Kerry James Marshall and the exhibition arc of The Histories
Published on 08/31/2026 at 17:19 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Kerry James Marshall continues to shape the European exhibition landscape with the touring survey Kerry James Marshall: The Histories. As the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris states, the show opens there on September 18, 2026 after closing at Kunsthaus Zürich on August 16, 2026.
The touring exhibition The Histories
Kerry James Marshall: The Histories charts more than four decades of Marshall’s practice across painting, drawing, printmaking and sculpture, with over seventy works selected for the tour. The Royal Academy of Arts in London originated the exhibition in collaboration with Kunsthaus Zürich and Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris.
The London chapter at the Royal Academy ran from September 20, 2025 to January 18, 2026, marking Marshall’s largest exhibition in the United Kingdom to date. It then traveled to Kunsthaus Zürich, where it was on view from February 27 to August 16, 2026, occupying a central role in the museum’s 2026 program.
The Zürich chapter as Monday focus
For the Monday Exhibition & Show focus, the Kunsthaus Zürich presentation of The Histories is key, described as Marshall’s largest exhibition outside the United States and the first major survey of his work in the German-speaking world. The museum’s schedule placed the exhibition across both standard and extended evening opening hours.
David Zwirner and Kunsthaus Zürich emphasize that the Zürich chapter included a series of new paintings produced specifically for the tour, alongside cornerstone works from Marshall’s established series. This framing positions the exhibition not just as a retrospective but as an active site for new developments in his practice.
Further coverage of Kerry James Marshall’s exhibitions
Readers can follow how Kerry James Marshall’s touring exhibition and wider practice are reflected across recent AD HOC NEWS coverage and institutional sources.
The work core and exhibition framing
Marshall’s touring exhibition focuses on histories of the Black experience, addressing Civil Rights movements, the Middle Passage and contemporary Black life through densely layered figurative compositions. The show’s new series of eight paintings engages episodes in African history and the transatlantic slave trade, including the role of African slave traders.
Across venues, the curatorial framing highlights Marshall’s sustained effort to insert Black figures into canonical pictorial formats such as history painting, portraiture and landscape. Culture Type notes that the London presentation foregrounded this strategic rewriting of art-historical narratives, which continues in Zürich and Paris.
Where Kerry James Marshall stands now
On balance, Kerry James Marshall’s touring survey The Histories currently completes its Kunsthaus Zürich chapter from February 27 to August 16, 2026 and is scheduled to open at Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris on September 18, 2026, extending his European exhibition presence into early 2027.
Kerry James Marshall at a glance
- Artist: Kerry James Marshall
- Medium / Genre: Painting and mixed media (figurative)
- Born: 1955, Birmingham, Alabama, United States
- Place(s) of practice: Based in the United States, with a long-term practice associated with Chicago and other U.S. cities
- Active since: Active since the late 1970s, with major recognition from the 1990s onward
- Key work groups: Garden Project, Souvenir, Memento, The Histories
- Current/last exhibition: Kerry James Marshall: The Histories, Kunsthaus Zürich, February 27–August 16, 2026; Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris, September 18, 2026–January 24, 2027
- Major collections: Works by Kerry James Marshall are held in major public collections including institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art (New York), the Whitney Museum of American Art (New York) and other leading museums, alongside European museums participating in the touring exhibition.
- Awards: Kerry James Marshall is recognized with significant honors, including his status as an Honorary Royal Academician at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.
- Next date: September 18, 2026, opening of Kerry James Marshall: The Histories at Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris
Frequently asked questions about Kerry James Marshall
Where is Kerry James Marshall currently on view in Europe?
The touring exhibition Kerry James Marshall: The Histories was on view at Kunsthaus Zürich from February 27 to August 16, 2026 and is announced to open at Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris on September 18, 2026.
What defines the exhibition The Histories?
The Histories gathers more than seventy works spanning Marshall’s career, including eight new paintings, and addresses multiple histories of the Black experience across painting, prints, drawings and sculpture.
How does the Royal Academy of Arts frame Kerry James Marshall’s position?
The Royal Academy of Arts describes The Histories as Marshall’s largest exhibition in Europe to date and notes his status as an Honorary Royal Academician, underlining his institutional recognition.
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.
