10 Exhibitions to See in Upstate New York This May

Hyperallergic's guide highlights 10 exhibitions opening in Upstate New York this May, including the Hessel Museum of Art's annual showcase of thesis exhibitions by graduates of the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College, featuring works by Alice Aycock, Arthur Jafa, Mike Kelley, and Ana Mendieta. Other notable shows include Daniele Frazier's camera-less photography at September Gallery, Onnis Luque's investigation into resource exploitation at Art Omi, and Japanese woodblock prints at the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center. The guide also covers Lukaza Branfman-Verissimo's mixed-media works and Maria Auxiliadora da Silva's paintings.

Unrealized Artwork by Christo and Jeanne-Claude Will Take Over Gagosian in London

Gagosian gallery in London will present "Christo: Air," an exhibition opening May 21 and running through August 21, featuring a never-realized artwork conceived by Christo and Jeanne-Claude in 1968. The centerpiece, "Air Package on a Ceiling," was originally planned for the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia but abandoned due to technical limitations. The work, a 32-by-52-foot internally illuminated suspended form, will be installed for the first time, along with other rare pieces including "Wrapped Automobile—Volvo, Model PV-544 (1981)," which has not been shown in 30 years. Studio manager Lorenza Giovanelli discovered the original plans in 2018, two years before Christo's death.

SFMOMA reimagines our connection to 250 works of art across four floors.

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) has unveiled "Reimagined: The Fisher Collection at 10," a major reinstallation of approximately 250 works from 35 artists across four floors. The project was led by project assistant curator Ted Mann and chief education and public engagement officer Gamynne Guillotte, who collaborated to transform how the collection is presented. Changes include rotating galleries, such as the Agnes Martin room, to improve sightlines, and incorporating artists' voices, archival video, and interpretive tools to make abstract works more accessible. The reinstallation marks the tenth anniversary of the Fisher Collection's long-term loan to SFMOMA, originally arranged in 2009 and later extended to 100 years.

Ukrainian art resists war

An exhibition titled "Still Joy" opened in Venice during the preview days of the Biennale, organized by the Pinchuk Art Center in Kiev, showcasing Ukrainian art that responds to the ongoing war with Russia. The show features works by artists including Kateryna Aliinyk, Piotr Armianovski, Roman Khimei and Yarema Malashchuk, Zhanna Kadyrova, Alevtina Kakhidze, and Nikita Kadan, addressing themes of resilience, memory, and resistance. The Ukrainian Pavilion at the Biennale also centers on the conflict, with Kadyrova's work referencing the Budapest Memorandum. Many of these artists have chosen to remain in Ukraine despite the dangers, keeping the cultural scene alive.

Form in the Age of Living Materials. Interview with Curator Pablo José Ramírez

LA FORMA EN LA ERA DE LOS MATERIALES VIVOS. ENTREVISTA AL CURADOR PABLO JOSÉ RAMÍREZ

The Hammer Museum in Los Angeles is presenting "Several Eternities in a Day: Form in the Age of Living Materials," an exhibition curated by Pablo José Ramírez running until August 23. Featuring 22 artists from the Americas, the show explores materials such as avocado, cacao, achiote, cochineal, stone, clay, and natural dyes that evolve, degrade, or transform over time. Organized into three acts, the exhibition challenges conventional notions of the art object by treating these materials as living agents with memory and agency, rooted in Indigenous knowledge and the concept of "brownness." In an interview, Ramírez discusses how these materials destabilize extractivist logics and institutional frameworks, forcing a rethinking of conservation protocols and the very conditions of exhibition-making.

When Fashion Meets the Body, Can a Whole Museum Come Alive?

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute will open its latest fashion exhibition, "Costume Art," in a new gallery space adjacent to the Great Hall, formerly the museum's gift shop. Curated by Andrew Bolton, the show features 400 objects from the permanent collection, organized thematically around the dressed body—exploring the naked, classical, anatomical, and mortal body—rather than chronologically. The exhibition aims to connect artistic representations of the body with fashion as an embodied art form.

