8 Standout Artists from the 2026 Whitney Biennial

The 2026 Whitney Biennial has opened, featuring 71 artists and collectives, with eight emerging as immediate standouts. Among them are Jacolby Satterwhite, celebrated for his immersive digital worlds; Lotus L. Kang, whose site-specific installation incorporates decaying materials; and Jes Fan, who explores biology and identity through sculptural forms. Other notable artists include Tiona Nekkia McClodden with her ritualistic film work, the collective Indigenous Futures, and figurative painter Cynthia Daignault. Their works collectively address themes of technology, the body, memory, and ecology.

At MAXXI L'Aquila, exhibition dedicated to Ai Weiwei recounts catastrophes and memory

From April 29 to September 6, 2026, MAXXI L'Aquila presents "AI WEIWEI: Aftershock," an exhibition curated by Tim Marlow featuring approximately seventy works by Chinese artist, architect, and activist Ai Weiwei. The show spans his entire career, focusing on themes of earthquakes, wars, political repression, and memory. The centerpiece is the installation "Straight" (2009–2012), made from 150 tons of steel rods recovered from schools that collapsed in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, displayed across three rooms. The exhibition is held at Palazzo Ardinghelli, a Baroque building that houses MAXXI L'Aquila and was itself restored after the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake, creating a dialogue between the works and the building's history of recovery.

whitney biennial 2026 pictures

The 2026 Whitney Biennial has opened to an early critical consensus of being "above average," though critics suggest the exhibition requires significant time to process. Curated by Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer, the show emphasizes a subtle atmospheric mood rather than overt spectacle, featuring a diverse array of installations, sculptures, and multimedia works that span multiple floors of the museum and its exterior.

2026 Whitney Biennial Lineup Announced

2026 whitney biennial line up

The Whitney Museum of American Art has announced the artist lineup for the 82nd edition of its prestigious biennial, scheduled to open on March 8, 2026. Curated by Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer, the exhibition will feature 56 artists, duos, and collectives selected after more than 300 studio visits. The upcoming edition is currently untitled and focuses on the theme of "relationships," exploring everything from family ties and technology to geopolitical entanglements and interspecies connections.

diriyah contemporary art biennale 2026 artist list

The Diriyah Biennale Foundation has announced the artist list for the third edition of the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, opening January 30 in the JAX District of Diriyah, near Riyadh. Titled “In Interludes and Transitions,” the biennale is curated by Nora Razian and Sabih Ahmed and features over 65 artists, including more than 20 new commissions. Participants range from historic figures like Pacita Abad and Etel Adnan to emerging voices such as Raven Chacon and Dineo Seshee Bopape, working across painting, installation, film, sound, architecture, and publishing.

whitney biennial 2026 artist list

The Whitney Biennial has announced the 56 artists selected for its 82nd edition, opening March 8, 2026. Curated by Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer, the exhibition explores themes of relationality, kinship, infrastructure, and the US role in global affairs. The curators visited over 300 studios worldwide, and the list includes many emerging and lesser-known artists, with most participants under 45 and a significant number identifying as queer.

12 exciting fashion and jewelry exhibitions that will make you travel this summer

12 expos de mode et de bijoux passionnantes qui vous feront voyager cet été

Beaux Arts Magazine presents a curated selection of twelve fashion and jewelry exhibitions across France, Paris, and Vienna, running through summer 2026. Highlights include a retrospective of Mossi Traoré at the Mucem in Marseille, a showcase of Thai haute couture at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and "Africa Fashion" at the Musée du quai Branly, celebrating African design from the independence era. Other featured exhibitions cover Christian Dior, Gianni Versace, Daniel Brush, Provençal costumes, and anniversaries of glittering fashion houses.

13 Exhibitions To Catch During Hong Kong Art Month 2026

Hong Kong Art Month 2026 is set to feature a packed schedule of at least 13 major exhibitions across the city's galleries and museums. The event coincides with the return of Art Basel Hong Kong and other major art fairs, drawing international galleries and collectors to the region.

