Peter Hujar's Legacy Resurfaces with 2026 Exhibitions and Film
Photographer Peter Hujar (1934–1987), a key figure of New York's 1970s-80s underground, is being revived through the Peter Hujar Archive. His work gained traction in 2015 when Hanya Yanagihara used his 'Orgasmic Man' (1969) for 'A Little Life'. A major retrospective toured The Morgan Library & Museum, Fundación Mapfre, Berkeley Art Museum, Wexner Center, and Fundación Loewe. In 2026, exhibitions run at Gropius Bau, Bundeskunsthalle, Morgan Library, and Jeu de Paume, plus a MoMA film series. Ira Sachs' film 'Peter Hujar's Day' (2025), starring Ben Whishaw and Rebecca Hall, adapts a 1974 interview by Linda Rosenkrantz. The film premiered at Sundance and explores Hujar's life, including his portrait of Allen Ginsberg. Hujar died of AIDS in 1987; his friend David Wojnarowicz photographed him on his deathbed. The photobook 'Portraits in Life and Death' (1976) was reissued with a new text by Benjamin Moser.
Key facts
- Peter Hujar (1934–1987) was a photographer of New York's underground scene.
- His revival began in 2015 when Hanya Yanagihara used his photo 'Orgasmic Man' (1969) for 'A Little Life'.
- A major retrospective toured The Morgan Library & Museum, Fundación Mapfre, Berkeley Art Museum, Wexner Center, and Fundación Loewe.
- In 2026, exhibitions are held at Gropius Bau, Bundeskunsthalle, Morgan Library, and Jeu de Paume.
- MoMA hosted a film and lecture series for Andrew Durbin's book on Hujar and Paul Thek.
- Ira Sachs' film 'Peter Hujar's Day' (2025) premiered at Sundance, starring Ben Whishaw and Rebecca Hall.
- The film adapts a 1974 interview by Linda Rosenkrantz, found in 2019 at The Morgan Library.
- Hujar died of AIDS on November 26, 1987 at Beth Israel Medical Center; David Wojnarowicz photographed him on his deathbed.
- 'Portraits in Life and Death' (1976) was reissued with a new text by Benjamin Moser.
- Subjects include William Burroughs, Susan Sontag, Divine, John Waters, Paul Thek, Fran Lebowitz, Robert Wilson, John Ashbery.
Entities
Artists
- Peter Hujar
- Hanya Yanagihara
- David Wojnarowicz
- William Burroughs
- Susan Sontag
- Divine
- John Waters
- Paul Thek
- Fran Lebowitz
- Robert Wilson
- John Ashbery
- Benjamin Moser
- Ira Sachs
- Linda Rosenkrantz
- Ben Whishaw
- Rebecca Hall
- Andrew Durbin
- Allen Ginsberg
- Jacqueline de Mornay
- Vince Aletti
- Alex Ashe
- Andy Warhol
- Robert Mapplethorpe
Institutions
- Peter Hujar Archive
- The Morgan Library & Museum
- Fundación Mapfre
- Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive
- Wexner Center for the Arts
- Fundación Loewe
- Galerie Buchholz
- Maureen Paley
- Istituto Santa Maria della Pietà
- Biennale di Venezia
- Gropius Bau
- Bundeskunsthalle
- Jeu de Paume
- MoMA
- Magic Hour Press
- School of Industrial Arts
- Factory
- Beth Israel Medical Center
- P.P.O.W. Gallery
- Elle
- The New York Times
- Sundance
Locations
- New York
- United States
- East Village
- Paris
- France
- Barcelona
- Spain
- California
- Columbus
- Ohio
- Madrid
- Berlin
- Germany
- London
- United Kingdom
- Venice
- Italy
- Bonn
- Palermo
Sources
- El Hype —