Your Summer Guide: 20 Art World Highlights Not to Miss

ARTnews has published a summer guide highlighting 20 art world events and exhibitions not to miss in the coming months. Featured highlights include the opera 'El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego' at the Metropolitan Opera, the 'Costume Art' exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a Björk show titled 'echolalia' at the National Gallery of Iceland, a book on the Venice Biennale by Massimiliano Gioni, Raven Halfmoon's 'Flags of Our Mothers' at Ballroom Marfa, a Pierre Huyghe exhibition at Fondation Beyeler Basel, a James McNeill Whistler retrospective at Tate Britain, and the inaugural Medina Triennial in New York.

From The Mandalorian and Grogu to Dear England: your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead

This article is a weekly entertainment guide from The Guardian, covering cinema, gigs, art, stage, streaming, games, albums, and brain food. In the art section, it highlights three upcoming exhibitions: Hulda Guzmán's first major European show at Turner Contemporary in Margate (23 May to 13 September), featuring her lush, mystical tropical paintings exploring Caribbean identity; Lewis Hammond's exhibition of dark, old master-inspired portraiture at The Hepworth in Wakefield (23 May to 1 November); and Joanna Piotrowska's show at The Common Guild in Glasgow (23 May to 18 July).

Jumper Maybach Turns Abstraction Into Emotional Space

American artist Jumper Maybach, known for his abstract expressionist paintings, debuted a new suite of works titled "Radiant Spaces" at the inaugural Salt Lake Art Show in 2026. The series explores themes of emotional energy, human resilience, and healing, using layered textures and color fields to create immersive experiences. Maybach has also created site-specific installations in architecturally significant buildings, including the 1900K building in Washington, D.C., and continues to blur the lines between fine art, installation, and luxury design.

How Edward Burtynsky Captures Humanity’s Uneasy Relationship With Nature

Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky is the subject of a solo exhibition titled “Burtynsky: Human/Nature” at Paul Kyle Gallery in Vancouver, running from May 30 to August 1, 2026. The show brings together works from the early 1990s to the present, capturing landscapes that highlight the tension between natural environments and industrial development. Images include a stepwell in India, a granite quarry in Vermont, railcars in British Columbia, and a glowing stream of magma in Ontario. The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue with an essay by the gallery’s assistant director, Diamond Zhou, who describes the title as naming a strained relationship rather than a reconciliation.

Guggenheim to Screen Artistic Portrait of Soccer Legend Zinédine Zidane

The Guggenheim Museum in New York will screen Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno's 2006 film "Zidane, a 21st century portrait" from June 11 to July 19, 2026, timed with the FIFA World Cup. The two-channel video piece follows French soccer legend Zinédine Zidane during a 90-minute match between Real Madrid and Villarreal, captured by 17 cameras to create an intimate, voyeuristic portrait of the player. This marks the film's first showing at the Guggenheim since the museum acquired one of 17 unique editions.

Seoul’s new Centre Pompidou Hanwha museum opens next month—can it live up to expectations?

Seoul's new Centre Pompidou Hanwha museum will open to the public on June 4, 2025, marking the Pompidou's second Asian branch after its collaboration with Shanghai's West Bund Museum. The four-year partnership between the Hanwha Foundation of Culture and the Centre Pompidou will feature two exhibitions per year from the Pompidou collection, starting with "The Cubists: Inventing Modern Vision." The museum occupies 11,000 square meters over four floors of Hanwha Group's 63 Building, with one gallery dedicated to early 20th-century European art and another to global contemporary art with a Korean focus, curated in-house. The inaugural Korea Focus section includes local artists such as Kim Whanki and Yoo Youngkuk.

Where to go on Pentecost weekend?

Wohin am Pfingstwochenende?

This article from Monopol presents a curated guide to art exhibitions and events across several European cities for the Pentecost weekend. Highlights include Christina Kubisch's comprehensive survey 'The Emergence of Sound' at the Ludwig Forum Aachen, Pierre Huyghe's solo show at the Fondation Beyeler in Basel, an artist talk with Jorinde Voigt at Galerie Judin in Berlin, the outdoor exhibition 'Ecologies in Motion' in Düsseldorf's Malkastenpark, Elmgreen & Dragset's intervention at the Städel Museum and Liebieghaus in Frankfurt, and 'Eine Stadt als Atelier' at the Kölnischer Kunstverein in Cologne, among others in Ludwigshafen, Warsaw, and Vienna.

The New York Fairs Are Done. What Remains?

The article reflects on the conclusion of New York's spring art fair season, highlighting TEFAF New York at the Park Avenue Armory and the Independent Art Fair, which relocated to Pier 36. It notes the ongoing Focus fair for emerging Asian art and spotlights specific artists, including Taiwanese painter Tseng Chien-Ying at Kiang Malingue's booth and Frank Gaard at Post Times, describing their works and the fair's atmosphere of discovery.

