Visual art

OBJECTS OF ADDICTION: OPIUM, EMPIRE, AND THE CHINESE ART TRADE

Spanning more than 200 years from the late 18th to the early 20th centuries, this exhibition explores the inexorable link between the vast wealth generated by the opium trade, the cultural exchange and riches that it made possible, and its devastating echoes that continue to reverberate with deafening force in the form of the opioid crisis today. Through Jan. 14. Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy St., Cambridge. 617-495-9400, www.harvardartmuseums.org

2023 JAMES AND AUDREY FOSTER PRIZE

Established in 1999, the Foster Prize exhibition has evolved into a vital showcase for contemporary artists in the Boston area to make their presence known here at home on a major institutional stage. The three artists selected this year, Cicely Carew, Venetia Dale, and YuWen Wu, work across a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, and video, while each enjoys a solo presentation of their work as part of the overall show. Through Jan 28. Institute Of Contemporary Art Boston, 25 Harbor Shore Drive. 617-478-3100, icaboston.org

HUMANE ECOLOGY: EIGHT POSITIONS

An exhibition of eight artists with planet-saving concerns, “Humane Ecology”’s intended kindnesses stretch well past the merely environmental with a plea for the many millions of marginalized peoples caught in the planet’s death-spiraling consumption addiction. Christine Howard Sandoval, an enrolled member of the Chalon Nation, proposes Indigenous controlled burning techniques to counteract wildfires, while Korakrit Arunanondchai’s dreamy film piece imagines an interconnected web of life that still needs solid ground on which to stand. Through Oct. 29. Clark Art Institute, 225 South St., Williamstown. 413-458-2303, theclark.edu