The Game of the Year arrives at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris under the sign of Renoir

Il videogioco dell’anno arriva al Musée d’Orsay di Parigi nel segno di Renoir

The Musée d'Orsay in Paris is hosting a special event on June 25, 2025, centered on the award-winning video game "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33." Developed by Sandfall Interactive, the game is set in a fictional city inspired by late 19th-century Paris and won a record nine awards at the 2025 Game Awards, including Game of the Year. The evening will feature a discussion with creative director Guillaume Broche and artistic director Nicholas Maxson-Francombe, moderated by curator Nicolas Gausserand, followed by a mini-concert of the game's soundtrack performed by composers Lorien Testard and Alice Duport-Percier. A temporary exhibition from June 23 to 28 will highlight parallels between the game's imagery and works in the museum's collection, coinciding with the museum's ongoing show "Renoir e l'amore: una gioiosa modernità."

Marcel Duchamp and Sturtevant. Dialogues are mostly fried snowballs The most beautiful art exhibitions to see in Milan during Art Week and Fuorisalone

Milan's Art Week and Fuorisalone feature a standout exhibition at Thaddaeus Ropac Milano titled "Dialogues are Mostly Fried Snowballs," which stages a conceptual confrontation between Marcel Duchamp and Sturtevant. The show juxtaposes Duchamp's iconic readymades—such as *Fountain* and *Porte-bouteilles*—with Sturtevant's replicas, exploring the tension between original and copy, authorship and duplication. The exhibition's title quotes Sturtevant's quip that dialogues are "fried snowballs," suggesting something impossible yet real.

What awaits us at Art Basel 2026?

Was erwartet uns auf der Art Basel 2026?

Art Basel 2026 will take place from June 18 to 21 in Basel, Switzerland, positioning itself as the premier gathering of the international art world despite a challenging market environment. The Monopol podcast "Kunst und Leben" features editor-in-chief Elke Buhr and deputy editor-in-chief Sebastian Frenzel discussing trends, market sentiment, and highlights including large-scale installations by Nairi Bagramian and Ibrahim Mahama, a new format called "Basel Exclusive" aimed at enhancing on-site art experiences, and the digital platform "Zero Ten" bridging historical and contemporary media art.

Ernest Pignon-Ernest: A Reference Collection

Ernest Pignon-Ernest : un fonds de référence

Ernest Pignon-Ernest, a pioneering French visual artist known for his in situ public interventions, has announced a major donation to the Inguimbertine museum in Carpentras, France. The donation comprises several hundred works—including drawings, sketches, photographs, prints, and paintings—spanning over sixty years of his career. This gift precedes the exhibition "Ombres de Naples" (Shadows of Naples), which will be held at the Inguimbertine through November 1, 2026, and will showcase the breadth of his socially engaged practice rooted in public space.

At the Bourse de Commerce, Fujiko Nakaya Sculpts Fog

À la Bourse de Commerce, Fujiko Nakaya sculpte le brouillard

Japanese artist Fujiko Nakaya, now 93, has installed a fog sculpture titled "Cloud #07156" in the rotunda of the Bourse de Commerce in Paris for summer 2026. The work, which uses hidden pumps and nozzles to create a dense cloud of micro-droplets, is presented in dialogue with the exhibition "Clair-obscur" running until August 24, which revisits chiaroscuro in contemporary art through works by Yves Tanguy, Bill Viola, Victor Man, and Germaine Richier. A second Nakaya installation, "Fog Tree #07031," is also on view in Honfleur as part of the Normandie Impressionniste festival.

Recasting Turandot: Daughters of a Disputed Land

The exhibition "TURANDOT: To the Daughters of the East" at ACP–Palazzo Franchetti in Venice (May 9–Oct 31, 2026) explores the cultural and political history of the Turan region—encompassing parts of modern-day Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan—through the lens of the fictional heroine Turandot. Curated by Ziba Ardalan, the show features 11 female artists including Mona Hatoum, Nazira Karimi, Huma Bhabha, and Afruz Amighi, whose works address themes of nomadic identity, shifting empires, dowry practices, and the opium trade, using the character's transformation from Persian poetry to Puccini's opera as a starting point.

New East Austin art gallery honors its historically Black neighborhood

A new contemporary art space called Ostillo Art Foundation is opening on September 19 in Austin's historically Black Rosewood neighborhood. Located at 2600 Rosewood Ave., the venue will feature gallery space, a library, and an open-air performance area, and will become the permanent home of the East Side Kings Festival, a music festival celebrating African American blues, jazz, and gospel. The inaugural exhibition, "Masquerade," curated by founding director Sacha Zerbib, draws from the collection of local developer René Campos and includes works by 14 artists such as Glenn Ligon, Marlene Dumas, and Kader Attia, all exploring themes of identity, masks, and spectacle.