The Photographs that Shaped the Black Arts Movement in the Mid-20th Century

The Mississippi Museum of Art will present "Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955-1985," an exhibition featuring over 100 photographers whose work shaped the Black Arts Movement. The show includes iconic images such as Ernest Withers's 1968 photograph of Memphis sanitation workers striking with "I Am A Man" signs, Ming Smith's portrait of Sun Ra, and Ralph Arnold's collage critiquing war and violence. Running from July 25 to November 8 in Jackson, the exhibition spans editorial and commercial photography, self-portraits, and mixed-media works that document protest, cultural identity, and resistance during the Jim Crow era.

‘I can use it, I can abuse it’: Tony Albert spent decades collecting racist ‘Aboriginalia’. Now he wants to turn yours into art

Tony Albert, a 45-year-old artist of Girramay, Yidinji, and Kuku-Yalanji heritage, has spent decades collecting thousands of objects he terms 'Aboriginalia'—kitsch, caricatured, and often racist depictions of Aboriginal people created by non-Indigenous Australians. His solo exhibition 'Not a Souvenir' opens at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) in Sydney on 21 May, showcasing over 3,000 items from his collection alongside transformed artworks. The MCA is inviting the public to donate additional Aboriginalia items to Albert's collection, which is housed in his Brisbane studio.

‘America’s Mona Lisa’: how chance, genius and cheap paint made the masterpiece Whistler’s Mother

James Abbott McNeill Whistler's iconic painting of his mother, Anna, known as 'Whistler’s Mother' or 'Arrangement in Grey and Black No 1', is returning to London for the first time in nearly two generations as part of a Tate Britain exhibition. The article recounts how the portrait was painted in 1871 in Whistler's Chelsea studio during a low point in his career, using cheap paint and a used canvas after a young sitter canceled. The author, who restored the painting for the Musée d'Orsay, details the work's accidental genesis, Whistler's radical minimalist aesthetic, and the initial critical confusion it caused.

Emma and Chloe Fineman Talk Prosthetic Boobs, Bible Sluts, and Late-Life Lesbianism

Emma Fineman, a visual artist based in London, is presenting her first solo show at Alexander Berggruen gallery in New York, on view through June 24. The exhibition features 18 paintings that explore her queer identity and self-acceptance, drawing from Christian mythology and the Book of Genesis to celebrate female desire. In a conversation with her sister Chloe Fineman, a cast member on SNL, the two discuss their creative processes, the overlap between comedy and painting, and how they support each other through artistic blocks.

Paloma Elsesser, Joan Jonas, and Isha Ambani Descended Upon Beacon for a Day at Dia

On a warm spring Saturday, the Dia Art Foundation hosted its annual Spring Benefit at Dia Beacon, drawing a cross-disciplinary crowd of artists, curators, museum leaders, and fashion figures. The event celebrated the opening of seven major exhibitions across the Beacon campus, featuring works by John Chamberlain, Lee Ufan, Kishio Suga, and Jack Whitten, and marked the rollout of a new partnership with Chanel. Guests explored over 20 galleries, enjoyed a seasonal lunch amid Chamberlain's sculptures, and participated in a special children's program, all set within the former Nabisco box-printing factory along the Hudson River.

India's Kiran Nadar Museum to take over Christie's London headquarters this summer

The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) in New Delhi will take over Christie’s London headquarters this summer for a month-long non-selling exhibition titled "The Meeting Ground: Scenes from the KNMA Collection" (16 July-21 August). The show will feature 180 works by 60 Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi artists from the 1950s to the present, drawn from billionaire collector Kiran Nadar’s vast collection of South Asian Modern art. The exhibition anticipates the delayed relocation of KNMA to a new 100,000 sq. m building near Delhi airport, designed by David Adjaye and now about 60% complete, with former Louvre Abu Dhabi director Manuel Rabaté appointed to run the museum.

The New Costume Institute Show Gets Under the Skin

The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art has opened its 2026 spring exhibition, “Costume Art,” which explores the relationship between clothing and the human body through pairings of couture with artworks spanning 5,000 years. Curated by Andrew Bolton, the show is divided into thematic chapters such as “Nude Body,” “Disabled Body,” “Aging Body,” and “Anatomical Body,” featuring pieces from designers like Dior, John Galliano for Maison Margiela, and Renata Buzzo alongside historical artifacts and contemporary art.

