By Carol Real
Among the most significant exhibitions this year in New York, A Natural History of the Studio by William Kentridge stands out for its rare visual and conceptual intelligence. It isn’t just an exhibition — it’s an epiphany in chapters. A mise-en-scène where the artist not only opens the door to his studio, but without filters, lets us into his mind like someone entering a philosophical opera made of charcoal, coffee, and genius.
That it takes place at Hauser & Wirth feels fitting. The gallery often presents exhibitions that expand the very idea of what a show can be, and here, it supports Kentridge’s vision with care and clarity. Each room is an expanded synapse from the artist’s brain, a choreography of thought that spans Soviet absurdity, African colonialism, Greek mythology, and pandemic chaos. All unfolding at the pace of a mind that bubbles over — like the humble coffeepot the artist uses as his avatar: domestic, familiar, but brimming with meaning.
Watching him speak, argue with his doppelgängers, and think out loud is a privilege reserved for art history. How many times have we wished to witness an artist at work, doubting, testing, failing beautifully? Here, we have it. And with humor, no less. Because Kentridge, beyond being a visual philosopher, is ironic, playful, and deeply human.
The sculptures on the second floor — those bronze glyphs that seem like melting words — are pure material poetry. The prints at 18th Street are a reminder that technique can be an ideological trench. Nothing here aims to please, yet everything resonates. And that, dear reader, is art with a capital A.
This is an exhibition not only worthy of a museum, but one that subtly exposes the limitations of many institutional shows. And Kentridge, a master in every sense, reminds us that when art thinks, moves, and laughs at itself, it becomes — yes — absolutely indispensable.
Installation view, ‘William Kentridge. A Natural History of the Studio,’ Hauser & Wirth New York, 22nd Street, 1 May – 1 August 2025 © William Kentridge. Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth. Photo: Elisabeth Bernstein
William Kentridge: A Natural History of the Studio
On view May 1 – August 1, 2025
📍 Hauser & Wirth 22nd Street
542 West 22nd Street, New York
Featuring all original drawings from Self-Portrait as a Coffee-Pot, large-scale sculptures, and the video work Fugitive Words.
📍 Hauser & Wirth 18th Street
443 West 18th Street, New York
A focused survey of Kentridge’s printmaking practice over the last two decades.
More information: www.hauserwirth.com