‘This is mine, I own it’: how Tracey Emin and Frida Kahlo inspired me to make meaning out of pain

The article is a personal essay by a writer who, after undergoing a colectomy in 2023, found inspiration in Tracey Emin's unflinching self-portraiture following her 2020 cancer diagnosis. The author describes taking her own post-surgery photographs, echoing Emin's mantra "This is mine, I own it," and reflects on Emin's current work, including the Tate Modern exhibition and paintings like "I watched Myself die and come alive" (2023) and "Barbed Wire Stitches" (2024). The essay also connects Emin's approach to that of Frida Kahlo, whose retrospective is upcoming at Tate.

10 Artists to Follow if You Like Iris van Herpen

Artsy Editorial profiles 10 contemporary artists whose work aligns with the visionary, technology-driven approach of fashion designer Iris van Herpen. The article highlights van Herpen's career milestones, including her 2011 invitation to join the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, and her ongoing fusion of traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology to create wearable art. It then presents a curated list of artists who similarly explore themes of organic form, digital fabrication, and the intersection of art and fashion.

Rocked on their heels: how exhibitions can change the course of artists’ lives

Alyce Mahon's new book, *Dorothea Tanning: A Surrealist World*, explores how the 1936 MoMA exhibition *Fantastic Art, Dada, Surrealism* profoundly transformed the young artist Dorothea Tanning, who described being "rocked on my run-over heels" by the experience. The article also recounts similar life-changing exhibition encounters for contemporary artists Lorna Simpson and Hurvin Anderson, as discussed on *The Week in Art* and *A brush with…* podcasts, highlighting how specific shows shaped their artistic trajectories.

From high BMI to the ‘GLP-1 look’: how weight-loss jabs are changing the face of beauty

Researchers and art historians are examining how weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Mounjaro are reshaping ideals of beauty in art. Prof. Rosalind Gill and Dr. Michael Yafi argue that the rapid fat loss caused by GLP-1 medications produces a distinctive gaunt facial appearance—dubbed 'GLP-1 face'—which could become a new aesthetic standard reflected in contemporary art, similar to 'heroin chic' in the 1990s. Yafi presented his findings at the European Congress on Obesity, noting that while artists like Fernando Botero continue to celebrate fuller figures, future artworks may increasingly depict thin individuals with hollowed features.

A hated portrait and a forged masterpiece: two new thrillers with paintings at their centre

Two new thrillers center on paintings: "The End of the Vodka" by an unnamed author, which fictionalizes the real story of Frida Kahlo's commissioned portrait of Dorothy Hale—a painting that horrified its patron Clare Boothe Luce—and weaves an imagined conversation between Luce and Wallis Simpson amid the backdrop of World War II. The second, "Sacrifice" by Lynda La Plante, follows Detective Jack Warr as he investigates a possible forgery of a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting, leading to murder and a missing art forger.

New Richard Avedon documentary chronicles how he shaped the evolution of photography

Imagine Documentaries, the nonfiction arm of Ron Howard and Brian Grazer's Imagine Entertainment, premiered a new documentary about photographer Richard Avedon at the Cannes Film Festival on May 17. The film, co-produced by the Richard Avedon Foundation, draws heavily from archival interviews conducted by Helen Whitney for the PBS series *American Masters*, supplemented by new interviews with Avedon's son John, muse Lauren Hutton, Isabella Rossellini, Twyla Tharp, and former *New Yorker* colleagues Tina Brown and John Lahr. The documentary explores Avedon's career, his technique of building rapport with subjects, and his iconic images such as *Dovima with Elephants*, which dealer Larry Gagosian notes sold for $2 million.

Global Art Biennials: Renovation, Revelation—or Repetition?

The article examines the current state of global art biennials, arguing that recent controversies—such as the 2022 documenta antisemitism crisis and geopolitical tensions at the 61st Venice Biennale—reveal these exhibitions as deeply politicized platforms rather than neutral cultural events. It highlights how juries and curators have introduced geopolitical criteria, and cites ongoing debates in Artforum (April 2026) featuring voices like Daniel Birnbaum, Michelle Grabner, and Adam Szymczyk, who diagnose visible tensions but overlook deeper structural conditions.

The Painted Book Cover Is Back

The article reports on a growing trend in book cover design: the use of painted, figurative artwork instead of stock photos or digital renderings. Publishers are increasingly licensing paintings by artists from Hilma af Klint to Shannon Cartier Lucy, seeing them as a way to signal cultural authority and intellectual rigor. The trend is discussed through examples like Victoria Redel's *I Am You* (2025) and Kyung-Ran Jo's *Blowfish* (2025), with insights from LiteraryHub Managing Editor Emily Temple and Astra House publisher Benjamin Schrank.

The Burlington Magazine - n°1478 vol CLXVIII - May 2026

The May 2026 issue of The Burlington Magazine (n°1478, vol. CLXVIII) presents a rich array of scholarly articles, exhibition reviews, and book reviews covering European art from the medieval period to the 20th century. Highlights include Laure Boyer's study of two photographs of Victorine Meurent linked to Manet's 'Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe' and 'Olympia', Axel Moulinier's analysis of Watteau's copies after old masters, and Richard Thomson's essay on a century of Monet in print. Exhibition reviews cover shows on Monet's Étretat coast, Orazio Gentileschi, Cornelius Jonson van Ceulen, Gainsborough, Seurat, Italian Symbolism, and Iliazd. Book reviews range from medieval art and Pietro Bellotti to Helene Schjerfbeck, Roberto Matta, and contemporary jewelry at the Dallas Museum of Art.

