À la Biennale de Venise, le pavillon de l’Ouzbékistan fait revivre la mer d’Aral

The Uzbekistan Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale, curated around the figure of author Allayar Darmenov, brings together artists including Vyacheslav Akhunov, Zi Kakhramonova, A. A. Murakami, Zulfiya Spowart, and Nguyen Phuong Linh to explore the ecological disaster of the Aral Sea. Once the world's fourth-largest lake, it was drained by Soviet irrigation projects for cotton farming; the pavilion's installations—such as Kakhramonova's participatory salt-fish molding piece and Spowart's cradle-like sculpture—imaginatively revive the vanished sea and its endemic species.

Zheng Zhilin at Linseed Projects

Zheng Zhilin presents a solo exhibition at Linseed Projects, featuring a series of new works that explore themes of memory, materiality, and spatial perception. The show includes paintings and mixed-media installations that engage with the physical and emotional textures of everyday environments, drawing on the artist's personal experiences and cultural references from contemporary Chinese life.

Bouchra Khalili “Circles and Storytellers” at Mosaic Rooms, London

Mosaic Rooms in London has reopened with "Circles and Storytellers," the first public UK solo exhibition by French-Moroccan multidisciplinary artist and educator Bouchra Khalili. The show features interconnected works including *The Circle Project* (2023), a mixed media installation that explores themes of civic imagination and alternative forms of community and belonging.

Romane de Watteville “I’ll miss you when I scroll away” at Istituto Svizzero, Milan

Romane de Watteville's exhibition "I'll miss you when I scroll away" opens at Istituto Svizzero in Milan, featuring an environmental installation designed specifically for the venue. Her figurative paintings explore the tension between aesthetic saturation and the disorienting experience of digital consumption, drawing from online imagery and personal archives.

When Light Becomes Community. Artist Marinella Senatore Tells Us About Her Exhibition in a Puglian Masseria

Quando la luce diventa comunità. L’artista Marinella Senatore ci racconta la sua mostra in una masseria pugliese

Italian artist Marinella Senatore presents her first solo exhibition in Puglia, "We Rise By Lifting Others," at Masseria Torre Maizza from May 29 to September 8, 2026. Curated by Raffaele Quattrone and developed for Rocco Forte Hotels, the show transforms the masseria into an immersive journey where six light installations dialogue with the region's tradition of luminarie (festive light displays) and themes of community and collective memory. In an interview, Senatore explains that her luminous architectures are not merely decorative but serve as emotional, social, and political devices that activate real encounters and belonging in an era of hyper-individualism and digital dematerialization.

Between memory and myth: inside WITH MY ROOTS Iranian Contemporary Art Biennale

The sixth edition of the Iranian Contemporary Art Biennale, titled WITH MY ROOTS, has opened at Mall Galleries in London, featuring works by Iranian and diaspora artists across painting, photography, sculpture, installation, and video. The exhibition explores themes of identity, displacement, and cultural continuity against a backdrop of ongoing conflict and political uncertainty, with standout pieces by Soheila Golestani, Paria Shahverdi, Sahaar (Sahar-Khosrojerdi), Negin Baghery, Mohammaz Reza Zabihi, and Dina Abdose.

Art4you Gallery’s tribute exhibition to women closes at Art Smiley Art Gallery

Art4you Gallery hosted 'Her Story – A Tribute to Women, Edition 2' at Art Smiley Art Gallery in Dubai from May 10–15. The international group exhibition featured 21 artists from 16 countries, presenting works in canvas, installation, and mixed media that explored themes of identity, strength, memory, and womanhood. Curated by Jesno Jackson, the show aimed to create a living archive of women's stories, with participating artists including Cristina Gabriela, Seungeun Cho, Vasilisa Eliseeva, Natasha Boshoff, and others from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Art Farm Iowa Presents “The Upcycled Garden”

Art Farm Iowa presents "The Upcycled Garden," an exhibition by artist Daniel “Attaboy” Seifert, opening May 29th with a reception from 5-8 p.m. The show transforms discarded materials into sculptures, assemblages, and mixed-media installations exploring sustainability and joyful reinvention. A Paper Plate Succulent Workshop will be held on May 30th, led by Attaboy, using recycled materials. The exhibition runs through August 1st before traveling to the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Beyond the Streets at La Villette’s Grande Halle: the exhibition dedicated to the legends of graffiti and street art

