11 art exhibits to check out this summer

This article highlights 11 art exhibitions opening across Greater Boston this summer, encouraging viewers to challenge their beliefs and reflect on collective memory. Featured shows include "Giorgio Griffa: Paths in the Forest" at the Clark Art Institute, the artist's first U.S. solo exhibition; "Where's Boston? 50 Years Later" at the Boston Athenaeum, revisiting Constantine Manos's 1974 photographic portrait of the city; "James Dye: The Void, the Wheel, and the Monster" at Fitchburg Art Museum; and "Stories on the Planet: Asagi Maeda" at Fuller Craft Museum, among others.

MoMA to Present the First Survey of Piet Mondrian’s New York Paintings

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) has announced "Mondrian Boogie Woogie," the first survey exhibition focused on Piet Mondrian's New York paintings. Opening March 21 through July 31, 2027, the show will bring together 30 works made or completed between his 1940 move to New York and his death in 1944. It highlights the influence of the city's boogie-woogie music scene on his late style, including iconic pieces like Broadway Boogie Woogie (1942–43) from MoMA's collection and Victory Boogie Woogie (1942–44) on loan from the Kunstmuseum Den Haag. The exhibition also traces the history of boogie-woogie from its roots in the American South to its migration north.

Wallace Chan exhibitions pair intricate sculptures with Venetian heritage

Wallace Chan, a Hong Kong-based jeweler and sculptor, has mounted a dual exhibition across two historic Venetian sites timed to the Venice Biennale. At Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo, he presents "Mythos," a site-specific installation of suspended titanium sculptures that reimagine figures from Tintoretto's paintings, including the Three Graces and Mercury, as abstract, dissolving faces. Inside the palazzo, three sculptures hang beneath Tintoretto's "Paradise," accompanied by a soundscape from Chan's Shanghai workshop. The exhibition is curated by James Putnam, who has long specialized in placing contemporary art in dialogue with historical collections.

‘Central to human identity’: exhibition at the Met connects bodies with musical instruments

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has opened a new exhibition titled 'Musical Bodies,' which explores 4,000 years of musical history by examining the relationship between human bodies and musical instruments. Curated by Bradley Strauchen-Scherer, the show features over 600 instruments from the Met's collection, including African drums, ancient Egyptian clappers, Prince's symbol guitar, Renaissance violins, a Tibetan kangling, and MiMu Midi gloves. The exhibition traces common threads across six continents and highlights how instruments serve as extensions of human identity and creativity.

Thomas Rom, Art Adviser and Performance Space Chair, On His Top Exhibitions in Venice This Year

Art adviser and Performance Space New York board chair Thomas Rom shares his personal reflections on the 2026 Venice Biennale vernissage week, highlighting the main exhibition "In Minor Keys" curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, as well as collateral shows and national pavilions. Rom describes the main exhibition as deeply compelling and essential for understanding a global cultural landscape outside traditional frameworks, and he offers observations on works by artists including Maja Malou Lyse, Abbas Akhavan, Bogna Burska, Daniel Kotowski, Tori Wrånes, and Miet Warlop.

New photography museum in Cincinnati foregrounds the medium’s democratic power

The FotoFocus Center, a new museum dedicated to photography, has opened in Cincinnati after over three years of construction. Designed by local architect Jose Garcia, the building's three-tone palette of black, white, and sepia references the medium's origins, while its materials blend regional elements (black iron bricks, indigenous woods) with foreign stone from Argentina. The inaugural exhibition, "Big Tent," curated by Kevin Moore, features works by dozens of artists including Gordon Parks, Catherine Opie, and Robert Mapplethorpe, and reflects on American diversity through photography. The 14,700-square-foot museum occupies a former gas station lot and gives the non-profit organization FotoFocus a permanent home for year-round programming.

Mexico City museum with world's richest collection of Kahlo and Rivera works reopens after years of controversy

The Museo Dolores Olmedo in Xochimilco, Mexico City, reopened on May 30 after six years of closure and controversy over a planned relocation. The museum, housed in a former 16th-century hacienda, showcases the world's richest collection of works by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, along with founder Dolores Olmedo's pre-Hispanic and popular arts. New galleries highlight Olmedo's private spaces and her decades-long bond with Rivera, including 98 of his works arranged chronologically and Kahlo's iconic painting *The Broken Column* (1944).

Rediscovered Constable Goes on View for First Time in Decades

A long-lost painting by John Constable, titled *View of Salisbury from Harnham Ridge*, has been rediscovered after more than six decades in a private collection. The work, dated to the 1820s, will go on public view for the first time in decades at Salisbury Museum on June 11, where it will remain on long-term loan until 2030. The rediscovery was spearheaded by Constable specialist Timothy Wilcox, and the painting depicts a rural scene with the River Avon and Salisbury Cathedral's spire, showcasing Constable's characteristic naturalistic cloud studies.