Discarded Things Alive Again: The Maeck Sculpture Foundation Grand Opening and Tour

The Maeck Sculpture Foundation opened in Burr Oak, Iowa, with a public tour led by artist Steven Maeck. The park features sculptures made from salvaged industrial materials like steel wheels and grain bins, transformed into balanced, lyrical forms. Maeck, who spent 25 years as an itinerant rug dealer before committing to sculpture full-time, described his work as modern sculpture rather than junkyard art, emphasizing form, rhythm, and spatial relationships over material origins.

Museum Night 2026: Events in Belarus and Beyond

On May 16, 2026, Museum Night celebrations will take place across Belarus and beyond, with cultural institutions offering extended hours and special programs. Highlights include the National Centre for Contemporary Arts in Minsk hosting lectures, artist talks, and exhibitions such as “Forms and Shadows: Feminine” and “Difficulties of Translation,” while the National Art Museum explores the color blue through its program “Blue of Blue.” Literary museums dedicated to Maksim Bahdanovich, Yakub Kolas, and Yanka Kupala will feature space-themed activities, reenactments, and fashion shows, and the “Sula” History Park will offer an interactive journey called “Hunting the Dragon.”

Artworks by Palestinian artists killed in war displayed in Scottish exhibition

An exhibition at POD! community art gallery in Dundee, Scotland, features works by three Palestinian artists: Maysa Yousef, who is alive and exhibiting, and two others—Dorgham Qreaiqea and Heba Zaqout—who were killed in Israel's military campaign in Gaza. The display also includes artwork by children in Gaza who participated in art therapy workshops led by Yousef, who describes art as a means of survival and resistance amid ongoing violence and trauma.

At Mcube, the movement and memory of jatras come alive

Pradip Kumar Bajracharya's solo exhibition 'Festive Spirit' at Gallery Mcube in Kathmandu marks his return to solo shows after over a decade. The exhibition captures the movement and memory of Nepal's jatras (festivals), focusing on the cultural celebrations of the Newa people. Bajracharya uses abstraction and fluid acrylic techniques to depict events like Bhaktapur's Sindure Jatra and Indra Jatra, often decentering faces to emphasize atmosphere and emotion. The works also reflect on the pandemic's halt of festivities, with paintings referencing locked chariots and temple guardians.

Birds Flock Amid Vibrant Blooms in Vasilisa Romanenko’s Acrylic Paintings

Vasilisa Romanenko’s solo exhibition, *Flora & Flight*, is on view at Arch Enemy Arts in Philadelphia through May 31. The show features her detailed acrylic paintings, ranging from six to 28 inches tall, depicting birds like white doves, dark-eyed juncos, and lesser goldfinches amid vibrant blossoms such as peonies, poppies, and hollyhocks. The gallery notes that each bird carries a strong sense of form and character, and each leaf and flower feels varied and alive.

In Pompeii, an immersive experience is born that takes visitors back to 79 AD. Here's how it works

A Pompei nasce un’esperienza immersiva che riporta i visitatori proprio al 79 d.C. Ecco come funziona

A new immersive experience called Discovery Pompeii Alive is set to open in June 2026 at the MaxiMall Pompeii, just steps from the archaeological site of Pompeii. Developed by 3DBA and managed by Irgenre Group in collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences, the project uses multisensory technology, spatial sound design, and interactive devices to transport visitors back to the hours before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The experience aims to reconstruct daily life in ancient Pompeii—its villas, public spaces, and homes—culminating in the eruption itself, blending historical reconstruction with emotional engagement.

Sadequain’s Legacy Comes Alive in Canada with Three Day Art Exhibition

Pakistan’s High Commission in Canada launched a three-day art exhibition in Mississauga celebrating the legacy of renowned artist Syed Sadequain Ahmed Naqvi. Inaugurated by High Commissioner Muhammad Saleem, the exhibition features Sadequain’s paintings, murals, drawings, and Urdu poetry, organized by the Sadequain Foundation with local partners. Attendees include students from the Aga Khan Foundation Academy Toronto, and scholar Ashfaq Hussain will deliver a talk on the artist’s multifaceted legacy.