CULTURAL BULLETIN | HAPPENINGS | WORLD OF CABANA
A monthly guide to the events and exhibitions on Cabana's Radar: a global cultural bulletin and a must-read for anyone looking to keep their finger on the pulse of art and design. Read on to discover our November highlights. A preview is available for all, while the full global cultural bulletin is exclusively available on our Substack. Join us there for our newest and most intimate chapter.
BY TEAM CABANA | HAPPENINGS | 1 NOVEMBER 2026
Irving Penn, Balenciaga Mantle Coat (Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn), Paris, 1950 Collection MEP, Paris. Acquis en 1992. © Condé Nast
As Europe settles into the shorter days of late autumn and North America prepares to turn back its clocks in November, the cultural calendar offers plenty of reasons to venture out—even into the dark. From fashion photography and contemporary craft, to Old Masters and international design fairs, our November selection brings together exhibitions and events worth making time for, across cities and continents.
EXHIBITIONS
LONDON, UK
Van Eyck: The Portraits
Jan van Eyck Portrait of a Man (Self Portrait?) 1433 oil on wood 33.1 x 25.9cm (including original frame) © The National Gallery, London
For the first time, all ten of Jan van Eyck’s portraits will be brought together at the National Gallery, offering a rare chance to see the singular master of the Northern Renaissance's extraordinary eye for detail. From the familiar Arnolfini Portrait to a remarkable drawing reunited with the painting it inspired, the exhibition explores how van Eyck brought his sitters to life, capturing everything from the texture of their skin to the smallest, most telling expression.
November 21, 2026 - April 11, 2027, The National Gallery, LONDON, UK
PARIS, FRANCE
PENN & FASHION
Irving Penn, Naomi Sims in Scarf, New York, circa 1969 Collection The Irving Penn Foundation, New York © The Irving Penn Foundation
Few photographers have shaped the way we see fashion quite like Irving Penn. At Paris’s Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Penn & Fashion traces an astonishing six decades of his work for Vogue, from the sculptural silhouettes of Dior and Balenciaga, to his remarkable collaboration with Issey Miyake. With an exacting eye for form, texture and composition, Penn turned fashion photography into an art of its own.
Through January 17, 2027, MEP, PARIS, FRANCE
NEW YORK, USA
25th Anniversary Exhibition
Installation view of the Klimt Gallery at Neue Galerie New York. Photo: Annie Schlechter
To mark its 25th anniversary, New York’s Neue Galerie reopens its beautifully restored historic home with a celebration of Austrian and German art and design. Drawing largely from its own collection, the exhibition includes Gustav Klimt’s celebrated Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, alongside other masterworks that capture the distinctive world of early twentieth-century Vienna and Weimar Germany.
November 12, 2026 - January 11, 2027, Neue Galerie, NEW YORK, USA
MILAN, ITALY
Bernardo Siciliano - Dal Vivo
Summertime, 260 cm x 195 cm, olio su tela, 2023 © the artist
In Dal Vivo, Bernardo Siciliano presents a series of portraits and paintings shaped by direct encounters with his subjects. Balancing close observation with the spontaneity of the painterly gesture, his work captures the fleeting details that make each encounter unique. An accompanying text by Emanuele Trevi reflects on portraiture as an exchange between artist and subject.
November 18, 2026 - December 19, 2026, Assab One, MILAN, ITALY
CHICAGO, USA
Body and Being in African Art
Helmet Mask (Sowei)Date: Early to mid-20th century Artist: Sherbro or Mende Sierra Leone © The Art Institute of Chicago, Through prior acquisitions of the George F. Harding Collection, Mr. and Mrs. Herbert R. Molner, and the Ada Turnbull Hertle Endowment
At the Art Institute of Chicago, more than 50 objects explore how the human body expresses identity, character and belonging across African cultures. From adornments and clothing to objects used in rites of passage and spiritual practices, the exhibition considers art not simply as something to be observed, but as something woven into the rhythms of everyday life and the bonds of community.
November 2, 2026 - March 3, 2027, Art Institute Chicago, CHICAGO, USA
LONDON, UK
Vanessa Bell & Duncan Grant: Inside Bloomsbury
Vanessa Bell Self Portrait c.1915 Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Fund B1982.16.2. © 2026 Estate of Vanessa Bell. All rights reserved, DACS
A creative partnership spanning more than fifty years takes centre stage at Tate Britain, where the work of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant reveals the colourful, experimental world of the Bloomsbury Group. More than 300 works span painting, textiles, ceramics and furniture, celebrating two of the most distinctive British artists of the twentieth century. A rare reconstruction of their studio at Charleston, their beloved Sussex home, offers an intimate glimpse into their shared creative world.
November 12, 2026 - April 11, 2027, Tate Britain, LONDON, UK
NEW YORK, USA
Fair Hikes
Lightning in a bottle, 2026, by Ethan Means © Entrance.
Known for championing new, young and emerging artists, Entrance Gallery – which has two sites, in Manhattan’s Lower East Side and Brooklyn’s Red Hook – presents Fair Hikes by Brooklyn-based painter, Ethan Means. Every painting is made on location around New York, and each sits in a frame Ethan builds and hand-paints himself, with the color chosen to complement the scene. He often paints over older canvases too, so each work carries its own history.
Through November 14, 2026, Entrance Gallery, 48 Ludlow Street, NEW YORK, USA
DUBAI, UAE
Downtown Design Dubai
Silver Medium Vase, Rouche Collection © Buccellati
As part of Dubai Design Week, Downtown Design returns to the Dubai Design District with a mix of international design houses, independent studios and regional talent. Alongside the fair’s latest collections and contemporary creations, two presentations offer distinct takes on design: Buccellati’s Aquae Mirabiles, an immersive silverware installation conceived with Balich Wonder Studio and brought to life with Federica Sala and Luke Edward Hall, and Memphis, making its debut at the fair with a selection of iconic pieces, including Ettore Sottsass’s Carlton bookcase and Peter Shire’s Big Sur sofa.
November 12 - 15, 2026, Mahalaxmi Racecourse, MUMBAI, INDIA
To continue reading November's Global Cultural Bulletin and discover the full roster of global events and exhibitions on Cabana's radar, join our community on Substack.
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