Re-Air: How Raphael Made—and Unmade—the Renaissance

This week, Artnet News re-airs a podcast episode in which Kate Brown interviews Ben Davis about the Metropolitan Museum of Art's blockbuster exhibition "Raphael: Sublime Poetry." The show is the first comprehensive international loan exhibition dedicated to Raphael in the United States, featuring 237 works including 33 paintings, 142 drawings, and the Sistine Chapel tapestries. Loans come from the Louvre, the Vatican Museums, the Prado, the Uffizi, and the British Museum, with many works never shown together before and some never previously leaving Europe. Curated by Carmen C. Bambach, the exhibition took 17 years to assemble.

Newly Confirmed Lucian Freud Debuts in London

A newly confirmed portrait by Lucian Freud, "Man in a Black Scarf" (1939), has gone on public display for the first time at London's Garden Museum as part of the exhibition "Benton End: A Paradise of Pollen and Paint." The show celebrates the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing, the bohemian art academy founded in 1937 by Cedric Morris and Arthur Lett-Haines, where Freud studied at age 17. The painting's authenticity was long contested—Freud himself denied making it when it was accepted for a 1985 Christie's auction—but was finally proven in 2018 when the school's attendance register was found in the Tate archive, confirming the sitter as John Jameson. The work appears alongside pieces by Morris, Lett, Joan Warburton, Elizabeth David, and Beth Chatto, with the exhibition's set design recreating the school's kitchen and dining room.

Marisa Merz at 100: Major Retrospective to Span Three Italian Museums

Three Italian museums—the Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art (GAM) in Turin, Fondazione Merz, and Castello di Rivoli—are jointly mounting a major retrospective titled “Marisa Merz – The Dance of the Hours” to mark the centenary of Marisa Merz’s birth. The exhibition, which spans all three venues, will feature never-before-seen works alongside highlights from her 2017 U.S. retrospective, and is described as unlikely to be replicated in comprehensiveness. Merz, the only woman in Italy’s Arte Povera movement, was long known as the wife of Mario Merz but has increasingly gained recognition for her own pioneering practice in sculpture, painting, and mixed media.

Cave paintings, a galleon and a wild Frenchman: London Gallery Weekend’s 10 must-see shows

London Gallery Weekend returns for its sixth year, bringing together hundreds of galleries across the city for a weekend of free exhibitions, talks, performances, and events. The article highlights ten must-see shows, including a Francis Picabia survey at Hauser & Wirth, Anne Imhof's gothic explorations at Sprüth Magers, Dominic Watson's surreal galleon installation at The Sunday Painter, and Savannah Harris's critique of gentrification at Harlesden High Street. The event runs from late May into early June, with galleries open late and all admission free.

Venice verdicts: art world figures give their thoughts on the 2026 Biennale

Art world figures including Naomi Beckwith, Beatrix Ruf, and Diana Campbell Betancourt share their reflections on the 2026 Venice Biennale, curated by Koyo Kouoh under the title "In Minor Keys." Beckwith praises the exhibition's focus on post-war African art with an emphasis on women artists like Werewere Liking and Ranti Bam, describing it as a "peri-spiritual project" that asks audiences to shift their art-consumptive behavior. Ruf notes the Biennale felt "major" rather than minor, highlighting how national pavilions and projects responded to the theme with political and poetic urgency, citing works by Florentina Holzinger, Sung Tieu, and others. Campbell Betancourt emphasizes Kouoh's curatorial approach as expansive and inclusive.

The Third Space

Der dritte Raum

The article reports on a new exhibition at the Georg Kolbe Museum in Berlin dedicated to British Constructivist artist Marlow Moss (1889–1958). Moss, who inspired Piet Mondrian and was part of the Parisian avant-garde, developed the 'double line' as a compositional element before Mondrian, yet her work remained largely unknown for decades. Curated by Lucy Howard and Elisa Tamaschke, the exhibition takes a thoughtful approach, presenting Moss's fragmented oeuvre alongside works by contemporary artists Leonor Antunes, Tacita Dean, Florette Dijkstra, and Ro Robertson to open up dialogues across time and space. The show highlights Moss's life marked by persecution, exile, and queer identity, as well as the loss of much of her early work in World War II and the mysterious disappearance of her late work after a 1994 posthumous exhibition in Arnheim.

Fashion recognized by art history at the Festival de Fontainebleau

La mode reconnue par l’histoire de l’art au Festival de Fontainebleau

The 15th edition of the Festival de l'histoire de l'art (FHA), held June 5-7 at the Château de Fontainebleau, has declared fashion a full-fledged artistic medium, a category long neglected by the humanities. The event features over 300 events, including a keynote by Moroccan architect and anthropologist Salima Naji, and Morocco is the first African country to be the festival's guest of honor. The program explores fashion as both aesthetic object and identity marker, with discussions on textile circulations, pre-classical Greek footwear, and a screening of Mounia Meddour's film *Papicha*.

