As the temperature starts to rise—and hemlines follow suit—you know summer has officially arrived. With that comes the usual promise of newness: new stars, new collections, new obsessions waiting in the wings. But this season, the shift feels less like a ripple and more like a tidal wave poised to crash straight into pop culture.

BILLIE EILISH AND JAMES CAMERON TAKE THE CONCERT FILM INTO THE THIRD DIMENSION

Known for blockbuster films like Titanic, Avatar, and Aliens, Academy Award-winning director James Cameron has ventured into concert filmmaking with his newest release. “No one has shot a concert on this scale before,” notes Cameron for Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D). In theaters this summer, the film was captured during Billie Eilish’s sold-out world tour, and it delivers immense onstage performances by the artist as well as vulnerable moments backstage.

But the effects have raised the bar around concert filming. “We’re using tech that’s never been used before,” Cameron continues. In addition to capturing Ellish’s stellar vocals, the immersive 3D experience opens a new avenue for concert-goers or those desiring to attend.

From light sculptures to interactive installations to large-scale paintings, Julio Le Parc is the focus this summer at the Tate Modern, where an immersive exhibition will illuminate seven decades of the artist’s career. Featuring over 60 works by the Argentinian contemporary artist, Le Parc is admired as a master of optical and kinetic art that relies on light, shadow, and color to distort perception. While his 2-D works create optical illusions, his sculptures and installations often rely on movement and light to produce mesmerizing effects. Brought together by Curator Val Ravaglia and Assistant Curator Francis Hardy, Julio Le Parc is certain to inspire.

Julio Le Parc at Tate Modern in London is on view beginning June 11, 2026, through May 3, 2027.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY TURNS THE LENS ON MARILYN MONROE

It could be said that “icon” is overused today, but there are those larger-than-life legends, like Marilyn Monroe, who are worthy of the title.

Honoring Monroe’s 100th birthday, a new exhibition-Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait-will celebrate the artist through various portraits captured by some of the leading artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. Held at the National Portrait Gallery, the works by Andy Warhol, Cecil Beaton, Richard Avedon, and Marlene Dumas will be featured, among other celebrated photographers and artists. In addition to portraits and paintings, the exhibition will also include some of Monroe’s personal objects, such as books, scripts, and garments, continuing to cater to the fascination that surrounds the cultural figure.

Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait at the National Portrait Gallery in London is on view beginning June 4, 2026, through September 6, 2027

TOM WESSELMANN TAKES CENTER STAGE AT GAGOSIAN’S GREEK OUTPOST

Known for his pop art paintings, collages, and sculptures with a focus on the female form, Tom Wesselmann’s work marries classical still life with advertising ephemera. In a new exhibition at the Gagosian in Athens, Tom Wesselmann: Seascapes, Still Lifes, and Nudes, will mark the artist’s first solo exhibition of his work in Greece. The space will feature key paintings and drawings from Wesselmann’s career, and the influences of varying styles and movements will be evident through the body of work selected for the show. Special emphasis will be placed on the seascape paintings and collages, which he began creating in the mid-1960’s, involving saturated tones and a focus on body parts.

Tom Wesselmann: Seascapes, Still Lifes, and Nudes is on view now through May 30, 2026

MONACELLI CHRONICLES A CENTURY OF FIRE ISLAND ART IN A NEW BOOK

Fire Island, the slim New York barrier island, has long been a creative refuge and a vibrant queer haven for creatives near and far. This summer, Monacelli has published Fire Island Art: 100 Years, the first tome devoted to art created on Fire Island over the past century.

With a wide mix of underground creatives filling the book’s pages, the works of prolific photographers and artists, including Robert Mapplethorpe, David Hockney, Richard Avedon, and Andy Warhol, among others, offer a comprehensive survey of the art birthed on the island.

Edited by historian John Dempsey, archival visuals are positioned alongside relevant texts from contemporary writers and even diary excerpts from Warhol and mid-20th-century poetry from Frank O’Hara.

Fire Island Art: 100 Years is now available via Monacelli

JR CARVES A NEW FUTURE INTO PONT NEUF WITH
LA CAVERNE

For most of June, the historic Pont Neuf Bridge in Paris will be temporarily transformed. JR, the multi-disciplinary artist, will create an installation over the bridge that merges the elegance of Paris with the bridge’s original raw materials. A walk through

“La Caverne du Pont Neuf” will encourage Parisians to ponder the city’s past and present. The installation aligns with the 40-year anniversary of “The Pont Neuf Wrapped,” a similar work designed by Christo and Jeanne-Claude. JR was inspired by their original and has been working with their foundation to recreate the concept.

La Caverne du Pont Neuf is on view beginning June 6 through June 28.

ESPACE LOUIS VUITTON MARKS 20 YEARS WITH JEFF KOONS EXHIBITION IN JAPAN

In their continued championing of contemporary art, Louis Vuitton presents Jeff Koons: Paintings and Banality at the Espace Osaka location. The exhibition’s opening marks the 20th anniversary of Espaces Louis Vuitton, and will include Koons’ early works from the 1980’s through his most recent paintings.

Through four decades of work exhibited, the show will reveal his inspiration found from everyday objects, pop references, and children’s iconography, which has prompted discussions around our definitions of art and the influence of popular culture.

Jeff Koons: Paintings and Banality at Espace Louis Vuitton Osaka is on view now until July 5, 2026

PETRA COLLINS STEPS INTO THE SPOTLIGHT WITH NEW BOOK, STAR

Petra Collins, the multi-hyphenate artist whose work spans direction, photography, modeling, and acting, has released her latest novel, Star.

Published by Rizzoli, Star is a photography-focused tome revealing the many sides of fame and how it can shift one’s identity.

It chronicles the rise of a fictional popstar, Dani Truehart, who is a 15-year-old celebrity dealing with the effects of overnight success, obsessive fans, and live performances. Inspired by the infamy and obsession surrounding 2000s popstars, the fictional story delivers thoughtful imagery, letters, and diary entries which are interspersed, enriching a tale of the fictional character’s life while amplifying the soft, dreamy aesthetic that defines Collins’ artistic signature.

Star by Petra Collins is available now via Rizzoli