Defying Soft Power: “Proximities” at SeMA

The Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) is hosting "Proximities: Contemporary Art from the United Arab Emirates," a major survey featuring over 110 works by 47 artists. Co-curated by Maya El Khalil and Eunju Kim in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF), the exhibition eschews traditional chronological narratives in favor of a dense, non-linear exploration of Emirati identity. The show is organized into thematic chapters led by artist-curators, featuring works ranging from Shaikha Al Mazrou’s precarious sculptures to Raja’a Khalid’s olfactory installations.

56 participating artists, duos and collectives revealed for 2026 Whitney Biennial

The Whitney Museum of American Art has announced the 56 artists, duos, and collectives participating in the 2026 Whitney Biennial, the 82nd edition of the landmark U.S. contemporary art survey. Co-curators Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer have chosen not to give the exhibition a thematic title, instead letting conversations with artists guide the selection. The roster includes well-known figures like Andrea Fraser, Kamrooz Aram, Precious Okoyomon, Pat Oleszko, and Julio Torres, alongside emerging talents and historical or overlooked figures such as Carmen de Monteflores, José Maceda, and Kimowan Metchewais. The exhibition opens March 8, 2026, occupying most of the Whitney's Manhattan building with performances, public events, and online programming.

CIMB Artober Art & Soul 2025 is set to catalyse the growth of Malaysia’s art scene

CIMB Artober Art & Soul 2025, an annual art event organized by CIMB Group in Malaysia, has evolved from a pandemic-era lifeline for artists into a major cultural and commercial platform. This year’s edition features over 30 galleries, more than 100 artists, and includes never-before-seen works by the late Malaysian artist Datuk Ibrahim Hussein. The event has been recognized as an official programme of the Asean Economic Ministers’ Meeting, underscoring its growing significance in the region.

riyadh art tuwaiq sculpture 2026 launches open call

Riyadh Art has launched an open call for the seventh edition of Tuwaiq Sculpture, scheduled for January and February 2026 under the theme 'Traces of What Will Be.' The open call runs from August 27 to October 1, 2025, inviting sculptors worldwide to submit proposals for a live sculpting experience in Riyadh. Twenty-five artists will be selected to create original works that will be permanently installed across the city. An international curatorial team has been announced: U.K.-based Sarah Staton, German-born Rut Blees Luxemburg, and Saudi artist Lulwah Al Homoud. The edition introduces two new sculpting categories—Granite + Stainless Steel Integration and Reclaimed Metal—and selected artists receive an honorarium plus travel and accommodation support.

Exhibition explores connection between textiles and spirituality in Asia

The Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile (Chat) in Hong Kong has opened the exhibition 'Threading Inwards,' which explores the deep connection between textiles and spirituality across Asia. The show features 14 artists from the region, working in media from painting to video, who use fabric and fiber to create portals, shrines, and installations that bridge the material and spiritual realms.

Milan Design Week 2026: A Guide to What to See in the Isola District (Celebrating its 10th Anniversary)

Milano Design Week 2026: guida sulle cose da vedere al distretto di Isola (che compie 10 anni)

The Isola Design Festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary during Milan Design Week 2026 with the theme "TEN: The Evolving Now." Originally founded to provide an affordable platform for independent and young designers, the festival has expanded from a local neighborhood initiative into a global organization with a permanent presence in Dubai. The 2026 edition centers on the historic Fabbrica Sassetti, a 1930s wool mill, alongside various venues across the Isola district including Fondazione Catella and Stecca3.

Soft Power: When Textiles Become Compelling Storytellers

The article reviews 'Threading Inwards,' an exhibition at the Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile (CHAT) in Hong Kong, curated by Wang Weiwei, Eugene Hannah Park, Kurosawa Seiha, and Wang Huan. It features 14 artists from across Asia who use textile as a medium to explore themes of spirituality, memory, and cultural heritage. Works include Han Sang A's 'Threshold' series, Hu Yinping's 'Soul Bottle' series, and pieces by Aziza Kadyri, Mooni Perry, Citra Sasmita, IV Chan, and Chen Zhe, among others.