Eglė Budvytytė on Representing Lithuania at the 61st Venice Biennale

Eglė Budvytytė, representing Lithuania at the 61st Venice Biennale (2026), will present a film installation inspired by the archaeological research of Marija Gimbutas, a 20th-century Lithuanian archaeologist and anthropologist. The work, titled "animism sings anarchy (still)," is a three-channel video and 16mm film transferred to 4K projection, exploring Neolithic spiritual practices and a nonviolent, animist, feminist vision of prehistory. Budvytytė collaborated with performers from various geographies and aims to challenge the concept of national representation within the pavilion.

Racheal Crowther: Smells Like Military-Industrial Complex

Racheal Crowther's exhibition 'Liquid Trust' at Chisenhale Gallery transforms the space into a multisensory critique of care systems entangled with military, corporate, and state control. The show features a repurposed British military mobile health unit, bubblegum-pink walls (a shade once used in US prisons to suppress aggression), and a synthetic scent that blends infant formula compounds with military-funded oxytocin research. Visitors encounter a 'Health Control Post' structure, clinical lighting, and hidden dispensers diffusing a custom fragrance coded as sweetened infant milk powder, all designed to expose how nurture and intimacy are co-opted as tools of behavioral manipulation.

SLG Forever: a selling exhibition in support of the South London Gallery

Christie's in London is hosting 'SLG Forever,' a selling exhibition in support of the South London Gallery (SLG), marking the institution's 135th anniversary. The show features works donated by artists with a special connection to the gallery, including Tracey Emin, Antony Gormley, Yinka Shonibare, Gabriel Orozco, Frank Bowling, Firelei Báez, and Joseph Yaeger. Proceeds from the exhibition will fund the SLG's future projects.

Contemporary Art Meets Iconic Comic Genius Coup

The Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA) will present "Martin Mull: The Joys of Indoor/Outdoor Living," the first major museum exhibition of Martin Mull's artwork in 20 years, running from June 27 to October 17, 2027. The show is co-curated by comedian and art collector Steve Martin and Ann Philbin, director emerita of the Hammer Museum, who brought the project to SBMA. Mull, who died in 2024, was a celebrated actor, comedian, and musician who studied painting at the Rhode Island School of Design and continued making art throughout his entertainment career.

Saodat Ismailova at Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art

The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art will present "Saodat Ismailova: Melted into the Sun," the first major solo museum exhibition in the United States by acclaimed contemporary Uzbek artist Saodat Ismailova. Running from June 13 to November 29, 2026, the exhibition features recent video works and photographic prints that explore Central Asia's landscapes, layered histories, and cultural memory. Highlights include the video "18,000 Worlds," the film installation "Melted into the Sun" reimagining the eighth-century figure al-Muqanna, and a selection of 19th-century Ikat textiles from the museum's collection, curated by the artist.

Monster Chetwynd: A Friends Making Machine

Monster Chetwynd presents her first solo outdoor exhibition, 'A Friends Making Machine,' at Middelheim Museum in Antwerp from 16 May to 11 October 2026. The show features her trademark salamander sculptures, a permanent 'Salamander Portal' gateway connecting the sculpture park to a nearby healthcare complex, and other whimsical installations like 'Proscenium Arches.' The exhibition draws on her signature blend of performance art, set design, and playful, disruptive creativity, with past highlights including slug sculptures at Tate Britain and immersive play sets at Tate Modern.

Inside the first showcase of contemporary Indian art at Russia’s State Hermitage Museum

The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, is hosting its first-ever exhibition of contemporary Indian art in its 260-year history, open to the public since June 4. Curated by Uma Chauhan, the show features 11 Indian artists, including Madhavan, Anindita Bhattacharya, Ravindra Reddy, Pushpamala N., V Ramesh, and Gargi Raina. Madhavan's work "Looming Bodies," previously shown at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, explores the Kasavu weaving community of Kerala through textiles, photographs, and archival materials. The exhibition, titled "Sediments of Becoming," originated from the collection of Russian art collectors Ekaterina and Andrey Terebenin, who have long acquired Indian art and textiles, and previously mounted a show called "India Reflections."

Lee Janghwan Appointed Artistic Director of the Korean Pavilion at the 2027 Venice Architecture Biennale

The Arts Council Korea (ARKO) has appointed Lee Janghwan, founder of Urban Operations, as the Artistic Director of the Korean Pavilion for the 20th International Architecture Exhibition of the 2027 Venice Biennale. Lee, who previously worked as an architect at OMA and contributed to the Qatar National Library, will lead an exhibition tentatively titled 《Disappearing Cities, Accumulating Architecture》, which explores Korea's phenomenon of 'hyper-shrinkage' amid global population decline and aging societies. The exhibition team includes architect and educator Bae Yoon Kyung as artist and co-curator, Lee Kyo Suk of MVRDV, and Jaehyup Ko of Mission Object.

