October's must-see exhibitions: Munch, Bacon and the mysterious life of Tamara de Lempicka

Ahead of a packed month across the art world—including Frieze London and Art Basel, Paris—these are the exhibitions from around the world that caught our eye this October.

Gothic Modern: From Darkness to Light, Ateneum Art Museum, Helsinki

4 October-26 January 2025

Gothic Modern: From Darkness to Light will place Edvard Munch, Vincent van Gogh and the Finnish artist Helene Schjerfbeck in dialogue with 16th-century masters including Lucas Cranach the Elder, Albrecht Dürer and Hans Holbein the Younger. The sepulchral and the sensual will be laid out in an inviting smorgasbord. More

The Imaginary Institution of India: Art 1975-98, Barbican Art Gallery, London

5 October-5 January 2025

In 1975 the Indian republic faced its first constitutional crisis. The following two decades saw immense turbulence as well as growth, and yet the cultural output of this period is much overlooked. The Barbican presents work by more than 30 Indian artists made during this period of social and economic upheaval. More

Arte Povera, Bourse de Commerce—Pinault Collection, Paris

9 October-20 January 2025

Arte Povera, described by the gallery's director as a "landscape to survey”, provides a staunch corrective to any blinkered take on artistic longevity. The show will highlight the prominent role of Arte Povera within the 10,000 works added to the Pinault Collection over the past five decades. More

Francis Bacon: Human Presence, National Portrait Gallery, London

10 October-19 January 2025

With more than 50 paintings organised chronologically and thematically, Francis Bacon: Human Presence charts the artist’s increasingly personal focus and how his relationships with friends and lovers coincided with key developments in his work. The gallery plans to make "a real splash" with this one. More

Tamara de Lempicka, de Young Museum, San Francisco

12 October-9 February 2025

The first major US survey of the enigmatic Polish painter Tamara de Lempicka will present more than 120 works, alongside newly uncovered biographical details. In addition to Lempicka’s famed 1920s paintings, the exhibition will feature the artist’s early drawings and later works. More

Audrey Flack: Mid-Century to Post-Pop Baroque, Parrish Art Museum, New York

14 October-6 April 2025

Audrey Flack: Mid-Century to Post-Pop Baroque will highlight the artist’s work across the last four years—canvases that collide contemporary popular images and the personal with her encyclopaedic knowledge of art history. The show will celebrate the late artist's melding of contemporary culture with art history. More