We highlight five fascinating books from 2025, each one driving forward conversations about the future of contemporary art, architecture and design.

Amerikahaus in Munich foregrounds one of the most exciting photographic voices of recent times, who shows how representation can be a force for change.

Vlad Hrynko experiments with traditional still-life forms and projected light, challenging how we see ordinary objects such as paper and cardboard.

A new group exhibition in London considers the subversive power of humour, wit, pun and playful disruption in contemporary art and photography.

Aesthetica looks back on the insightful and inspiring interviews with artists that have been featured in the magazine throughout 2025.

These selections amplify voices marginalised within the canon, honour posthumous legacies, and tell powerful life stories through sculptural forms.

n the midst of a busy season, we’ve selected five exhibitions that offer a welcome change of pace. They invite viewers to reflect on the passage of time.

Ben Cullen Williams creates digital artworks that questions what self-portraiture and reflection means in an current era defined by generative AI.

London Art Fair returns this January for its 38th edition, bringing together a curated selection of leading Modern and Contemporary galleries.

Artist and photographer Kate Hrynko documents the abstract scenes that are left behind after colourful, painted ice evaporates to become a gas.

Thames & Hudson published a comprehensive new book that spotlights the bold, vibrant photography coming out of Australia and New Zealand.

A new book, published by GOST, brings together the work of Lorenzo Tugnoli, a photojournalist known for documenting everyday life of people in Afghanistan.

Ceilings full of stars: a new book traces the artist’s evolution from early experiments in code-based art to monumental achievements in the public realm.

National Gallery of Canada presents the work of more than 100 photographers, each one documenting the vibrancy of modern city life.

Mónica Alcázar-Duarte is a Mexican-British visual artist, who explores current ideals of progress while acknowledging her indigenous heritage.

Southbank Centre’s outdoor art trail is back for 2025, uniting international artists to rethink the idea of what traditional festive illuminations can look like.

Aesthetica spoke to artist and filmmaker Manjinder Virk, whose new project uses her own family history to explore community, migration and activism.

Tate St Ives presents the work of Emilija Škarnulytė, an artist who blends documentary and imaginary to reveal realities often hidden from view.

Bart Nelissen takes cloud-like digital images and breaks them into small geometric fragments, reflecting our desire to make order out of chaos.

Experiential artist collective Marshmallow Laser Feast has created a “digital double” of Kew Gardens’ Lucombe Oak, on view at Yorkshire Sculpture Park.