"Beyond the Streets," a major exhibition dedicated to graffiti and street art, opens at the Grande Halle de La Villette in Paris from May 27 to August 30, 2026. Featuring over 100 artists including Futura 2000, Shepard Fairey, Invader, JonOne, André Saraiva, Felipe Pantone, Mister Cartoon, Vhils, Yoshi Omori, JR, Ozzie Juarez, Nadya Tolokonnikova, Kenny Scharf, Paul Insect, and Tim Conlon, the show spans 3,600 square meters with historic works, new pieces, archives, and immersive installations. Highlights include a train car installation, a mural by JonOne, a gallery dedicated to Shepard Fairey, "The Cosmic Cave" by Kenny Scharf, "The Marionette Workshop" by Paul Insect, and a section on the Beastie Boys and French hip-hop, including outfits from Dapper Dan and T-shirts from Driss Dendoune's collection.

On the Pistoia Apennines, OCA - Oasy Contemporary Art opens the new season with Arne Quinze

OCA - Oasy Contemporary Art and Architecture in the Pistoia Apennines has opened its 2026 season, featuring Belgian artist Arne Quinze. Quinze presents the outdoor installation *Ceramorphia* (previously shown at the 2024 Venice Biennale) and the solo exhibition *I'm a Gardener*, which includes paintings and works on canvas. The installation, made of ceramic forms, reinterprets nature rather than copying it, while the exhibition explores the relationship between humans and biodiversity. The season began on April 25, 2026, under the artistic direction of Emanuele Montibeller.

Orlan, Marina Abramović, Ai Weiwei and Roger Ballen lead a major exhibition on love in Paris

A major group exhibition exploring the theme of love has opened in Paris, featuring works by renowned contemporary artists including Orlan, Marina Abramović, Ai Weiwei, and Roger Ballen. The show brings together diverse perspectives on love, intimacy, and human connection through various media such as performance, photography, and installation.

Art fair showcases Beijing’s evolution as cultural destination - China Daily

The Beijing Dangdai Art Fair opened on Thursday at the National Agricultural Exhibition Center, running through Sunday. It features a wide range of works from late artist Zao Wou-ki’s tiny sketch drafts to large-scale installation art and robot pieces co-developed by artists and tech companies. Galleries from Beijing’s 798 art zone, other Chinese cities, and international institutions are participating. The fair also marks the launch of the 2026 Beijing Art Season, which includes Beijing Design Week and Gallery Weekend Beijing, and offers an off-site exhibition at WONDER · China World Mall through May 31.

‘Walking With Giants’ exhibition to bring larger-than-life art to COD campus

The College of DuPage (COD) will host a new outdoor exhibition titled 'Walking With Giants,' featuring large-scale sculptures and installations by various artists on its campus in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. The show aims to transform the campus environment into an immersive art experience, with works placed in public spaces for students and visitors to encounter.

3 new exhibitions at Artists Archives tackle urgent social issues

The Artists Archives of the Western Reserve in Cleveland has opened three new exhibitions that confront pressing social issues. The shows feature works by regional artists addressing topics such as racial justice, environmental crisis, and community resilience, using a range of media from painting and sculpture to mixed-media installations.

24 Hours with Jewel at the 2026 Venice Biennale Festival

Singer-songwriter Jewel has transformed into a multimedia artist, presenting a solo exhibition titled '24 Hours with Jewel' at the 2026 Venice Biennale. The show features 34 new works, including paintings, sculptures, and kinetic installations, with the centerpiece 'Heart of the Ocean'—an eight-foot kinetic sculpture created in collaboration with scientists from NASA, NOAA, Stanford, and UC Berkeley that translates real-time oceanographic data into light and sound. V Magazine followed Jewel for 24 hours as she prepared for her Biennale debut, documenting her day from rooftop meditations and water taxi rides with her son to private patron tours and an opening night performance in a custom Schiaparelli dress.

Acacia Marable at Night Gallery

Acacia Marable presents a solo exhibition at Night Gallery in Los Angeles, featuring a series of new works that explore themes of memory, domesticity, and the passage of time through layered, abstract compositions. The show includes 76 images documenting the installation, with no accompanying text descriptions, emphasizing a purely visual experience.

