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.

Five Whirlwind Days in Venice, at (and Beyond) the Biennale

The article recounts a whirlwind three-day visit to the 61st Venice Biennale, focusing on the main exhibition at the Giardini della Biennale curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, titled "In Minor Keys." The author highlights textile works by artists such as Thania Petersen, Billie Zangewa, and Annalee Davis, as well as Beverly Buchanan's "Spirit Jars" and Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons's portrait of Kouoh and Toni Morrison. The trip also includes visits to collateral events, a performance at Jordan Roth's palazzo, and a side trip to Gabriele D'Annunzio's estate on Lake Garda.

One Fine Show: “Paula Rego, Dance Among Thorns” at MUNCH in Oslo

MUNCH in Oslo presents "Paula Rego: Dance Among Thorns," the first comprehensive museum survey of the Portuguese-British artist in the Nordic region and her largest since the 2021 Tate Britain retrospective. The exhibition brings together over 140 works spanning seven decades, from early abstract political collages to the grotesque papier-mâché tableaux of her final years. A central section traces previously undocumented links between Rego and Edvard Munch, including the discovery of a never-before-exhibited work by Rego's son, Nick Willing. Highlights include Rego's monumental "Oratorio" (2008-09) and "The Dance" (1988), which curator Kari J. Brandtzæg connects to Munch's "Dance of Life" (1898-1899).

8 Standout Shows at the Venice Biennale 2026

The 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, titled "In Minor Keys" and curated by Artistic Director Koyo Kouoh, opened in Venice in 2026, running through November 22 at the Giardini, Arsenale, and various city locations. The main exhibition features 110 invited artists, collaborative duos, collectives, and artist-led organizations, realized by Kouoh's team after her passing in May 2025. Alongside 100 National Participations in historic pavilions, 31 Collateral Events and independent projects are on view. Art & Object highlights eight standout shows, including Lu Yang's immersive digital installation "DOKU The Illusion" at Espace Louis Vuitton, Oriol Vilanova's postcard-based "Los restos" at the Spanish Pavilion, and JR's photographic reinterpretation "Il Gesto" at The Venice Venice Hotel.

‘Something Missing?’ Absence is emotional with Sophie Calle’s new show

Sophie Calle's latest exhibition, 'Something Missing?' at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Copenhagen, explores themes of absence, loss, and disappearance through works spanning 1979 to 2023. The show features series such as 'Because' (2018-2023), where embroidered felt sheets hide photographs; a response to Picasso's works swaddled during Covid lockdowns; 'The Blind' (1986), in which people born without sight describe beauty; and 'Voir la mer' (2011), capturing Istanbul residents seeing the sea for the first time. Calle's characteristic wit and emotional depth turn voids into vantage points, inviting viewers to confront what is missing.

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.

10 Artist-Run Galleries Around the World You Should Know

Artsy Editorial profiles ten artist-run galleries worldwide that are thriving despite the challenge of balancing gallery operations with active art practices. These spaces, founded and operated by working artists, leverage their founders' firsthand experience navigating the art world to curate distinctive programming and build meaningful client relationships. Examples include galleries in underserved neighborhoods in Thailand and other global locations, highlighting the diversity of this grassroots movement.

In London, Churchill's astonishing talent as a painter celebrated by an unprecedented retrospective

À Londres, l’étonnant talent de peintre de Churchill célébré par une rétrospective inédite

The Wallace Collection in London is hosting the first major posthumous retrospective of Winston Churchill's paintings, titled "Winston Churchill: The Painter." Running until November 29, 2026, the exhibition features nearly 60 still lifes and landscapes, many from private collections rarely shown publicly. Churchill took up painting in 1915 after the Dardanelles disaster and used art as a therapeutic escape from the pressures of politics and war, producing luminous, impressionistic works inspired by Monet, Cézanne, and Renoir.

“Melting Glaciers, Water Futures from the Alps to the Nile” photo exhibition by Swiss photographer Pierre Jeanneret and Egyptian documentary photographer Roger Anis is a must see - Exhibitions - Al-Ahram Weekly

The article announces a photo exhibition titled "Melting Glaciers, Water Futures from the Alps to the Nile" at the Goethe Institute in Cairo, featuring Swiss photographer Pierre Jeanneret and Egyptian documentary photographer Roger Anis. Jeanneret's work documents the rapid melting of Swiss glaciers and its impacts on hydroelectric dams, tourism, and new landscapes, while Anis explores water, climate, and human resilience along the Nile. The exhibition is part of SABBART, a cultural initiative by EUNIC Cluster Egypt focusing on climate and environmental issues, and runs from 17 May to 4 June.

