Art Shows In October 2025 For Minimalist Art Lovers

Autumn is in full swing, and for those drawn to art with a minimalist aesthetic, October offers plenty of exhibitions across Europe and beyond.

Berlin hosts two highlights this autumn: Galerie kajetan introduces Minh Dung Vu’s poetic textile works, while Esther Schipper presents a meditative presentation of Lee Bae’s charcoal-based practice. In Wijnegem (near Antwerp) Jaromír Novotný explores perception and fragility through delicate shifts of light and surface at Axel Vervoordt Gallery, and Galerie Camera Obscura in Paris brings together paintings and ceramic sculptures by Spanish artist Enric Mestre. In New York, Peter Blum Gallery is dedicating a solo show to John Zurier’s new paintings, which are imbued with atmosphere and light. In Milan, Cadogan Gallery presents Siiri Spronken’s abstract works, while in Beijing, Lizzie Munn is showing site-specific print installations.

These are my favorites for this month. If you want to explore all shows, click here.

Let’s start this month’s selection in Berlin. Esther Schipper presents the first solo exhibition by Korean artist Lee Bae (b. 1956) with the gallery. Central to the show is his long-standing exploration of charcoal, a material that for him embodies artistic medium, cultural identity, and spiritual substance. On view are monumental works from his Issu du feu series, large-scale ink brushstrokes, and sculptural pieces that translate painting into three dimensions. The exhibition space itself is lined with white paper, which can only be stepped on with shoe covers, signaling a kinship to traditional Korean-style interiors. I visited the show and was more than impressed by the artworks and the unique, meditative atmosphere, so I highly recommend visiting the exhibition if you are in Berlin.

More information here.

With Untitled (Unchosen Words), Czech artist Jaromír Novotný (b. 1974) presents his first solo exhibition at Axel Vervoordt Gallery in Belgium. The artist works with semi-transparent fabrics, reduced color pigments, and finely graded layers, creating works that move between painting, object, and space. Light and materiality become the actual protagonists, visibility and invisibility, presence and emptiness, are in a constant field of tension. His works elude clear attributions and instead open up spaces of perception that depend heavily on the viewer, light, movement, and space.

More information here.

In Paris, Galerie Camera Obscura presents the first exhibition in France to unite both paintings and ceramic sculptures by Spanish artist Enric Mestre (b. 1936). Deeply influenced by the landscape and architecture of the Valencian Huerta, Mestre combines shapes, colors, and materials into an intuitive yet rigorous geometry. Known for his masterful craftsmanship, he creates works that are both architectural and contemplative. The exhibition offers a rare insight into his patient and reflective practice, which is dedicated to the quiet, spiritual beauty of form and space.

More information here.

Also in Berlin, Galerie kajetan presents Silky Way, the first solo exhibition of Leipzig-based artist Minh Dung Vu (b. 1995). The show features new large-scale textile works in which shimmering silk is stitched together with matte linen, expanding the boundaries between painting, collage, and object. Rooted in both Vietnamese and Western cultural traditions, Vu’s works explore themes of identity, belonging, and memory while engaging in a reciprocal dialogue with light, space, and architecture. A highlight is his first work made entirely of chiffon, whose semi-transparent layers transform the notion of the painting into an installation that conveys moments of transition and threshold.

More information here.

Peter Blum Gallery presents Pink Dust, a solo exhibition of new works by John Zurier in New York. Inspired by the Icelandic landscape, these paintings reflect Zurier’s exploration of stillness, atmosphere, and light. Created over two years, the works embody subtle shifts in color and texture, revealing a layered complexity that mirrors the marks of time. The title, Pink Dust, referencing Ron Padgett’s poems, symbolizes the creative process and the accumulation of moments within the works. The exhibition encourages viewers to slow down and engage deeply with the timeless rhythms of these meditative pieces.

More information here.

In Milan, Cadogan presents the first solo show by Dutch artist Siiri Spronken (b. 1960), marking her debut with the gallery. Known for her timeless compositions, Spronken’s abstract works from her ongoing “Corpus” series reveal emotions and memories through a dynamic interplay of light, color, and form. Her art, reduced to its pure essence, invites viewers into a restless yet serene exploration of existence, capturing a truth that transcends language.

More information here.

In Beijing, Space of Time Gallery presents a solo exhibition of new site-specific print installations by British artist Lizzie Munn (b. 1995). Working with monotypes hand-printed on rice, grass, and mulberry paper, Munn explores the dialogue between material, architecture, and environment. The suspended sheets, supported by fragmented steel structures, absorb and reflect their surroundings, creating fluid compositions that shift with light and space.

More information here.

See all exhibitions here