State of the Bayeux Tapestry

État de la Tapisserie de Bayeux

The article, titled "État de la Tapisserie de Bayeux" (State of the Bayeux Tapestry), presents a roundup of current art news and exhibitions across Europe. It highlights several major shows and topics: the tense atmosphere of national pavilions at the Venice Biennale, Barcelona as a hub for avant-garde movements, the renewed splendor of the Musée des Augustins, a mystical retrospective of Hilma af Klint, the psychological depth in Leonardo Cremonini's work, and an exhibition on Monet's early development in Le Havre.

In Bangkok, an art scene in full boom

À Bangkok, une scène artistique en plein boom

Dib, Thailand's first major private contemporary art museum, has opened in Bangkok in a converted industrial warehouse. The project was initiated by late businessman and pop star Petch Osathanugrah and completed by his son Chang, a university president and guitarist. Designed by architect Kulapat Yantrasast—a protégé of Tadao Andō who has worked on the Grand Rapids Art Museum and the Met's Rockefeller Wing—the museum features a minimalist restoration with a social piazza, reflective pools, and a James Turrell light installation. Its collection highlights overlooked Thai artists such as Montien Boonma, Somboon Hormtientong, and Surasi Kusolwong, alongside international names like Louise Bourgeois and Anselm Kiefer.

Found after 80 years, a fascinating lost painting by Leonora Carrington soon to be exhibited in London

Retrouvé après 80 ans, un fascinant tableau perdu de Leonora Carrington bientôt exposé à Londres

A long-lost painting by surrealist artist Leonora Carrington, titled *Villa Pilar* (1940), has been rediscovered after more than 80 years. The work was created during Carrington's internment in a Spanish sanatorium and was kept privately by the descendants of the psychiatrist who treated her. It will be publicly exhibited for the first time starting July 1 at the Freud Museum in London as part of the exhibition "Leonora Carrington: The Symptomatic Surreal."

À Fontainebleau, Alès ou Châlons-en-Champagne, 10 idées de sorties à faire en juin

The article, from Beaux Arts Magazine, lists ten cultural outings in France for June 2026, beginning with a Nuit Blanche in Paris on June 6, curated by DJ Barbara Butch, featuring dance, concerts, and performances from the Hôtel de Ville to the Grand Palais. Other highlights include the Furies circus festival in Châlons-en-Champagne (June 2-6), the ManiFeste festival at IRCAM in Paris (June 3-27) with concerts and installations, dance nocturnes at the Fondation Louis Vuitton (June 4-5) inspired by Alexander Calder's works, and the Festival de l'Histoire de l'Art at the Château de Fontainebleau (June 5-7).

Ogunquit Museum exhibit speaks truth to power at a critical moment in American history | Column - Portland Press Herald

The Ogunquit Museum of American Art is presenting "Looking for America," an exhibition featuring the work of Black conceptual artist Hank Willis Thomas and his collaborators. The show, on view through July 19, uses innovative materials like UV-printed retroreflective vinyl to reveal hidden imagery, such as a civil rights demonstration beneath a decorative pattern, encouraging viewers to look beyond surface appearances.

Protests, picket lines and Indigenous pride: examining US democracy – in pictures

FotoFocus, a non-profit organization, has opened its inaugural exhibition titled "Big Tent" at the new FotoFocus Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show, on view until 22 August 2026, features the work of more than 50 photographers, including Dawoud Bey, Robert Frank, and RaMell Ross. Partly inspired by Amanda Gorman's poem "In This Place (An American Lyric)," the exhibition examines the present state of US democracy through documentary and artistic photography, with images ranging from civil rights protests to contemporary border issues.

Guimi You’s Ethereal Paintings Capture the Art of Starting Over

Lehmann Maupin in New York is presenting “Guimi You: When the Sun Shines Again,” the South Korean artist’s first major solo exhibition in the city, opening June 11, 2026. The show features a new body of atmospheric paintings that explore the theme of starting over after a period of artistic dormancy, using light as a metaphor for growth and transformation. Works such as *Spring Walk* (2026), *Golden* (2026), and *Violet Haze* (2026) depict solitary figures in quiet, luminous landscapes, blending Eastern ink-painting traditions with Western oil techniques.

Monet in dialogue, Kiki Smith... 5 must-see exhibitions in Paris galleries in June

Monet en dialogue, Kiki Smith… 5 expos coups de cœur à voir en galeries à Paris en juin

Five standout gallery exhibitions opening in Paris this June are highlighted, including a dialogue with Claude Monet at Galerie Larock-Granoff featuring eleven contemporary artists, the first Parisian solo show of Swedish painter Martin Jacobson at Andréhn-Schiptjenko, a cosmic-themed group show at Galerie Mitterrand with Yves Klein, Lita Albuquerque, and Jack Goldstein, a salon-style homage to Sonia Delaunay at Galerie Zlotowski, and a new exhibition of Kiki Smith's symbolic works at Galerie Lelong.