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.

Crystal Bridges to Host Events Celebrating Its Expansion

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, will host a series of events celebrating the completion of its multiyear expansion, which began in early 2022. The celebration kicks off on May 29 with a conversation featuring founder Alice Walton, chairperson Olivia Walton, and architect Moshe Safdie, moderated by Vanity Fair correspondent Nate Freeman. The 114,000-square-foot expansion brings the museum's total size to 314,000 square feet, adding a café, educational spaces, galleries, studios, and an outdoor plaza. The official public opening on June 6–7 will include dance performances, live music, hands-on art activities, and the debut of two temporary exhibitions: "Keith Haring in 3D" and "Do Ho Suh and Children: Artland."

ISA Art Gallery’s Biophilia Exhibition

Deborah Iskander, founder of ISA Art Gallery in Jakarta, launched the gallery's latest exhibition titled 'Biophilia' at its location in Wisma BNI 46. The gallery, established in 2014, has focused on exhibiting women artists and diaspora Indonesian artists since 2021. The exhibition continues this curatorial direction, featuring works that explore the connection between nature and human experience.

A Long-Overdue Reckoning With Nazi-Looted Art on exhibit at the Musée d’Orsay, Paris

The Musée d'Orsay in Paris has opened a new permanent gallery titled "À qui appartiennent ces œuvres ?" ("To whom do these works belong?") dedicated to MNR (Musées Nationaux Récupération) artworks—pieces recovered after World War II that have not yet been returned to their rightful owners. The single-room exhibition displays thirteen works from the 225 "artistic orphans" held by the museum, including paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, and Alfred Stevens. Curators have suspended several works between glass panels to expose the backs of the canvases, revealing inventory stamps and gallery labels that trace their journey from Jewish homes into the Nazi art machine.

“Paroles, Paroles” at Centre d’Art Contemporain—la synagogue de Delme

The article announces the group exhibition “Paroles, Paroles” at the Centre d’Art Contemporain—la synagogue de Delme, featuring six artists, performers, and poets (including one duo). The show examines how language—its words, accents, and expressions—reflects political, social, and technological shifts, and how linguistic hybridization, transformation, and adaptation reveal both freedoms and constraints.

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.

A Milano c’è una mostra di bambole giapponesi. Un tempo prodotti industriali oggi pezzi da collezione

A new exhibition in Milan at the gallery N.51 presents the work of Japanese artist Shigeru Arai, known as NAGNAGNAG, who is celebrated for transforming industrial soft vinyl dolls (Sofubi) into unique art objects. The show, titled "Shigeru Arai Tribute Exhibition," marks the first time his work is displayed in Italy, tracing the history of Sofubi from its post-WWII origins in Japan—where it replaced dangerously flammable cellulose toys—to its elevation as a collectible art form through Arai's distinctive techniques, including biting the soft vinyl and applying multiple layers of paint.

Danish recycling artist brings his giant trolls indoors for a first museum exhibition

Danish recycling artist Thomas Dambo, known for creating nearly 200 giant wooden troll sculptures hidden in natural landscapes across 19 countries, is presenting his first museum exhibition. Titled "The Garbage Man," the show opens at the Arken Museum of Contemporary Art near Copenhagen and features a new narrative in which mischievous trolls secretly take over the museum, building a giant human figure from trash as a lesson about waste. The exhibition runs from Sunday until November 29 and includes works made from discarded materials like electronics, cardboard, and clothing, some of which would not survive outdoors.

This art exhibition celebrates lazy days and doing nothing

Irish comics artist Niall Breen is debuting his exhibition "Lazy Days with Dog & Frog" at Heartware Store and Gallery in Singapore from 29 May to 26 July 2026. The show features his beloved dog and frog characters, which have gained a large social media following for their raw, relatable depictions of everyday life, quiet moments, and the simple act of doing nothing. Alongside the artworks, visitors can purchase exclusive merchandise, including limited-edition woven throws, and attend an artist talk on 30 May 2026.

Mango Tango Art Gallery Presents: Fresh Paint and Seasoned Strokes

Mango Tango Art Gallery in St. Thomas is opening a group exhibition titled 'Fresh Paint and Seasoned Strokes' on May 30, featuring works by three artists: newcomer Vickie Lawrence, regional icon Eric Winter, and master teacher David Millard. The show includes watercolors, acrylics, and oil paintings, with live music by Sammy Watts and Ras Abu, and will run for one month.