Why Did the Met Opera Decide to Exhume Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera’s Marital Strife?

The Metropolitan Opera has staged Gabriela Lena Frank's first opera, *El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego*, which imagines a supernatural reunion between Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera on Día de los Muertos. The production, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin and starring Isabel Leonard and Carlos Álvarez, uses magical realism to explore the couple's turbulent relationship, though it largely sidelines their Communist activism and Kahlo's queer affairs in favor of a simplified reconciliation narrative.

This Family Made Gin on Zoom During Covid. Here’s How It Became an Art World Staple.

During the pandemic, the Mordant family—Simon, Catriona, Brielle, and Angus—began making gin from wild juniper on their Umbria property, splitting operations between Italy, London, and upstate New York. After enrolling in a master gin-making course and refining recipes via Zoom, they entered their creation into the World Gin Awards, earning a triple-gold medal with a score of 97 out of 100. Despite initially producing only 502 bottles not intended for sale, global demand prompted them to scale up commercially, leading to Quattro Gatti becoming the official gin of the Venice Biennale.

The Finale Cut: Lucio Fontana e la sua arte al cinema

A new documentary titled "The Final Cut" explores the life and artistic journey of Lucio Fontana, the Italian-Argentine artist famous for his slashed canvases (Concetti Spaziali). Produced by Good Day Films and Nexo Studios, directed by Andrea Bettinetti and narrated by Miriam Leone, the film will screen in Italian cinemas on May 25–27 as part of the "La Grande Arte al Cinema" season. It features archival footage, interviews with artists such as Doug Wheeler, Antony Gormley, Carsten Höller, Alfredo Jaar, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Heinz Mack, and scholars Luca Massimo Barbero and Daniela Alejandra Sbaraglia, highlighting Fontana's revolutionary approach and his first immersive installation, "Ambiente Spaziale a luce nera" (1949).

Being a Street Photographer. Interview with Simone Morelli, the Artist of Slowness

Essere street photographer. Intervista a Simone Morelli, l’artista della lentezza

Simone Morelli, a street photographer born in Rome in 1987, discusses his slow, analog approach to photography in an interview with Artribune. He began after receiving a Praktica film camera as a gift in Sweden in 2012, and was captivated by the process of shooting and printing on film. Morelli describes his method as instinctive yet deliberate, often working on long-term projects that build a coherent visual narrative rather than seeking single 'beautiful' images. He cites Josef Koudelka as a key influence and emphasizes the importance of patience and reflection in an era dominated by fast, digital imagery.

Art bartering: artists start viral social media trend to fight cost of living crisis

Artists worldwide are using social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok to barter their artwork for goods and services instead of money, in a viral trend responding to the cost of living crisis. Participants trade paintings for items such as handmade clothes, jewelry, tattoos, accommodation, meals, and professional services like video editing or framing, with some simply inviting offers. Artists like Lin Snow, Oli Fowler, and Andrea Mongenie cite economic pressures and anti-capitalist motivations, viewing bartering as a way to build community and bypass financial systems that leave creatives struggling.

Man Can’t Tell if Friend’s Art Show Surrealist or Bad

Local man Brian Jacobs attends a friend's high-profile surrealist art show in New York but cannot determine whether the works are genuinely surrealist or simply poorly executed. He describes a painting of a five-eyed fisherman holding a melting bowling ball as looking like it was painted by a first grader. The artist, Gavin McCloud, interprets Jacobs's bewildered reactions as impressed awe and plans to gift him the melting bowling ball painting. Gallery owner Christine Morgan admits she sometimes hosts derivative work from donors' children in exchange for large checks, and advises artists to claim ambiguity as the real art if questioned.

Two Major Architecture Firms Aim to Revolutionize Rome Over the Next 25 Years

Due grandi studi di architettura puntano a rivoluzionare Roma nei prossimi 25 anni

A multidisciplinary team led by Italian architecture and urban planning firm IT'S and Dutch firm OMA has won the international ideas competition "Vision for Rome," promoted by the Fondazione Roma REgeneration. Their project, "Roma Continua," was presented at the Auditorium della Tecnica di Confindustria during the second ROMA REgeneration FORUM. The proposal aims to rethink Rome over the next 25 years through a paradigm shift in urban, social, and cultural planning, envisioning the city as a living ecosystem. It is based on five guiding principles—care, beauty, knowledge, movement, reuse, and grafting—and includes five green corridors anchored to the Tiber River, "Fori dell'innovazione" (innovation forums), and a continuous mobility network. The project also seeks to reduce tourist pressure on the historic center by creating new cultural itineraries and sustainable transport links.

Le dimore storiche sono il più vasto e straordinario museo diffuso d’Italia. Una giornata per celebrarle

On Sunday, May 24, 2026, Italian historic homes will open their doors free to the public as part of the 16th National Day promoted by ADSI – Associazione Dimore Storiche Italiane. The 2025 edition involved over 500 properties and more than 250,000 visitors, highlighting the widespread cultural heritage across Italy. The article argues that this event is not merely cultural or tourist-oriented but raises broader questions about the future of Italy's fragile territories and the need for a cohesive national strategy for territorial rebalancing.