Alex Katz and the exhibition arc from Seoul to Tübingen
Published on 08/31/2026 at 15:16 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Alex Katz remains a central figure in painting with a current exhibition arc that runs from Seoul to Tübingen and Waterville. His late work and drawings anchor institutional shows that trace portraits, flowers and landscapes across seven decades.
The exhibitions now on view
The solo exhibition Alex Katz: Studies at Thaddaeus Ropac Seoul ran from May 22 to August 1, 2026, and focused on rarely seen research paintings from the 1990s to the present, including the large canvas Lilies (2025). This is confirmed by the gallery’s exhibition page, which notes the show at its Fort Hill space in Seoul.
At the same time, the survey Alex Katz | Out of Sight: A Drawing Survey is on view at the Colby College Museum of Art in Waterville, Maine, from May 21 to October 11, 2026, curated by the museum’s Katz Curator Kiko Aebi. The Colby Museum presents the show as a career-spanning drawing survey, with an illustrated catalogue planned.
The late work in Tübingen
In Germany, Kunsthalle Tübingen is presenting Alex Katz: Dancing with Reality from March 28 to September 13, 2026, developed in close collaboration with the artist. Thaddaeus Ropac describes the exhibition as offering a comprehensive overview of Katz’s late work, built around archetypal groups of paintings from the 1990s onward.
Gallery materials stress that the Tübingen exhibition emphasizes Katz’s most recent series, re-situating his portraits, florals and landscapes within the context of contemporary American painting. A Surovek Gallery news item similarly notes that Katz’s works are concurrently visible at Kunsthalle Tübingen, Thaddaeus Ropac Seoul and the Colby Museum.
Exhibitions and background on Alex Katz
Further news and analyses on Alex Katz’s museum surveys, gallery shows and their reception can be found in the AD HOC NEWS archive.
How the artist’s practice reads today
Katz’s current institutional shows foreground his dual focus on portraiture and landscape, with bodies of work that include intimate drawings, large-format florals and archetypal forest scenes. Together they underline his insistence on flat color fields, sharp silhouettes and a cinematic cropping of figures.
Where Alex Katz stands now
Alex Katz’s work is actively circulating in museum and gallery exhibitions in 2026, with late paintings, drawings and studies presented in coordinated shows in Germany, South Korea and the United States.
Key facts on Alex Katz
- Artist: Alex Katz
- Medium / Genre: Painting (figurative and landscape)
- Born: 1927, New York City, United States
- Place(s) of practice: Studio in New York, with strong institutional ties in Maine through the Colby College Museum of Art.
- Active since: Late 1940s, with early recognition following his first solo exhibitions in New York in the 1950s.
- Key work groups: Portrait heads, Flowers, Landscapes, late-series works consolidated in Dancing with Reality.
- Current/last exhibition: Alex Katz: Dancing with Reality, Kunsthalle Tübingen, Germany, March 28 to September 13, 2026; Alex Katz | Out of Sight: A Drawing Survey, Colby College Museum of Art, Maine, May 21 to October 11, 2026; Alex Katz: Studies, Thaddaeus Ropac Seoul, May 22 to August 1, 2026.
- Major collections: Works by Alex Katz are held in major public collections including the Museum of Modern Art (New York), the Whitney Museum of American Art (New York), the Tate (London) and the Colby College Museum of Art (Waterville).
- Awards: Katz has received significant recognition over his career, including honorary degrees and institutional honors documented by the Colby College Museum of Art and other institutions.
- Next date: In the current 30-day window, Alex Katz’s work continues on view within the running exhibitions at Kunsthalle Tübingen and the Colby College Museum of Art.
Frequently asked questions about Alex Katz
Where is Alex Katz currently on view in 2026?
As of late August 2026, Alex Katz’s work is on view at Kunsthalle Tübingen in Germany in Dancing with Reality, at the Colby College Museum of Art in Maine in Out of Sight: A Drawing Survey, and in the recently concluded Studies at Thaddaeus Ropac Seoul.
What does the exhibition Alex Katz: Studies in Seoul focus on?
Thaddaeus Ropac Seoul’s exhibition Studies presents rarely seen research works produced from the 1990s to the present and includes the large-scale painting Lilies (2025), offering insight into Katz’s process and intermediate stages.
How does Alex Katz | Out of Sight: A Drawing Survey frame his work?
The Colby College Museum of Art’s exhibition Out of Sight: A Drawing Survey unites drawings from across Katz’s career, highlighting how his approach to line and composition underpins the large portraits, floral works and landscapes for which he is known.
This article was produced with a.i. support and editorially reviewed. All statements without guarantee; auction results, exhibition dates and awards may change at short notice.