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Announces a Major Gift of Nearly 2000 Photographs

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) has received a major donation of nearly 2,000 photographs from the Joy of Giving Something Inc. (JGS), a nonprofit dedicated to photographic arts. The gift, drawn from the collection of late financier Howard Stein, spans the 19th century to the present and includes works by over 450 artists, with highlights from Eugène Atget, Nadar, Alfred Stieglitz, Dora Maar, László Moholy-Nagy, Man Ray, Berenice Abbott, Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange, Mary Ellen Mark, and contemporary figures like Adam Fuss and Cindy Sherman. The donation also includes a grant for cataloging and housing, and comes as the VMFA plans five new photography galleries opening in 2027.

Bharti Kher Commissioned by Powerhouse Parramatta, Australia’s New Cultural Center Opening Later This Year

British-Indian sculptor Bharti Kher has been commissioned to create a monumental sculpture titled 'Tree of Life' for the entrance of Powerhouse Parramatta, a major new cultural center opening later this year in Parramatta, west of Sydney, Australia. The work, made of four stacked bronze and clay heads, is part of Kher's ongoing 'Intermediaries' series, which began in 2016 after she found a collection of broken clay figurines in her Delhi studio. The commission was reported by Art Asia Pacific, and Kher previously installed related public works in Central Park and at Harvard Business School.

Willem de Kooning’s Rarely Seen Drawings Come Into Focus in Chicago Show

A forthcoming exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC), titled "Willem de Kooning Drawing," will showcase over 200 rarely seen drawings by the Abstract Expressionist master, opening in June. The show, organized in partnership with the Rijksmuseum, includes works from across de Kooning's career—from early charcoal studies like *Dish with Jugs* (1919–1921) to experimental pieces from the 1960s where he drew with his eyes closed or with both hands. Curated by Kevin Salatino, the exhibition positions drawing as central to de Kooning's practice, challenging the perception that his paintings were purely spontaneous.

An Artist Ponders Pond Scum, Humans and the Meaning of Life

Anicka Yi, an artist known for exploring the intersection of biology and technology, has created a new installation at Storm King Art Center. The work features muck-filled columns that examine pond scum and other microscopic life-forms, using them as a lens to question humanity's role in the natural world. The installation is described as a kind of laboratory where Yi investigates the agency and intelligence of non-human organisms.

In Turin, fashion photography is the protagonist of The Phair 2026. All the news of the seventh edition of the fair

A Torino la fotografia di moda è protagonista di The Phair 2026. Tutte le novità della settima edizione della fiera

The Phair, a photography fair in Turin, returns for its seventh edition from May 22 to 24, 2026, at the OGR – Officine Grandi Riparazioni. This year's edition focuses on fashion photography as an autonomous art form, featuring works by photographers such as Nanda Lanfranco, Giovanni Gastel, Françoise Huguier, Marco Glaviano, and Michelangelo Di Battista. Participating galleries include Photo & Contemporary, Ira Leonis, Deodato Arte, Jaeger Art, and many others. The fair also expands its curatorial committee with figures like Umberto Benappi, Emilio Bordoli, and Brandei Estes.

Ancient Treasures From Lost Egyptian City Head to San Francisco

Dozens of ancient Egyptian artifacts from the newly discovered lost city of Aten—built under King Amenhotep III in the 1300s B.C.E.—will debut in the United States this summer at the de Young Museum in San Francisco. The exhibition, titled “Treasures of the Pharaohs,” features 130 objects spanning over 2,000 years of Egyptian history, including 20 relics from the Aten site itself. The show premiered in Rome in November 2024 and is organized with loans from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and the Luxor Museum, with a catalog by famed archaeologist Zahi Hawass.

Follow PAPER Undercover at New York Art Week

The article follows the author's undercover experience during New York Art Week, focusing on the simultaneous openings of Frieze New York and TEFAF New York in May. Frieze, held at The Shed in Hudson Yards, features contemporary galleries from 28 countries, while TEFAF at the Park Avenue Armory offers a mix of contemporary art, antiques, and Old Masters. The author highlights standout works, including Kelly Sinnapah Mary's solo presentation at James Cohan and Aki Goto's dental installation at Gallery G, and notes the packed schedule of talks, gallery openings, and museum galas.

Fairfield University Art Museum To Present James Welling: Cento

Fairfield University Art Museum will present "James Welling: Cento," a major exhibition of over 60 photographs by the renowned contemporary photographer, from September 25 to December 12, 2026. The show focuses on the classical world, featuring images of ancient Greek and Roman architecture and statuary, printed on plastic sheets and hand-altered with oil paint and pigment. It includes works from the Cento series (2019-2021) and the Personae series (2021-2022), alongside historic plaster casts from the museum's collection.

