 – 4 December, 2016.

Charles and Ray are known today as one of the most influential design duos in history.
Photo: Eames Office

10. “Charles and Ray Eames” at Bild Museet in Umeå.
The Bild Museet explores the interactions between product and person in a retrospective of one of the most influential design pairs in history. Including furniture pieces, products, models, and illustrations but also private memorabilia such as photographs and letters, the show explores the forces which influenced Charles and Ray Eames, and the influence they hold on the design world.

“Charles and Ray Eames” will be on view at Bildmuseet, Sweden from April 17 – September 4, 2016.