“We are passing the Pillars of Hercules”. The artist Luca Vitone sends us the logbook of his sailing voyage to Saint Helena

“Stiamo superando le Colonne d’Ercole”. L’artista Luca Vitone ci manda il diario di bordo del suo viaggio a vela verso Sant’Elena

Italian artist Luca Vitone has embarked on a sailing voyage from the port of La Línea, near Gibraltar, toward the island of Saint Helena, as part of his project "Pro Tempore." After six years of preparation, Vitone and his crew—including commander Pier Bruno Morelli, sound engineer Alessandro Daniele, navigator Pietro Bertozzi, cinematographer Elvio Manuzzi, and writer Carlo Antonelli—set sail on the cutter Adriatica. The journey is supported by the Italian Council program, promoted by the Ministry of Culture's Direzione Generale Creatività Contemporanea, and by the Fondazione Oelle in Catania, led by president Ornella Laneri.

Ephemeral Metamorphosis

Métamorphose éphémère

French artist JR has unveiled a monumental inflatable installation titled "La Caverne du Pont-Neuf" on the Pont-Neuf bridge in Paris. The immersive work, composed of giant printed canvases sculpted by air, forms a 120-meter-long cave over the Seine where visitors can walk while listening to a sound piece by former Daft Punk member Thomas Bangalter. The installation is free to visit from June 6 to 28, 2026, and pays homage to the 40th anniversary of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's iconic "Pont-Neuf Wrapped" project.

Gabriel Abrantes “Bardo Loops” at Gasworks, London

Gasworks in London is presenting "Bardo Loops," the first UK solo exhibition by artist and filmmaker Gabriel Abrantes. The installation spans four screens and features two animated ghosts who argue, reconcile, and sing laments, blending ironic humor with melodrama. The dialogue incorporates autobiographical elements from Abrantes's life alongside broader themes like climate change.

Ieva Lygnugarytė “Carmen: Utopias of Belonging” at Oratorio dei Crociferi, Venice

Artist Ieva Lygnugarytė presents "Carmen: Utopias of Belonging," a video installation at Oratorio dei Crociferi in Venice. The work reactivates a little-known story from 1523, when poet Nicolaus Hussovianus wrote "Carmen de Statura, Feritate ac Venatione Bisontis" as a diplomatic gesture for the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, intended to accompany a straw-stuffed European bison.

Prisoners of Love: Until the Sun of Freedom

Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme present 'Prisoners of Love: Until the Sun of Freedom' at MACBA – Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona. The immersive installation explores Palestinian incarceration through sound, memory, and poetic fragments, refusing linear narrative and documentary conventions. It features testimonies, songs, and spectral traces that create a polyphonic meditation on captivity, resistance, and the persistence of voice against erasure.

Free curator’s tour of Expo 86 art at Surrey gallery Thursday

Curator Jordan Strom will lead a free tour of "In the Shadows of the Pavilions: Expo 86 and Contemporary Art" at Surrey Art Gallery on Thursday, May 28, 2026, at 7 p.m. The group exhibition features original and archival work from 1986 by over 50 artists, including Bill Reid, Robert Davidson, Debra Sparrow, and Paul Wong, spanning photography, painting, film, weavings, sculpture, video, performance, and installation art. The tour will be followed by a chiptune performance by Freaky DNA (Leonard J. Paul). Additional events include a beading workshop on May 30 and a closing event on June 7.

Inside the free exhibition bringing the art of the Expo '86 World's Fair back to life

Surrey Art Gallery in Bear Creek Park, Vancouver, has opened a free temporary exhibition titled "In The Shadow of the Pavilions: Expo 86 and Contemporary Art." The show revisits the cultural legacy of Expo '86, the 1986 World's Fair that transformed Vancouver's urban and economic identity, through contemporary artworks in photography, video, installation, and archival materials. It highlights the many public artworks commissioned for the fair, the architecture of pavilions, and features an anonymous documentary slideshow of over 1,700 photographs by Michael de Courcy capturing visitors and everyday scenes.

