Heir of Goya and Abstract Expressionism, the painting of Roger-Edgar Gillet finally rediscovered in an unprecedented retrospective

Héritière de Goya et de l’expressionnisme abstrait, la peinture de Roger-Edgar Gillet enfin redécouverte dans une rétrospective inédite

A major retrospective at the Musée Estrine in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence finally brings long-overdue recognition to French painter Roger-Edgar Gillet (1924–2004), an artist who emerged from the post-war abstraction scene of the Nouvelle École de Paris but later forged a singular figurative style blending Goya, Delacroix, and Northern grotesque traditions. The exhibition follows two important donations—to the Centre Pompidou in 2017 and the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rennes in 2022—that helped revive institutional interest in Gillet, whose work had been marginalized since the 1960s.

Sound-based Holy See pavilion opens at Venice Biennale as Vatican’s contemporary art ambitions grow

The Holy See's pavilion at the Venice Biennale has opened, featuring a sound-based exhibition titled "The Ear is the Eye of the Soul" (9 May–22 November). The show, inspired by the medieval Benedictine nun Saint Hildegard of Bingen, includes commissioned audio works by high-profile artists and musicians such as Brian Eno, FKA Twigs, Patti Smith, Jim Jarmusch, and Precious Okoyomon. The exhibition takes place across two Venetian sites—the Mystical Garden of the Discalced Carmelite and the Santa Maria Ausiliatrice complex—and is co-organized by Hans Ulrich Obrist, artistic director of the Serpentine Gallery, and curator Ben Vickers, in collaboration with Soundwalk Collective.

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The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has secured a major loan of the ancient marble sculpture *Sleeping Hermaphroditus* from the Louvre in Paris. The work will be a centerpiece of the museum's upcoming exhibition "Metamorphoses," which opens on February 6, 2026, and explores themes of transformation drawn from Ovid's epic poem.

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The Morgan Library and Museum in New York will open "Caravaggio’s Boy with a Basket of Fruit in Focus" on January 16, centered on a landmark loan of Caravaggio's titular painting from the Galleria Borghese in Rome. The exhibition, organized through the Foundation for Italian Art and Culture (FIAC) led by Alain Elkann, features 13 artworks by artists who preceded and succeeded Caravaggio, curated by John Marciari to provide context on the artist's influences and legacy.

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The National Gallery in London will host "Van Eyck: The Portraits" in November, a landmark exhibition uniting all nine of Jan van Eyck's surviving portraits for the first time. This includes masterpieces like *The Arnolfini Portrait* (1434) and loans from the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin, the Groeningemuseum in Bruges, and the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, alongside the recently conserved *Portrait of a Man (Self Portrait?)* (1433).

Art Toronto reflects Canadian art scene’s emphasis on Indigenous representation

Art Toronto's 2025 edition, running until October 26 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, features Indigenous art prominently across more than half of its 121 exhibitors. The fair includes a new Latin American section, Arte Sur, curated by Karen Huber, showcasing artists like Natalia Montoya and Sheroanawe Hakihiiwe. Canadian galleries such as Feheley Fine Arts, Ceremonial Art, Fazakas Gallery, and Patel Brown highlight Indigenous artists, with works ranging from beadwork and performance to mixed-media pieces that challenge stereotypes. Notable presentations include Jordan Bennett's reworked motorcycle and Nadia Myre's ceramic beadwork landscapes.

What souvenirs did they bring home from the Grand Tour? An exhibition in Milan to find out

Quali souvenir si portavano a casa dal Grand Tour? A Milano una mostra per scoprirlo

The Museo Poldi Pezzoli in Milan has announced a major exhibition for 2026 dedicated to the Grand Tour, the historic educational journey undertaken by European aristocrats through Italy. Moving beyond traditional landscape paintings, the show explores the material culture of 18th and 19th-century travel, featuring maps, notebooks, luxury jewelry, and fans that served as high-end souvenirs. A centerpiece of the exhibition is Giovanni Paolo Panini’s masterpiece 'Roma Antica,' which will be presented alongside a cinematic reinterpretation by director Ferzan Özpetek.