Shim Moonseup in Venice, at Ca' Faccanon the sculpture that puts nature at the center

Korean artist Shim Moonseup presents a solo exhibition titled "Harnessed From Nature" at Ca' Faccanon in Venice, running until September 30, 2026. Curated by Sim Eunlog, the show spans over 50 years of the artist's career, featuring sculptures, paintings, and installations that explore anti-sculpture, ecological thinking, and the relationship between natural materials and technology. Key works include "Re-present" (2010) and pieces from his "Wood Deity" series, alongside works like "Relation (Place)" (1972) and "Thoughts on Clay" (2010).

Riddoch to launch vibrant winter exhibition season

The Riddoch Arts and Cultural Centre in Mount Gambier, South Australia, will launch a vibrant winter exhibition season from 20 June to 16 August 2026, featuring four exhibitions: 'Two Laws One Big Spirit' by Peter Adsett and Rusty Peters, 'My Cuzzy Nate and the 654 Club' by Damien Shen, 'Speak Up!' by Thumbprint Collective, and '50 Years of Deadly NAIDOC Posters'. The program includes a monumental painting collaboration between Gija artist Rusty Peters and New Zealand-born painter Peter Adsett, a moving image card trick performance with tintype photographs by Damien Shen, and local responses to works by Ann Newmarch and Babara Hanrahan. Public events include an opening on 19 June 2026 and 'In Conversation' talks with artists and curators.

Steve Martin, Ann Philbin to curate new Santa Barbara Museum of Art exhibit of 'peculiar' paintings

The Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA) will host "Martin Mull: The Joys of Indoor/Outdoor Living," a major museum exhibition of the late actor-comedian's paintings, co-curated by comedian Steve Martin and former Hammer Museum Director Ann Philbin. Opening in June 2025 and running through October, the show features over 50 works from Mull's estate and private collections of entertainment figures including Steve Martin, Jennifer Tilly, and Ted and Nicole Sarandos. It is the first museum survey of Mull's art in 20 years and the second curatorial collaboration between Martin and Philbin, following their 2015 exhibition on Lawren Harris at the Hammer Museum.

The homage to Kafka in the first major exhibition of super artist William Kentridge in Prague

L’omaggio a Kafka nella prima grande mostra del super artista William Kentridge a Praga

The Kunsthalle Praha in Prague has opened a major exhibition dedicated to South African artist William Kentridge, titled after a series of large-format prints he created in 1998. The show explores Kentridge's deep connection to the Czech Republic, inspired by figures like Jan Palach and Alexander Dubček, and draws on the influence of Franz Kafka and Milan Kundera. Through works that blend black-and-white aesthetics, film, and installation, the exhibition examines themes of choice, uncertainty, and moral reflection, inviting visitors to engage with questions of freedom, oppression, and the legacy of colonialism.

In Milan there is a curious museum dedicated to the Capuchin friars

A Milano c’è un curioso museo dedicato ai frati Cappuccini

The article explores the Museo dei Cappuccini in Milan, a museum dedicated to the Capuchin friars, which opened in 2001. It highlights the order's history of austerity and poverty, contrasting their humble materials (wood, straw) with the opulence of the era. The museum, directed by art historian Rosa Giorgi, houses a permanent collection and temporary exhibitions, such as "Quel che passa il convento," which features two paintings of the Visitation by Camillo Procaccini from Lombard convents.

Raven Chacon: Scores for Coming Storms

Raven Chacon's first solo exhibition at Sikkema Malloy Jenkins, "Scores for Coming Storms," runs from May 14 to June 20, 2026, in New York. The show features a layered installation of sonic and visual works, including a large graphite wall drawing, framed ink drawings, a sound installation, and a wall textile. Central to the exhibition is "American Ledger No. 1" (2018), a musical score for percussion and woodwinds that chronicles the origin story of the United States through Indigenous perspectives, alongside other works like "Tiguex" and "Volcano Choir" that map performances across Albuquerque's landscape.

Art Museum to Showcase Alumnus John Thompson in Manhattan Exhibition

The Syracuse University Art Museum presents “John Thompson ’72: Infinite Variation” at the Bernard and Louise Palitz Gallery in New York City through Sept. 29. The exhibition features works spanning Thompson’s entire career, from his student days at Syracuse to his most recent prints, highlighting his distinctive approach to printmaking. Unlike traditional printmakers who create new matrices for each print, Thompson re-uses existing matrices as building blocks, recombining and reimagining them across compositions—a method rooted in the experimental studio culture he encountered at Syracuse. The show emphasizes his sustained observation of nature, particularly gardens, grasses, stalks, and ponds.