Kaoru Arima, Hikari Ono at The Porto Arts Club, Porto

Kaoru Arima and Hikari Ono are presenting a two-person exhibition at The Porto Arts Club in Porto, Portugal. The show features a series of images documenting the installation, with 10 photographs and no videos, though none of the images include text descriptions.

Resonating with the past: 3 Macau artists on ‘Jacone’s Polyphony’ at Venice Biennale

Three Macau artists—Fok Hoi Seng, O Chi Wai, and Lei Fung Ieng—are presenting works in the exhibition “Jacone’s Polyphony” at the 61st Venice Biennale. The show, curated by Feng Yan and Ng Sio Ieng, draws inspiration from the 17th-century Jesuit painter Wu Li (known in Portuguese as Jacone), whose unfulfilled journey to Rome mirrors Macau’s complex cultural identity. Fok contributes a large-scale screen tracing Wu Li’s intended route; O offers a multimedia installation linking past and present spiritual seeking; and Lei creates a sculpture exploring migration and emotional texture.

RSA 200 Annual Exhibition, Edinburgh

The Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) is celebrating its bicentenary with the RSA 200 Annual Exhibition, featuring 560 works by members and emerging artists. The exhibition, led by convenors Annie Cattrell and Fergus Purdie, runs from 9 May to 14 June 2026 in Edinburgh. Cattrell's theme "In Time" links to the tercentenary of geologist James Hutton, exploring geology and the passage of time, while Purdie's themes "Beginning(s)" and "Unbuilt" invite Academicians to design an imagined alternative Academy building. The show includes works by artists such as Julie Brook and Samantha Clark, with installation views photographed by Julie Howden.

The trolls come indoors as a Danish recycling artist stages his first museum exhibit

Danish recycling artist Thomas Dambo, known for creating nearly 200 wooden troll sculptures hidden in natural settings across 19 countries, is opening his first museum exhibition. Titled “The Garbage Man,” the show at the Arken Museum of Contemporary Art near Copenhagen features a new collection of fairy tale-inspired trolls that take over the museum and build a giant human figure out of trash. The exhibition opens Sunday and runs until November 29, marking a shift from Dambo's usual outdoor treasure-hunt installations to an indoor, narrative-driven experience.

Inside Show of Strength: Women Artists Reimagine Goa’s Historic Aguad Port and Jail

Over 30 women artists have transformed Goa's historic Aguad Port and Jail complex into a large-scale exhibition titled 'Show of Strength: Contemporary Women Artists at Aguad.' Curated by Samira Sheth, the show features 37 women artists from Goa working across painting, sculpture, textile, photography, installation, and digital media. The exhibition, which opened in March to coincide with Women's History Month, uses the 17th-century heritage site—once a place of control and confinement—as an integral part of the artistic experience, with works exploring themes of feminine power, resilience, memory, and healing.

Lélia Demoisy at Domaine de Chamarande: an exhibition exploring forest narratives — our photos

French artist Lélia Demoisy presents a solo exhibition titled 'Récits de forêts' at the Domaine départemental de Chamarande in Essonne, running from May 10 to August 30, 2026. The show features sculptures, installations, and landscape interventions across the estate's orangery, park, and grounds, exploring the memory of forests, natural materials, and the interactions between species. Works such as 'Laissés sur la rive,' 'Le Foyer,' and 'Cedrus deodara – Forêts futures' use wood, fibers, charcoal, and animal tracks to probe themes of repair, regeneration, and the boundary between life and endurance.

Arte Museum, BTS team up for immersive "Arirang" exhibition in Las Vegas, Busan and New York

Digital art venue Arte Museum, operated by Seoul-based design company d'strict, has partnered with K-pop group BTS for a large-scale immersive exhibition titled "Arte Museum X BTS The City Arirang." Inspired by BTS's new album "Arirang," the exhibit debuted on Wednesday at the museum's Las Vegas branch and will run through June 17, with subsequent openings in Busan on June 5 and in New York at a later date. The show features five original media artworks—including "No. 29," "Body to Body," "Swim," "2.0," and "Into the Sun"—alongside an updated "Arirang Wave" installation, an interactive "Live Sketchbook" space, and a BTS-themed cafe. It is part of the band's "The City" project, which extends the concert experience into local venues during their "Arirang" world tour.