"Homage to the Virtuosos" exhibition opens in Beijing

An exhibition titled "Homage to the Virtuosos: From Leonardo da Vinci to Caravaggio -- Masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance" has opened at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing. The show features 36 masterpieces by more than 20 renowned Italian artists from the 15th to the 17th centuries, including Botticelli, da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael, with most works on display in China for the first time. Chinese painter Jin Shangyi was present to introduce Bronzino's "The Portrait of Lorenzo the Magnificent" to visitors.

The Art Galleries of New York

A visitor recounts a personal gallery crawl through New York City neighborhoods like Tribeca, Chelsea, and the Lower East Side, highlighting specific exhibitions at Andrew Kreps Gallery, James Cohen Gallery, Chapter NY, and Bortolami Gallery. The article details works by artists including Thérèse Oulton, Elias Sime, Sonya Kelliher-Combs, Rosha Yaghmai, Vian Sora, and Sophie Reinhold, emphasizing the diversity of styles and materials on view.

Fondazione Bvlgari Bets on the Venice Biennale: Beyond the Pavilion in the Giardini, an Exhibition at the Biblioteca Marciana

Fondazione Bvlgari scommette sulla Biennale di Venezia: oltre al padiglione ai Giardini, una mostra alla Biblioteca Marciana

Fondazione Bvlgari is making its debut at the Venice Biennale with a collateral exhibition at the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, featuring site-specific works by Monia Ben Hamouda and Lara Favaretto. The show runs from May 9 to November 22, 2025, alongside the 61st International Art Exhibition. Ben Hamouda presents 'Fragments of Fire Worship,' neon sculptures in the Vestibule that explore language and cultural heritage, while Favaretto installs the final edition of 'Momentary Monument – The Library' in the Salone Sansovino, inviting public consultation of donated books. Additionally, Bvlgari has a pavilion in the Giardini featuring Canadian artist Lotus L. Kang, as part of a three-edition partnership with the Biennale through 2030.

Vatican to open contemporary art gallery in historic papal library

The Vatican Apostolic Library has created a new exhibition hall for contemporary art, which will be inaugurated by Pope Francis on November 5. The first exhibition, titled "EVERYONE: Humanity on its way," features unpublished works by Roman artist Pietro Ruffo, including a site-specific installation in the Sala Barberini that transforms the space into a tropical forest. Historic treasures from the library, such as a 17th-century map of the Nile by Ottoman explorer Evliya Çelebi, will be displayed in dialogue with Ruffo's contemporary reinterpretations.

The Vatican brings Hildegard of Bingen to the Biennale. "The ear is the eye of the soul", by Brian Eno and Patti Smith

The Holy See Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale, titled "The Ear is the Eye of the Soul," centers on the 12th-century Benedictine abbess and visionary Hildegard of Bingen. Curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Ben Vickers in collaboration with Soundwalk Collective, the pavilion spans two Venetian venues—the Mystical Garden of the Discalced Carmelites and the Complesso di Santa Maria Ausiliatrice—and features new sound works by 24 artists, musicians, and poets including Brian Eno, Patti Smith, FKA Twigs, Meredith Monk, and Jim Jarmusch. The title is borrowed from the final work of German director Alexander Kluge, who died in March 2026, and his monumental film installation forms a core part of the exhibition.

UNH Gallery of Art Displays "Current: Fall 2025 Faculty Exhibition"

The University of New Hampshire Gallery of Art opened its triennial faculty exhibition, "Current: Fall 2025 Faculty Exhibition," on September 2, 2025. The show features work from 18 faculty members of the art and art history department, spanning mediums such as sculpture, fashion design, painting, and photography. A reception on September 5 drew students, faculty, and community members, with department chair Ben Cariens—also a featured artist and gallery director—joking that students could now grade their professors' work. The exhibition runs through October 17, with free admission.

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.

Art Macao host ‘Since it is•The Future: Media Art Exhibition’

Art Macao's collateral exhibition 'Since it is•The Future: Media Art Exhibition' opened on Saturday evening at the Cardinal Newman Centre for Culture and Arts Performance of Macau (CCCN). Part of the Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale 2025, the show is co-curated by Willa Chan and Ha Tin Cheong, featuring works by four local artists—Ng Man Cheng, Cheong Ka Kit, U Ka Kit, and Lo Hio Leng—under a 'post-apocalyptic cultural archaeology' narrative. The exhibition uses media art to explore Macau's identity between passive acceptance and active creation, with each artist presenting interactive installations that reimagine the present through a speculative future lens.