Key art fairs Kiaf, Frieze to open in September

Kiaf Seoul and Frieze Seoul will both take place in September 2026 at the COEX convention center in Seoul. Kiaf runs from September 2–6 with 175 galleries from 18 countries, including 20 first-time participants, and has appointed fashion designer Jung Ku-ho as its first outside creative director for its 25th anniversary. Frieze Seoul, in its fifth edition, runs September 2–5 with over 125 galleries from 30 countries, about 70 percent from the Asia-Pacific region, and features a curated section by three independent curators.

Allegories: Marked by Memory

American artist Vaughn Spann presents 'Allegories', a solo exhibition at the Tampa Museum of Art featuring four monumental works from his 'Marked Men' series. The show runs until 5 July 2026 and uses abstraction, specifically a recurring X motif, to explore themes of race, surveillance, and collective memory, drawing from Spann's personal experiences of racial profiling.

In Paris, a former brothel hosts a powerful exhibition about sex work

À Paris, une ancienne maison close héberge une exposition puissante autour du travail du sexe

In the heart of Paris's Marais district, a former brothel at 10 rue des Écouffes now hosts a powerful exhibition organized by the artist collective Reflet Machine. Titled "Maison de rendez-vous," the show opened during Nuit Blanche and delves into the site's history through archival research at the Bibliothèque historique de Paris and police records. Works by artists including Romy Alizée, Oihana Ospital, Nans Laborde-Jourdàa, Gaëlle Choisne, Maty Biayenda, Amélie Cabocel, and Julien Munschy explore themes of sex work, fetishization, racism, and precarity, using the building's architecture—from mirrored salons to toilets—as integral exhibition spaces.

Three Artists and a Curator on Representing Malta at the 61st Venice Biennale

ArtReview sent a questionnaire to the artists and curator representing Malta at the 61st Venice Biennale (2026). The Malta Pavilion, titled "No Need To Sparkle: Experiments in Love and Revolution," is curated by Margerita Pulè and features three artists: Adrian MM Abela, Charlie Cauchi, and Raphael Vella. Abela presents "Declaration of Dependence," a stage-based work questioning national pavilion structures; Cauchi shows "Dolce," a video and sculptural piece critiquing cinematic illusions and Malta's layered identity; and Vella exhibits "Praying for a Revolution That Will Never Come," exploring a century of collective dissent in Malta. The pavilion is located in the Arsenale.

Jessi Reaves “process invented the mirror” at American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York

Jessi Reaves, a sculptor born in 1986 in Portland, Oregon, presents her exhibition "process invented the mirror" at the American Academy of Arts and Letters in New York. The show features her early works that incorporate severed limbs of mid-century furniture into crude constructions, humorously questioning the elevation of clean lines and rational forms as universal good taste, alongside recent visually dense sculptures that emphasize handiwork.

FEDERICO CANTINI. EL ARTESANO QUE TALLA LA FE EN MADERA

Federico Cantini, a Rosario-based artist born in 1991, works across drawing, carving, and modeling on leaves, wood, and clay. He travels between Rosario and Buenos Aires, collecting urban pruning materials to "carve faith" with others. Cantini runs his own space, Jamaica ATR, and is represented by Galería Pasto in Buenos Aires. His recent exhibition "Hoy" at PASTO featured bas-reliefs in cypress, ficus, and poplar wood, exploring the impossibility of the present through autobiographical yet transcendent scenes. He emphasizes the patient, meditative craft of carving, contrasting it with purely conceptual art production.

Orsay expose les œuvres de la spoliation

The Musée d'Orsay has opened a new permanent gallery dedicated to MNR (Musées Nationaux Récupération) works—art looted during the Nazi occupation of France and recovered after World War II. Approximately 225 pieces, held by the museum pending identification of their rightful owners, are now displayed with a scenographic device that asks visitors directly: "To whom do these works belong?" The exhibition highlights the policies of Aryanization and spoliation under the Nazi regime, as well as the role of French institutions in postwar management of these contested artworks.

Alum Georine Pierre selected for Pérez Art Museum Miami digital art commission

Georine Pierre, an alum and former research affiliate of the City Science group, has been selected as one of 21 artists to receive a digital art commission from the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM). Her commissioned project, "Urban Mining & Regenerative E-Waste Ecosystems," is based on her thesis work—an experimental documentary tracing the global journey of discarded electronics through Old Fadama in Accra, Ghana, one of the world's largest e-waste sites. The project was supported by the City Science group, with Professor Kent Larson as advisor and Professors Gediminas Urbonas and Danielle Wood as thesis readers.