Top 15 exhibitions to see with kids this summer in Paris and Île-de-France

A guide to the top 15 family-friendly exhibitions in Paris and Île-de-France for summer 2026 has been published, highlighting shows designed for children. Featured exhibitions include the sound-and-light show AURA INVALIDES at the Dôme des Invalides, immersive experiences at Paradox Museum and Atelier des Lumières (including "The Little Prince" and "Van Gogh, Starry Night"), the free urban art exhibition "We are (still) here" at the Petit Palais, the free exhibition "Simulacres" at Magasins Généraux in Pantin, and "Bricks of Wonder" built with construction bricks. The guide emphasizes interactive setups, shorter formats, workshops, and activity booklets to make culture accessible without oversimplification.

Mike Nelson returns to Modern Art Oxford this Autumn.

Mike Nelson is returning to Modern Art Oxford this autumn for his first exhibition at the gallery since 2004. Titled in response to that earlier moment, the show reflects on 22 years of personal, political, and cultural change, combining new and reworked elements created on site. The installation explores themes of travel, memory, displacement, narcissism, and self-portraiture, with references to countercultural movements, the storming of the US Capitol, and wartime periods including Vietnam, Iraq, and the present.

2026 Exhibitions in Mexico City to Enjoy in June

This article provides a guide to the most interesting art exhibitions in Mexico City for June 2026, coinciding with the 2026 World Cup kicking off in the city on June 11. Featured shows include 'Dalí: Scenery of a Dream' at UNAM's Palacio de la Autonomía, presenting over 80 original works by Salvador Dalí making their Latin American debut; 'Pompeii: Love and Death—The End,' also at the Palacio de la Autonomía, displaying archaeological artifacts from Florence; an immersive soccer history exhibition spanning 1,200 square meters with memorabilia from legends like Pelé and Messi; 'Legacy and dissent' at Museo del Chopo, a group show dedicated to singer Juan Gabriel addressing censorship and LGBTIQ+ rights; and the Banamex Folk Art Cup at Iturbide Palace, featuring 145 pieces blending soccer with Mexican folk traditions.

Difaf gallery’s trio exhibition “Fabric of Time” is not to be missed

The article highlights a series of art exhibitions opening in Cairo, Egypt, in June and July 2025. Key shows include Difaf gallery's trio exhibition "Fabric of Time" featuring Fatma Abu-Doma, Sara Alfazayry, and Ahmed Lesi; a retrospective "Echoes of Time" by Magdy Abdel-Aziz at Dai; and the Egyptian debut of the immersive digital experience "Beyond Van Gogh" at District 5 by Marakez. Other notable exhibitions include "Her Realm" by Ahmed Dafrawy at Art Linx Karma, "Lightings" by Ruairí O'Brien at Arcade, "Generations of Art" at Duroub, and photography exhibitions at the French Institute in Egypt by Randa Shaath and by Noria Tesson and Samar Bayoumi.

Blue mushrooms, shy trees and glowing seas: Beaker Street science photography prize – in pictures

The article showcases the 12 finalists of the Beaker Street science photography prize, featuring images of blue bioluminescent seas, shy tree canopies, native wasps, and glowing mushrooms. The photographs will be exhibited at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery during the Beaker Street festival from August 6 to 17.

‘They are disturbing the dead’: reconstructing the site of the forgotten first genocide of the 20th century

The article reports on a new exhibition in Berlin, 'Fractured Lifeworlds', presented by Forensic Architecture and Forensis, which reconstructs the forgotten genocide of the Herero and Nama peoples in German South West Africa (modern-day Namibia) from 1905 to 1907. The exhibition, originally shown at Namibia’s National Art Gallery, uses films, geological research, and oral testimony to document the concentration camp on Shark Island, where at least 3,000 prisoners died, and to identify unmarked mass graves. It also highlights the ongoing Hyphen green hydrogen project, which threatens to disturb burial grounds as the Lüderitz port expands.

FAD NEWS: Ugo Rondinone creates city-wide celebration of light

Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone is launching MORE LIGHT, a city-wide project in London this summer, spanning three chapters across Mayfair and the Royal Academy of Arts. The project includes a monumental rainbow poem suspended in the Royal Academy's courtyard, fifty-four flags along Bond Street featuring sunrise and sunset images, and a gallery presentation of new watercolour paintings at Sadie Coles HQ. Developed in collaboration with the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition, the installations explore light as a shared human experience through universal motifs like sunrise, sunset, sky, and horizon.