Exhibition explores connection between textiles and spirituality in Asia

The Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile (Chat) in Hong Kong has launched "Threading Inwards," an exhibition featuring 14 artists from across Asia who utilize fabric as a medium for spiritual exploration. Co-curated by Wang Weiwei alongside three regional curators, the show features diverse works ranging from Sang A. Han’s ink-stained cotton gates to Aziza Kadyri’s AI-integrated Uzbek folk dance installations. The exhibition emphasizes textiles not merely as material, but as portals to ancestral cosmology and sacred vessels linking the physical and metaphysical worlds.

‘Master Artist AA Raiba: A Unilateral Eclectic’: An art exhibition

An exhibition titled 'Master Artist AA Raiba: A Unilateral Eclectic' is currently on view at Thapar Gallery in New Delhi, showcasing works by Abdul Aziz Raiba from the 1950s and 1960s. The retrospective highlights Raiba’s diverse practice, including murals, paintings on jute, reverse glass paintings, serigraphs, calligraphy, and sketches, and features landscape works from his Kashmir sojourn between 1957 and 1959.

Nadeem Sabtain’s Solo Painting & Charcoal Art work Exhibition Opens at Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi

Nadeem Sabtain's solo painting and charcoal art exhibition opened at the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi, inaugurated by Provincial Minister for Culture Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah and Arts Council President Muhammad Ahmed Shah. The exhibition features 40 artworks, including portraits of political figures such as Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto, and others, with themes drawn from Sabtain's own poetry and a poem written for Benazir Bhutto's Soyem memorial.

Inauguration of Moroccan Pavilion at 61st Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition

Morocco inaugurated its national pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition on Friday, with Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch presiding over the ceremony. The pavilion features the project “Asǝṭṭa,” led by artist Amina Agueznay and curator Meryem Berrada, and will be on view at the Doges through November. The presentation aligns with the Biennale’s overarching theme, “In Minor Keys,” and showcases Moroccan heritage through contemporary artistic expression.

Thapar Gallery’s tribute to Abdul Aziz Raiba

Thapar Gallery in New Delhi is hosting an exhibition titled "Master Artist A. A. Raiba: A Unilateral Eclectic," a tribute to the late Indian modernist Abdul Aziz Raiba. The show, on view until 21 June 2026, explores Raiba's six-decade career across murals, paintings on jute, reverse glass paintings, serigraphs, calligraphy, and sketches, highlighting his synthesis of Indo-Islamic traditions, European academic naturalism, the Bengal School, and European modernity. Historian Shivaji K Panikkar provides curatorial insight, noting Raiba's independence from group affiliations and his use of grids and strong linear outlines.

An art exhibit showcasing AA Raiba’s versatility across mediums

Thapar Gallery is presenting an exhibition titled "Master Artist A. A. Raiba: A Unilateral Eclectic," showcasing the work of Indian modernist Abdul Aziz Raiba from the 1950s and 1960s. The show highlights Raiba's versatility across mediums including murals, paintings on jute, reverse glass paintings, serigraphs, calligraphy, and sketches, and features landscape drawings from his Kashmir sojourn between 1957 and 1959. The exhibition runs until June 21.

Exhibition 'Our History Living in Stitches' fascinates viewers [PHOTOS]

An exhibition titled 'Our History Living in Stitches' has opened at the Azerbaijan National Art Museum, dedicated to the Goycha and Garagoyunlu regions of Western Azerbaijan. The show features carpets woven by Azerbaijani women from those areas, preserved as treasured belongings during deportations between 1987 and 1991 and brought to Azerbaijan. The opening ceremony included speeches by museum director Shirin Malikova, community leaders, and a member of parliament, alongside musical performances by the 'Khazri' dance ensemble.

Red Sea Museum Hosts Contemporary Art Exhibition to Showcase Marine Biodiversity

The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), an Aramco initiative, is participating in Milan Design Week 2026 (April 20-26) by presenting the exhibition “Default is Not Universal” at the Isola Design Festival. The exhibition features works by eight designers from the Middle East and North Africa, including seven interactive stations that use artificial intelligence to collect visitor data and map cognitive patterns shaped by cultural influences. After its debut in Milan, the exhibition will travel to Saudi Arabia as the anchor international exhibition of Ithra Design Week later this year.