The Defining Art Events of 2021

In 2020, it became clear that few things in the art world—and the world at large—could remain as they once were. After that whirlwind year, 2021 brought with it dramatic shifts of its own. Some of the most significant ones were felt in institutions. Some museums in the U.S. and Europe weathered controversies that heralded permanent changes in the way they function; others diversified their leadership and made steps forward. Meanwhile, after Covid-related long delays, long-awaited mus