Roni Horn Returns to London with Seizure of Hope at Hauser & Wirth

Roni Horn returns to London for her first solo exhibition in a decade, titled *Seizure of Hope*, at Hauser & Wirth. The show features over 45 works on paper centered on the repeated phrase "I am paralyzed with hope," drawn from a performance by comedian Maria Bamford, alongside a cast-glass sculpture *Untitled ("What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?")* (2022). The drawings explore language, repetition, and the instability of meaning, with words shifting between clarity and abstraction through wax crayon layering. A limited-edition artist book of the same title will be released by Hauser & Wirth Publishers.

Alexander James Dissects Painting’s Most Enduring Shape in Hong Kong Exhibition

British artist Alexander James presents *Dissecting the Square*, a new exhibition at Phillips Gallery in Hong Kong, running until 31 May 2026. The show features a series of paintings, sculptures, and installations that explore the square as a geometric form, inspired by a moment when sunlight dissected an empty canvas in his studio. James divides canvases into quadrants, creating works that balance order and disruption. The exhibition also includes Josef Albers’ *Homage to the Square: In Time* (1967) and a sculpture by Sean Scully, placing James’s practice in dialogue with art historical precedents.

Amy Sherald Comes Home: “American Sublime” Opens at the High Museum

The High Museum of Art in Atlanta opens "Amy Sherald: American Sublime" on May 15, a mid-career retrospective featuring over 35 paintings from 2007 to 2024. The exhibition was originally scheduled to conclude at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., but Sherald canceled that stop after a Trump administration executive order directed Smithsonian institutions to remove so-called "un-American content." The High Museum secured the final slot after the Baltimore Museum of Art, following months of coordination with SFMOMA, Sherald's studio, and Hauser & Wirth. The show includes Sherald's portrait of Breonna Taylor and her iconic Michelle Obama portrait, organized into five thematic sections.

Artist Nathaniel Mary Quinn, Who Grew Up in the Robert Taylor Homes, Returns to Chicago for New Exhibit

Chicago-born artist Nathaniel Mary Quinn, now based in Brooklyn, is opening his first museum show in his hometown at the National Public Housing Museum. Titled “Nathaniel Mary Quinn: A Love Letter to My Mother,” the exhibition runs from May 21 to August 23, 2026, and features 10 artworks alongside a recreation of his childhood living room in the Robert Taylor Homes. The show is dedicated to his late mother, who encouraged his early drawing on the apartment walls. Quinn, known for his collage-like portraits, recently created the album cover for the Rolling Stones’ upcoming album “Foreign Tongues.” The museum will also host community conversations about the history of the Robert Taylor Homes.

Dear Mary, For Chicago, Sincerely Nathaniel Mary Quinn

The National Public Housing Museum in Chicago opened its doors on April 4, 2025, becoming the only museum in the United States dedicated to the histories of public housing and its residents. Located on the site of the historic Jane Addams Homes, the museum was remodeled by architect Peter Landon and features permanent installations, artist residencies, and temporary exhibitions. Current initiatives include Open Mike Eagle's residency as 'Artist as Instigator,' building on his album 'Brick Body Kids Still Daydream' (2017) about life in Robert Taylor Homes, and the art-glass frieze 'Resilient Hues' by Amanda Williams and Olalekan Jeyifous. The museum is led by executive director Lisa Yun Lee and has earned third place on USA Today's list of 'Best New Museums.'

Brand X Editions workshop celebrated at Dallas Museum of Art

The Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) will present "X Marks the Spot: Contemporary Screenprinting at Brand X Editions," an exhibition exploring the expressive possibilities of screenprinting through the work of the legendary New York City-based workshop Brand X Editions. Featuring over 70 works created over four decades, the show highlights collaborations between Brand X's master screenprinters and artists including KAWS, Rashid Johnson, Deborah Kass, Robert Indiana, Glenn Ligon, and Tschabalala Self. The exhibition opens on May 24, 2026, and runs through November 8, 2026, following its debut at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It includes proofs, video, and interpretive materials to demystify the printmaking process, as well as new works created since the Philadelphia presentation.

UAE art guide: 11 museum and gallery exhibitions to see, from Picasso to the Baghdad Modern Art Group

The article presents a guide to 11 current museum and gallery exhibitions across the UAE, following the conclusion of Art Dubai 2026. Highlights include "Picasso, The Figure" at Louvre Abu Dhabi, which examines Pablo Picasso's reinvention of the human body through works from the Musée National Picasso–Paris; "From the Perspective of Language" at The Third Line, featuring Sara Naim's paintings and video work; and "Move, pause, return" at Gallery Isabelle, marking its 20th anniversary with daily unveilings by artists including Hassan Sharif and Mohammed Kazem. Other notable shows include "Reflections: Modern and Contemporary Art from the Villain Collection" at Bassam Freiha Art Foundation.